I Just Want to Breathe

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For the past three years I have been suffering from bad cough. In general, it seems like everybody has a sensitive throat. If we consume something very cold, taking a sour or sweet substance, we may develop throat infection. Some people are born with a very powerful immune system and they are not as sensitive as other people. Sadly, I am not one of those people because my throat has always been sensitive.

Unfortunately, I cannot recall much of my childhood but for the past few years, when I used to get a throat infection, it would transform into a cough that persisted for months. Usually, people take about 15 days to recover from this but that was not my case, each time this cough problem occurred I would go to doctors but none of them could well examine my condition.

Last year, a doctor told me I had mild asthma and gave me an inhaler along with some medicine. This worried me because no one in my family has ever had asthma. I took the medicine, and my cough was suppressed for a few days, but as soon as I finished the medicine, the cough returned with a vengeance, making me feel like my lungs were about to burst.

During this time, a friend of my father suggested that I get an allergy test and vaccination because the inhaler was not good for me considering my age. He recommended a doctor at Misbah International Hospital in Dera Ismail Khan, who specializes in dealing with allergies and asthma. My condition was deteriorating, so I went with my father to see this doctor on March 26, 2023.

I explained my entire medical history to the doctor. He listened patiently and reviewed the previous reports and prescriptions. He suggested I undergo an allergy test, and based on the results, he would recommend a vaccination.

The allergy test involved pricking my forearm with needles to check my body's response to different allergens. I believe it's called a skin prick test. The doctor told me I was primarily allergic to dust. He then suggested that I start a vaccination course to help with my condition.

The vaccination schedule required a small amount of vaccine to be injected into my skin every three days. In total, I received six vials over almost eight months and had regular check-ups with the doctor during this period.

After the vaccination, I continued using the medicine for three months until my cough became almost non-existent. My last visit to the doctor was on 24th December last year and he prescribed me more tablets for two months and advised me to visit him again if I needed it. I was glad that I no longer had the cough and that was the end of it but as you will come to see fate had other plans for me.

26 March 2023	25 April 2023

25 May 2023	25 June 2023

06 August 2023	03 September 2023

22 October 2023	24 December 2023

From February to May this year, I was okay, however, two weeks ago, I felt a scratch in my throat which developed into a severe infection with a mild fever. I took antibiotics for the throat and it was healed in five days but the cough reoccurred suddenly. I even took a cough syrup, but it was ineffective.

Two days ago, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I couldn't breathe. I drank some water, but then I had such a severe coughing fit that it woke up the entire house. It lasted about 20 minutes, and I was just praying for it to stop. I just wanted to breathe. Nothing else!

Yesterday, I with my father went for another check-up because it was necessary. The doctor ordered a blood test, which revealed that this time, my cough was due to an infection, not an allergy. Given my history, he advised me to avoid cold and sour foods to prevent throat infections that could trigger my cough.

14 June 2024 (Recent)	Blood Test Report

I asked him what the point of the vaccine was if I still got a cough. He explained that the vaccine's effects would last a lifetime and were intended to prevent my allergy from turning into asthma. The vaccine would be beneficial later in life, especially in old age, as it was almost certain I would have developed asthma without it. He gave me more tablets (infact a bundle of them) for three months, which you can see in the picture below.

So, for now, I'm back on medication. Let's see how things go. I hope I get better because while a cough isn't a serious disease, it's incredibly irritating. Last year, I received teaching job offers from some private colleges, but I couldn't take them due to my condition.

Anyway, it's clear that I need to modify my lifestyle and diet. I'll have to avoid foods that might cause throat infections. As for limiting dust exposure, I wear a mask when I go outside, but the area I live in gets frequent dust storms during summer, so managing this will be challenging, but I have to do it...

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^{Author: @waqarahmadshah | Date: 15-Jun-2024 | Achievement 1}