Even though I have asthma I can still play around and be silly…it just means you have to control your asthma so you won’t be sick.
Jared, 10
The Asthma Experience Journal is a collection of stories and personal experiences from patients and families about what it has been like to cope with pediatric asthma. It represents the “collective wisdom” of these families as well as their health care providers.
While it is normal to feel some emotional discomfort associated with reading the stories of children and parents describing their experiences with asthma, we hope that families may learn from the stories of others facing similar experiences.
Visit the Glossary to read definitions for words in bold. Visit our Resources page to learn more about parent and clinician recommended websites on pediatric asthma.
Video Interviews:
- Interview with Billy about his asthma
- Interview with Verdo about his asthma
- Interview with Mary, Billy and Verdo’s mother
- My Asthma by Billy & Anastasia
Child & Adolescent Stories:
I would say only that life is filled with obstacles we have to overcome. Asthma can often be a big obstacle that keeps us from doing the small things, but we have to work and find a way around it, whether it’s through being better about taking our medicines or through building up slowly to bigger goals.
Michelle, 22
- Understanding my asthma
- Some challenges of having asthma
- Experiencing an asthma attack
- Going to the Hospital
- How it affects my family
- How if affects my friends
- How it affects me at school
- Growing up and getting older
- Words of wisdom from kids and teens
Caregiver Stories:
I think Katie’s allergies and asthma have taught me compassion.
A Parent
- Finding out my child has asthma
- Understanding my child’s triggers and allergens
- How we prevent and cope with flare-ups
- My child’s medications
- Going to the hospital
- Talking with clinicians
- How it affects our family
- How it affects my child at school
- How it affects my child in sports
- Systems of support for families
- Coping with Asthma in the future
- Challenges and rewards
- Words of wisdom from parents
Clinician Insights:
A big part of it is empowering them to know they can and should call us as soon as they think something is wrong, and even if it is just to say “This is what’s going on. This is what I was going to do about it. Does this make sense?”
Shari Nethersole, MD, Pediatrician
- Our experts
- Common questions we hear
- Understanding triggers and allergens
- Talking about medications
- Preventing flare-ups
- Concerns about exercise
- Treating adolescents
- Community Asthma Initiative
- Making an Action Plan
- Challenges and rewards
- Words of wisdom from clinicians
A group of parents and health care providers has reviewed all of these contributions for appropriateness. The Asthma Experience Journal was created by the Boston Children’s Hospital Allergy and Asthma Program and the Department of Psychiatry.
Editor’s note: Please keep in mind that every patient is different, and discussions of alternative treatments, complications, and timelines may not apply to you. Additionally, some families identify medications and treatments that work well for them. The Experience Journals do not endorse specific methods. Each individual is different, and we invite you to discuss treatments with your doctors and nurses to see if they are right for you.