Asthma and the Family

• My dad would be like, “Stop coughing.”
• I would get into fights with my mom
• My sister resented me when we were kids
• My brother has it, too
• Difficult, but it has brought us together

My dad would be like, “Stop coughing.”

I would wake up in the middle of the night and I couldn't sleep because I would be coughing so hard.  My dad was like “Stop coughing.”  He thought I could control it, but I couldn't.  So that made me feel embarrassed to cough, but I had to. 

–Allie, 18

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I would get into fights with my mom

I couldn't do basketball practice, and I would have coughing attacks and wouldn't be able to go to school.  I would cough so much that the teachers sent me home.  Sometimes, I would get into fights with my mom because she wouldn't let me go to basketball practice, but I wanted to go and be with my friends. 

–Allie, 18

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My sister resented me when we were kids

As a child my older sister definitely had a difficult time with it.  My mom was always coming to the hospital to visit me as a little kid.  My sister, being four years older than me, she had a very difficult time.  My parents were focusing on keeping me alive so my sister resented me, but it wasn't my fault and now my sister and I have a very close relationship because we are older.  I think she had a very difficult time understanding me and wished that I would go away, but that's as a kid.  Now it's completely different.

–Bridget, 26

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My brother has it, too

My older brother has asthma too, but he barely gets sick with it.  I can play with him, but not when I'm sick because I have a hard time breathing.

–Caleb, 8

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Difficult, but it has brought us together

It was very difficult for my parents because they were in and out of the hospital with me my whole childhood.  It was very difficult, but it definitely brought us together.  I am their miracle child.

–Bridget, 26

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