It’s been a long time since I had an asthma attack. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time. I am currently writing this entry with my nebulizer stuck to my face, inhaling the vapors from the Normal Saline and Ventolin mixture that I’ve known to mix for years (and sometimes we even add other medicines there to relieve my cough). This machine has been with us since…I don’t know, since I was five, or six? Amazing that it’s still working, and it’s definitely brought me much comfort after a bout of difficulty in breathing.

Sitting here with this contraption stuck to my nose brings a lot of memories though. I knew I was a sickly kid back then, mostly because of my asthma, which I got from my mom. Every now and then I’d have an attack, and my parents would rush me to the hospital to get my nebulizing session. I remember whenever we can’t run to the hospital and my attack wasn’t that bad, I’d be inhaling steam with Vicks, I think. Anyway, there was a time that I’d get really severe attacks that I had to go to the hospital and nebulize (is there such a term?) at two in the morning. Talk about stress for everyone around me. I wasn’t allowed to eat lots of sweet stuff because it might trigger my attack — especially peanut butter!

When my parents finally bought a nebulizer for use at home (I wonder how much it cost back then), it was a huge relief not having to run to the hospital every now and then for me to get through an asthma attack. It was a big help for my grandmother back then, who ended up using this machine for a long time before she left us. As I grew up, my asthma attacks became less frequent, but sometimes I still need the machine — like back in Grade 5 when I ate too much crab for a few days, major allergy. Or sometime during in sophomore year in high school, when I had one of the worst asthma attacks I can ever remember.

Now it’s the first time I used this again this year. It’s sort of nostalgic, really. It reminds me how much people at home care — enough to buy this machine even if I bet it’s really expensive before, and enough to mix my medicine when I can’t and pat my back after every nebulizing session. :) This reminds me how much people here love me, and it’s sort of worth having an asthma attack over.

It’s late and I should get some rest. I think this is God’s way of telling me that I need to cut back on my activities and take care of myself. :) I mean, I’m not a baby in disposable diapers anymore, and I’ve got to start minding my health now that I’m getting older. Right?

Happy Friday everyone! I’m off to watch one last episode of Friends (sorry, it’s still Friday night, and I get to sleep a bit later :P), and then drink a decongestant (clogged nose is hell in the middle of the night) and sleep. :) Good night!