exercise induced asthma
Charmian, 53, is an ex-smoker who quit cigarettes 8 years ago and admits to having been a bit of a harridan around smokers, but after a recent experience with an emergency room doctor who treated her for exercise induced asthma with the same disgust that’s normally shown to smokers she freaked out, had a bawl, and now has joined the growing ranks of ex-smokers who realize that there’s no kudos for quitting smoking as far as the medical profession is concerned and, as such, there really is no kudos in being a harridan around smokers any more.
“I was out jogging early one morning, it was bitterly cold, and suddenly I had trouble breathing,” explains Charmian. “Somehow I managed to get back home and when my husband saw the state I was in he took me immediately to the emergency room.”
“I was very proud to tell the doctor that I had quit cigarettes 8 years ago when he asked whether I smoked,” says Charmian, “but to my surprise and horror he didn’t pat me on the back and say ‘well done’ or ‘good for you’ or anything that like. Instead, he turned up his nose and started treating me like a waste of space.”
“In his opinion my bout of asthma was due entirely to the fact that I once smoked, and that was that, serves me right, my lungs are rubbish, go home and rest.”
“I was absolutely devastated to be treated in this manner after I had gone through hell and high water to quit my smoking habit and believed, without question, all the quit smoking so-called medical advice that within a short period of time my body will be as strong and healthy as a non-smoker’s. What a lie!”
“I’m glad I kicked the habit, but I’m angry that they lied to me about the medical benefits of becoming an ex-smoker.”
“I was so shocked by the way that doctor treated me that I went outside and bawled like a baby and after that I felt much better,” says Charmian. “And that was a blessing because if I had been really sick I doubt whether he would have bothered to save my life.”
“He really jolted me into reality,” sighs Charmian. “I don’t think he was a maverick in the system. I think he was doing exactly as he had been trained to do.”
“If this is the way they treat ex-smokers, then I shudder to think of the treatment that smokers get when they present at emergency for any complaint, smoking related or not.”
“I have heard that a lot of smokers claim to be non-smokers when they see a doctor and I always thought this was a stupid thing to do, until now,” says Charmian. “I don’t want to lie about my smoking history – and now that it’s on file, I can’t in any case – but frankly if being an ex-smoker gains you no more kudos than a persistent smoker then you may as well lie and get treated with respect.”
“That bout of asthma really scared me and I can see now that it was induced by exercising in cold weather and probably had nothing to do with my smoking history,” says Charmian. ”I won’t be going jogging from now on, and I won’t be pretending that I am any better than a smoker because obviously I’m not as far as the medical profession is concerned.”
“I hate to admit that I was a bit of a harridan around smokers before this incident,” admits Charmian. “I apologize for putting all you guys down and treating you like a waste of space just because you continued to smoke.”
“Now that I know what it feels like to be treated badly because of smoking – even though I haven’t touched a cigarette for 8 years – I can sympathize with your cause.”
“The so-called caring and compassionate medical profession has gone stark, raving mad in relation to smoking,” sighs Charmian. “They do their best to get you to stop smoking, and then down the line they blame every complaint you get on your smoking history and you just can't win in an environment like this.”
“I was out jogging early one morning, it was bitterly cold, and suddenly I had trouble breathing,” explains Charmian. “Somehow I managed to get back home and when my husband saw the state I was in he took me immediately to the emergency room.”
“I was very proud to tell the doctor that I had quit cigarettes 8 years ago when he asked whether I smoked,” says Charmian, “but to my surprise and horror he didn’t pat me on the back and say ‘well done’ or ‘good for you’ or anything that like. Instead, he turned up his nose and started treating me like a waste of space.”
“In his opinion my bout of asthma was due entirely to the fact that I once smoked, and that was that, serves me right, my lungs are rubbish, go home and rest.”
“I was absolutely devastated to be treated in this manner after I had gone through hell and high water to quit my smoking habit and believed, without question, all the quit smoking so-called medical advice that within a short period of time my body will be as strong and healthy as a non-smoker’s. What a lie!”
“I’m glad I kicked the habit, but I’m angry that they lied to me about the medical benefits of becoming an ex-smoker.”
“I was so shocked by the way that doctor treated me that I went outside and bawled like a baby and after that I felt much better,” says Charmian. “And that was a blessing because if I had been really sick I doubt whether he would have bothered to save my life.”
“He really jolted me into reality,” sighs Charmian. “I don’t think he was a maverick in the system. I think he was doing exactly as he had been trained to do.”
“If this is the way they treat ex-smokers, then I shudder to think of the treatment that smokers get when they present at emergency for any complaint, smoking related or not.”
“I have heard that a lot of smokers claim to be non-smokers when they see a doctor and I always thought this was a stupid thing to do, until now,” says Charmian. “I don’t want to lie about my smoking history – and now that it’s on file, I can’t in any case – but frankly if being an ex-smoker gains you no more kudos than a persistent smoker then you may as well lie and get treated with respect.”
“That bout of asthma really scared me and I can see now that it was induced by exercising in cold weather and probably had nothing to do with my smoking history,” says Charmian. ”I won’t be going jogging from now on, and I won’t be pretending that I am any better than a smoker because obviously I’m not as far as the medical profession is concerned.”
“I hate to admit that I was a bit of a harridan around smokers before this incident,” admits Charmian. “I apologize for putting all you guys down and treating you like a waste of space just because you continued to smoke.”
“Now that I know what it feels like to be treated badly because of smoking – even though I haven’t touched a cigarette for 8 years – I can sympathize with your cause.”
“The so-called caring and compassionate medical profession has gone stark, raving mad in relation to smoking,” sighs Charmian. “They do their best to get you to stop smoking, and then down the line they blame every complaint you get on your smoking history and you just can't win in an environment like this.”
Labels: asthma, emergency, exercise, jogging, quit cigarettes
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