humidity is my enemy LOL

[ashewoman]

Okay its only 74 degrees outside.  It's been raining for 3-4 days.  The humidity is 85% right now.  My a/c unit broke.  I know I know, why the heck am I running the a/c 24/7 when its so cool.... because I'm hotttttttttttt! and not in a sexy way.  I think its the inflammation.  They ran tests to check for early menopause back in March and said that wasn't it.  But I've killed my a/c unit.  And its mine so unless I can cough up another $150 for another one... not knowing if I'm going to need it in the next place I live... it's my problem that I don't have one.  (yes, I am moving for those of you who have been keeping up. I've got 120 days to do it.)  Now, the current problem is I can barely breathe.  I can't catch my breath.  Even the slightest activity that I normally do with ease is making me out of breath.  That doesn't seem normal.  And I'm exhausted from it... like breathing is so labored I just want to go to sleep.  Is that even remotely part of Sjogrens? I never heard anyone else say it... GG

[MissyLouWho?]

I wonder if you have asthma?  I feel like that when my seasonal allergies kick up and give me an asthma attack.  I never wheeze (even during an attack) and we didn't find out it was asthma until my cardiologist said I needed an asthma test in order to be put on a beta blocker.  She said it would cause a bad asthma attack if I had asthma.  So I did the test and guess what? Yup. I have asthma.  Advair 2x a day made breathing a lot easier.

As far as staying cool is concerned, a cool bath would be my best friend 

[iraisin]

Well...what if you went to walmart and got one of those portable A/C units. That way, if the power ever goes out at your next place, due to storm or whatever, you can plug it into a generator and stay cool?

[ashewoman]

I do have asthma... or at least I did until two years ago.  Now I'm thinking that it never went away?  About 2 years ago I moved into an apt with central air then a year ago I moved to North Carolina which until now was either cool and dry or I had a window unit running and all the windows closed when it was hot.  And of course it never gets as hot here as it did back in New Orleans, but this year we're giving it a run for the money... unless you figure how much hotter it is there this year. 

Anyway, I can't really afford to just buy another ac unit.  Not when I'm not even going to need it in a month.  If it gets any worse, I will go to the VAMC ER and see if they can give me a puffer.  I went to walmart tonight and got an extension cord hoping that it was the breaker on that side of the room per the advice of my brother.  I told him I didn't see how because the lamp plugged in the same outlet is working.  But he assured me I needed to go get a 25 ft orange industrial cord and try it.  It did not work.   While I was there I checked to see if they still sold those over the counter primamist puffers.  HA HA!  No, the lady said, they stopped selling them YEARS AGO.  I wanted to smack her but thought better of it at the last second.

So still no ac in the majority of the house.  I've got an itty bitty unit in the bedroom and I plan to shut myself in there. With the door closed, it gets bearable in that one room.  I'll camp out in the bedroom as much as possible and only stick my head out of there at night.  And should the breathing problem get any worse I will go to the ER and get a puffer this weekend.  I just really really do not want to wait until all hours in a room with sick people if I do not have to do it.  I'd already left a message for my PCP when the same idea about the resurfacing of the asthma came to me, but with it being a Friday afternoon I did not hear back from her.  Still, even if she ordered it, they mail it out so it could be two weeks before it comes.  Honestly, I probably should just suck it up and go to the ER, but I'd rather go at 2pm tomorrow than at 10pm on friday 13th.  Probably full of weirdness and sickness tonight.  It could take all night so I'm only going if it becomes critical rather than just difficult to breathe.  Thanks ya'll for the support! GG