Choking on mucus. No jokes.

Seriously, what is wrong with you 😁 (I honestly thought you’d keep seeing a doctor before the ER had to come pick you up 🙂).

Look, it doesn't necessarily mean you have asthma. Lung tests aren't exactly a huge ordeal.

Man, I've got my own... asthma (it only kicks in during ragweed season). It's pretty much "rock 'n' roll" when you wake up at three in the morning, unable to catch your breath, making noises like someone is actually squealing in the room.

Have you been wheezing—you know, that rattling sound when you breathe? Maybe it isn't asthma after all 🙂

Try to look on the bright side. At least after all this research, you can finally sleep peacefully without the constant fear of suffocating... there's some silver lining in that.

Everything is going to be fine, don't worry. How could it be any other way when so many people are looking out for you, right?

Take care and good luck.👋

Man, doctors... three different doctors, three totally different diagnoses.

Just got back from yet another hospital visit. They ran every test under the sun—bloodwork, veins, spirometry, allergy tests—and I was supposed to get a sinus X-ray and a nasal swab, but the doctor said there’s no point.

He’s a specialist, though. Not just some random GP.😁

It went alright. He thinks it’s probably not asthma, even though I am allergic to ragweed, weeds, dust mites, and dust. unknown. He gave me some saline spray to use a bunch of times a day to thin out the mucus, plus some antibiotics.

Antibiotics. Fak, I won't be able to drink at the Coachella festival now.😢 😁

Everything else was fine. It’s just a shame that in a country like this, nurses get to touch and listen to a body this powerful.😁
It was okay.

Not going to class today. Just can't. My overbearing mom went to pick up an excuse note from the doctor with me, so now I have no idea how to justify missing yesterday.
unknown.

Go to the pharmacy and grab some Bisolex tablets. They work fast and effectively.

🙏 🙏 🙏, that's what I told him immediately! But noooo, Spike Lee isn't a medical doctor so he knows nothing about meds. Idiot.😁

You aren't going to have any trouble with the printer, so don't even stress about it...

I'm skipping school today; I just can't do it. My overbearing mother went to the doctor to get a medical note for me, so now I have no idea how I'm going to justify missing yesterday.

Regarding the excuse note, you won't have any trouble getting one. Just play the part, show up with a pile of test results, and boom—you've got your note.

What kind of guy are you? (I thought you weren't going to cave to the doctor until the paramedics had to come fetch you).

Well, looks like Spike Lee realized the joke was over and decided it wasn't time to play around anymore.
As far as that goes, I'm no better when it comes to heading to the doctor.🙂

You aren't going to have issues with the excuse note, so don't stress about it.

I completely agree with Casey Palmer5. Go enjoy some rest. Look on the bright side—you actually got an extra day off today. Maybe even more.👋

Regarding what I mentioned about my vision issues: the process you can expect is basically this -> getting a scan -> running it through Photoshop -> hitting print 😁

I don't have a scanner to fake doctor's notes, and honestly, I'm not looking to mess around with that kind of stuff.
I'll just hand over the actual lab results from February 17th and say I had an attack... hopefully that works as an excuse.

Anyway, different subject now.
The saline drip was great, cleared everything right up, no issues there. But this antibiotic I got is a nightmare. It's some unknown brand, 500mg... and I can't even swallow a tiny Advil pill. So I've been trying to dissolve it in water to drink it like a liquid.

But this unknown crap is a beast and won't dissolve in a spoonful of water, so I was dying today just TRYING TO EAT this antibiotic porridge. The taste that garbage left in my mouth... I couldn't wash it away for at least 15 minutes. Swallowing the pill is out of the question, and they don't make this exact same med in a syrup version.

How am I supposed to swallow this?

I honestly have no clue, you might just have to power through it somehow 🙂

Or if that sounds better to you, maybe look into getting some shots instead 😬

Casey Palmer5, I'm honestly terrified heading to Coachella this Friday without you... I just told Sid 😁

Man, my spasms are hitting hard. Everyone else thinks they're just some wild dance moves 😁

I'll probably be hanging out somewhere over there (hopefully not under 😬 )

It sounds irrational, but I’m actually feeling better now 😁
And don't even get me started 😁

Gotta try to sleep. Just can't bring myself to... maybe just fear. I'm such a wimp 🙂 (haven't used this emoji in ages)

Today.
An attack. It's back. 😢

The guys and I had a free period, so we headed to a local tavern for a drink. I don't know if you guys know what this place looks like, but they have these little green plants all around the tables. So, I'm just sipping my iced tea, heading back toward class... At the school entrance, a buddy offers me some gum. I pop it in, chew it twice, and I'm already halfway up the stairs when suddenly—I choke and I seriously can't breathe, unknown!

I start wheezing like crazy. My friend is right in front of me, but then I realize what's happening and I start sprinting toward the restroom. Well, walking. I can't catch my breath at all. I don't even get why... nothing's stuck in my throat, nothing's lodged there, I just physically cannot inhale. I'm halfway to the bathroom and I realize none of my friends are following me. I look back and see one guy trailing behind. I wave at him because I can't say a word, just making these weird noises...

Get this—it's 6:10 AM, I'm in the busiest hallway in the school, kneeling on the floor gasping for air, and nobody gives a fuck!. Seriously. A friend from the floor below heard me wheezing and came up, but nobody would even open the classroom door or the faculty lounge, which was maybe two feet away from me.

So I'm choking for about 30 seconds right in the middle of the hall. A few friends are around me, someone says this, someone else says that... I finally manage to grab some air and stumble into the restroom. I drink some water. They ask if I'm okay. I tell them I am.

Then I spit out another glob of thick phlegm.

Now I'm asking you guys, what could cause this? I went to the new hospital and the ER. One doctor says asthma, another says nothing. Then there's spirometry, allergy tests... I've done everything (thankfully not a bronchoscopy yet). Where does this come from? Why can't I breathe? Is it possible the gum triggered it? Or those plants at the tavern?

I couldn't believe it was back after a few months... 😢

Oh man, that sounds rough... I can't really offer you any concrete medical advice, but a close friend of mine went through something almost identical. She was perfectly fine her whole life—even through high school—and then suddenly, out of nowhere, she’d lose her breath, collapse on the floor, and pass out. We were basically trying to bring her back to life. She saw doctors and went through a hundred different tests, but nobody could agree on anything; one doctor would say it was just allergies, another would swear it was asthma, and while they were all busy arguing, she’d have another choking episode at least once a week. It was terrifying for her; she was scared to go to class, scared to sleep—honestly, she was scared to live. Eventually, they prescribed her an inhaler, and even now, three years later, she still doesn't truly know what's wrong with her. She just uses her inhaler quickly as soon as she feels an attack coming on so she doesn't suffocate. It's just crazy.

Your spirometry results might look perfectly fine while you aren't actually having an asthma flare-up. You should really go see a decent pulmonologist to figure out what's actually going on with you. It’s very possible that it is asthma...

A buddy told me asthma attacks usually happen in stages. Like, you struggle more and more until you just can't breathe at all. That’s not how it works for me though. Out of nowhere, I just... stop breathing.

And this specialist I saw has this specific group for asthma patients. He's a PhD, maybe 35 years old, and he says it isn't even asthma. A woman at the ER thought it might be, said it looked like it, but her findings don't really line up with typical asthma because people with asthma have different blood gas ratios or something like that...

Your spirometry results might look perfectly fine if you aren't currently having an asthma attack. You should go see a decent pulmonologist to figure out what's actually going on. It’s very possible it's asthma.

Yeah, I agree with Casey Palmer5. It could be allergies or asthma. It's springtime, plants are blooming and all that, especially since you were sitting right by those plants at the tavern. Honestly, you should just find a reliable pulmonologist and get checked out; you're worrying us, but more importantly, you're worrying yourself. It would be wise to spend the money to see a doctor. Take care, and please don't go "suffocating" on us again like you did last winter. 😉

You really ought to get those bronchoprovocation tests and allergy screenings done, along with a whole bunch of other stuff. Otherwise, you're just playing a guessing game until the next time you catch a flare-up and find yourself struggling to breathe...

I have a question, specifically for Casey Palmer5.
I mentioned earlier that you talked about wheezing... I’ve been dealing with that for about a week now, along with coughing, a runny nose, and sneezing, but the wheezing is definitely the most intense part.
At first, I just assumed it was a standard cold, but it’s been stuck at this same level for seven days straight.
Then people started bringing up allergies—which is funny because I’ve never been allergic to anything in my entire life—and now everyone is talking about asthma, or even that COPD stuff I’ve heard about.
I mean... it doesn't feel like a massive emergency compared to a regular cold, but when I cough, I rarely actually clear any mucus, even though I picked up some Mucinex at the drugstore. Still, my chest feels tight, there's constant whistling in my lungs, my nose is always stuffed up, and I can't stop sneezing.

You really ought to get this looked at properly. If you're dealing with stuff like this, you need to be on the right medication—and I don't mean the over-the-counter stuff you just grab off the shelf. You should definitely reach out to your doctor...

It could be an allergy, or maybe even asthma.

much appreciated