An asthmatics journey from denial to acceptance.

( but please don’t light that incense, even though I don’t have asthma!)

Very recently I went to a spa day, a treat for my birthday, hot pools, rooms to sit in, and essential oils, all the best stuff.

In the few days afterwards my air way slowly inflamed, and I am now on a course of steroids, to make me able to breathe again.

My fault I should have known!

But it got me thinking.

I was diagnosed with seasonal asthma a good few years ago now, it could be the weather, mushroom spores, change of weather, could be anything, and I was given a blue inhaler/ reliever. 4 x a day when needed.

At this point I can honestly say my reaction was, yes I will do that! , but I don’t have asthma, I’m 60, I’ve never had asthma!. It’s a blip. And I became in denial of my asthma. And continued to be so for a long time.

Then Covid kicked in, and before we went into lockdown , when everybody started cleaning things, I locked down early because my asthma had become uncontrollable ( I was put on a daily combination inhaler and have been on it ever since).

My new inhaler fixed it.

Denial stopped, I do have asthma.

But what triggered it was still unknown.

Then a flight, and a walk through duty free, as an enthusiastic sales girl sprayed perfume at me, and I had my first big reaction, no breath, no speech, get the inhalers out

 Very scary!

It’s led to me avoiding these situations,

So yes! Spa trip. My fault!

However, it made me think how impossible life is becoming, as the world is consistently being perfumed, plug ins, washing powder, every where insisting that somehow, the world can smell sweeter, better, cleaner, purer.

And that saying I have asthma can give you the impression that there is something wrong with me, in my being, and that I’m allergic to something that I shouldn’t be, that I am somehow weaker than others.

But I say, pollution comes in many forms.

It took till I was 60 to affect me, but pollution has become greater than when I was young.

Perfumes are as much responsible for our pollution as many other things.

Our children are being born into this.

So before you perfume your house with the smell of rain, why not wait till it does rain and go outside.

Why not wait till you’re at the ocean to smell the ozone.

Why not leave your bedding with the smell of clean, rather than jasmine.

If something’s dirty I want to smell that, if foods been cooked I want to smell that.

Don’t force me to smell something different.

And don’t take it into pharmacy’s, and shops and venues and don’t light that incense indoors.

Because my world is shrinking, and so is yours.

Gill Ansty YHET trustee

Yoga therapist.