my earliest memories of "the disease" called asthma

As far back as I can remember, I've had asthma. I recall having an asthma attack or episode and being unable to sleep until late at night because of the discomfort. I would cry and my father would stay up with me, often reading books or telling me stories to calm me, until I finally dozed off.

There was one time when, after playing outside for a while, I felt so tired that I had to go back in the house to sit down. Soon, I was finding it very hard to breathe - inhaling deeply but drawing very little air into my lungs. I was having an asthma attack. It was early afternoon and both my parents were at work. Only an aunt was there to look after me and she did not know what to do. She just gave me some water and gently stroked my back to comfort me. Again I started crying and eventually fell asleep from exhaustion.

During my preschool years, I was as active as any other child my age. I ran around and played as much as I could. The thought of having an asthma attack when I over-indulged never kept me from doing all the things children enjoy. If I did get an episode, I would endure it, sometimes cry because I felt frustrated and irritated, then, after the attack subsided, forget about it and then get on with "my life".

When I started going to school, there was more to do, a lot more space to run around, and more friends to play with. And, of course, the asthma was still there. It was then that I became aware that I had to slow down a little to reduce the frequency of my asthma attacks. But these continued to happen even though I was more careful.

So it wasn't only because of over-exhaustion that I was getting sick. There were other things that triggered my asthma episodes. Dust, pollen, animal fur, changes in temperature and certain foods also caused it.