This weather and managing with it.

The last few months Scotland has experienced some of the hottest weather it has ever had. So many people are loving the sun, warm weather and having the ability to wear shorts, t shirts, hair down and enjoy BBQ’s. Most of my friends and family are and I envy them so much as they can sit comfortably out in the sun and just enjoy soaking up the vitamin D giving the peelie wallie Scottish skin some colour.

I think I truly am the grinch just now as find this weather unbearable. So many people loving the hot weather, willing it to stay and I long for the cool weather, some wind and way less humidity even some snow wouldn’t go a miss!! I always have been a fan of the winter months- even before my breathing was bad. My love of the snow, mountains, fresh air and skiing will never leave me as I long for it everyday. Over a decade down the line I still resent what happened in Canada and the destruction it caused to my life. All the if’s. If I hadn’t gone to Canada maybe I wouldn’t have go the infection, would not have been helicoptered from one hospital to another, would have not had so much damage to my lungs but I cant dwell on this. I can long for those times again.

Now though my love of snow and winter is not for the skiing but for the air, lack of humidity and comfort. This weather just now I feel is suffocating, it is like having a pillow held over your face that you cant get off. Breathing air which just feels too thick to get into your lungs. It is a hard sensation to describe, almost like you want to water the air down yet it is the water in the air that is causing the problems.

Rather than spending my time out in the sun I have had the curtains shut, windows open in a bid to keep my flat cooler. Fans are going full blast which I really could not be without. Cool showers have been an essential as well. Something that comes up a lot with asthma and post attack is that you look ok and when you don’t do much you are able to breathe a lot easier but the moment you go to do anything it is an uphill battle. This is the part that no one sees and this is the most frustrating part because I don’t feel unwell when doing nothing yet feel like I am tasing for breath at the slightest thing. Unless you have been through it I really don’t think you can understand what it is like.

The most frustrating part is unlike with a chest infection or an attack there is medication you can take to help alleviate symptoms but when the weather is involved there really is not much you can do, no amount of steroids are going to make the air less humid and easier to breathe. How I wish there was. My one sanctuary is my car which has a fantastic air conditioning system in it and I am really appreciating it right now. I am currently sat in my car with the air con on as I write this. The nights are long and a night when you cant sleep is always made to feel longer especially when you cant breathe too. If this weather is to become a regular occurrence I may need to sort my flat out to help with these conditions.

Right now one of the really frustrating things is the lack of control. I cant control any of it, no one can make it better and I am having to miss things because of my breathing particularly at night when the humidity is so much worse.

I know I am not alone in how I am feeling and how the weather is effecting my breathing. There will be hundreds of others with all sorts of long term conditions who are struggling to cope with the weather to. It would be great to hear from anyone who has found good ways of coping and making their life easier!