How To Date With Severe Asthma

As much as my asthma is a part of me, I’ve had to work really hard at making sure it doesn’t define who I am. I’m committed to living the life I want — and I don’t want to miss out on things because of my lung capacity, so it only makes me more proactive about my journey. That means holding myself accountable to my asthma management and being honest with myself about my limits. I’m one of those people who loves to do everything, who wants to be involved with everything, who wants to pet every dog. But I’m now really intentional about what I do, about practicing self-care, about putting my breathing first. A lot of it has to do with maturity. At 26 years old, I’m doing everything I can so I can get to a place where my asthma feels like less of a presence in my life, but when it does take over — when I have my triggers or attacks — it can be really hard, and to put it plainly, it sucks. But I try to focus on what I can control.