It
didn't used to be complicated. I've been using inhalers for a long
time for asthma. Here, let me explain in a few simple steps.
This
is an inhaler.
You
push down on it and suck in the medicine.
Then
they decided a lot of the medicine used to get stuck in my throat so
they gave me a spacer.
This
is a spacer.
It
has a hole to put the “suck here” end of the inhaler into it.
And
a new “suck here” place.
Put inhaler in opening A, put lips around opening B, push button, suck in medicine.
Put inhaler in opening A, put lips around opening B, push button, suck in medicine.
However, now they have a new kind of inhaler, which I get to use because the old kind doesn't really work so well for me anymore. You remember how medically "special" I am...
It
looks like this.
See anything resembling anything familiar from the other pictures? Me neither. Good thing I got instructions.
See anything resembling anything familiar from the other pictures? Me neither. Good thing I got instructions.
These
take up, I kid you not, ¼ of my bed. See all the pictures? See how
complicated it is? Now imagine you're having a breathing emergency.
Do you have time to decipher all these directions? No. You do not.
You want to suck up some medicine right away. NOW.
You don't want to find slots A,B,C, and D. You don't want to figure out how to get the bottom half of the inhaler off to insert the cartridge. Correctly. Which they explain. In detail. You don't want to have to repeat steps 5, 6, 7 FOUR times. (These involve priming the inhaler by turning the bottom half until you hear a "distinct" click, then depressing the "activation button".) I'm quoting directly from the brochure here. And get this. These steps need to be performed EACH time you want to use your “rescue inhaler.”
I think it would be faster to call an ambulance, go to the hospital, wait to be seen in the ER, and get a nebulizer treatment. Oh well, I guess I'll have something to read next time I'm in carline. I'd better memorize these instructions if I want to have any hope of being rescued in time...
You don't want to find slots A,B,C, and D. You don't want to figure out how to get the bottom half of the inhaler off to insert the cartridge. Correctly. Which they explain. In detail. You don't want to have to repeat steps 5, 6, 7 FOUR times. (These involve priming the inhaler by turning the bottom half until you hear a "distinct" click, then depressing the "activation button".) I'm quoting directly from the brochure here. And get this. These steps need to be performed EACH time you want to use your “rescue inhaler.”
I think it would be faster to call an ambulance, go to the hospital, wait to be seen in the ER, and get a nebulizer treatment. Oh well, I guess I'll have something to read next time I'm in carline. I'd better memorize these instructions if I want to have any hope of being rescued in time...
~Tina
14 comments:
Hi Tina,
That's totally ridiculous. Instead of making things easier, things seem to get more complicated. I'm so sorry you have to endure this.
Your friend,
Gary
I'm still pissed they removed OTC rescue inhalers because of the alleged 'environmental' issue. Give me a break. I don't like the new prescription delivery either.
smiles. wit our improvements we make life so much more complicated than it needs to be eh?
I hate to say this, but
a man designed that. All of it.
Designed by doctors so you will have to come see them instead and spend more money...
For the love of Pete!
Did you get it from IKEA?
What a load of rubbish. Whoever did design it, they have obviously never used an inhaler in an emergency.
My sympathies. We had to argue with our medical insurer to get them to cover a brand name medicine that we needed.
Get one of your kids to summarize it for you.
i'm really sorry you're having all this trouble. totally wrecks the beauty of a fall season if you can't feel well enough to enjoy it. and i KNOW how lovely colorado is in the fall. what can i do to cheer you up?
Clearly these instructions missed the editing process! I'm so sorry you are so sick, and yes, by all means, go to the emergency room, rather than trying to decipher all those instructions, when you should be focusing on breathing instead! Man, I hope you start feeling better soon!
I believe MORONS have taken over the planet, our government, corporations, and anything involving our health.
Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly
What??!! This is like crazy medicine blackmail. "Pay our online university for a class in the inhaler's correct use and then we'll send you a degree to allow you to save your life." Wow. Good luck.
Thanks for your good wishes on Alex's blog about my cover reveal. I appreciated them! :-)
Isn't technology supposed to make things easier?
Hi Tina .. any instructions are a pain - I've just struggled to find the superfreeze button on my new freezer - nothing's obvious .. ridiculous ..
But if I was having breathing difficulties - yes I'd call the ambulance while I fumbled .. or just relaxed and hope to God I didn't depart this world ..
Ghastly thought ... any of it - good luck - Hilary
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