athma imageEven 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:

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

Caregiver Stories:

I think Katie’s allergies and asthma have taught me compassion.

A Parent

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


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.

Acknowledgments

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.