-
How Do People React When You Cough In Public?
Coughing doesn’t always mean Covid, but understandably these days, people are concerned if someone near them starts coughing.
@wheeldog inspired this topic when in another sub-forum he mentioned that since having his lung drained he has needed to cough, which makes people uncomfortable.
When my son had PH, coughing was a big symptom for him and I know it is for many other PHer’s too. How do you deal with the concerns of others when out in public or at a doctor’s office? Do you say anything? Have you been questioned about it? Share your experience.
I had a bad experience when taking my mom to a doctor’s appointment. We arrived early and sat in the waiting room for over an hour. The appointment itself took quite a while and was stressful. When finished mom was asked to sit in the waiting room again until she was called for labs.
Keep in mind, we had been there for hours and I did not cough. But at this point the stress kick started my asthma, which isn’t a wheeze, it’s a cough. The receptionist who knew I was there for hours shot up out of her chair and yelled, “Who is coughing!”. All the patients in the waiting room turned and looked at me.
Yelling again she asked my name and if I was sick. I was so embarrassed. I wanted to remind her I had been sitting there for hours without coughing but I nervously told her it’s my asthma. I’ll take my inhaler and I will be fine.
I honestly think she was ready to grab me by the arm and hoist me out of the office. I took my inhaler and almost immediately the cough stopped. She never said anything to me after that.
I do understand, especially since the room was filled with elderly patients, but I think the receptionist could have handled the situation a lot better than she did. I felt publicly berated and made to feel like a horrible person.
What are your thoughts about my experience?
-
18 Replies
-
Wow!!! I never got nailed that bad!! Worst I have gotten is the “evil eye” as people scurry away. I must admit I get away from people sneezing or coughing as I don’t know why they are doing it.
The crew that drains my lung knows my coughing isn’t covid, but is isn’t a good idea to cough with a needle stuck in there. I take cough drops and they give me a cup with chipped ice. Together they work pretty good. Some times I just can’t help it and try to hold it back. Guess I must make a weird face with some funny noises coming out….then they think something is wrong.LOL
-
@wheeldog I knew my inhaler would stop the cough but as I was reaching into my bag she called me out about it. IF I’m in the situation again I’ll go outside and use my inhaler. That is what I should have done. I just wish I was treated with a little more compassion.
I keep cough drops with me too but when it’s my asthma they don’t help a whole lot. I laughed at your comment about making a weird face and sound. I’ve done that too! It’s really not good to hold the cough back though, especially in your case. You want to keep clearing out those lungs.
I move away from people who are coughing and I wouldn’t be insulted if someone does that to me. Just wish we could do that without the stink eye and muttering under our breath. I guess when people get scared compassion goes out the window.
-
-
Wow, @colleensteele, I am sorry that this happened to you. This coming from someone working at the doctor’s office is worse, IMO. I would have hoped that they, of all people, would understand and offer some compassion.
It sounded like she was planning to toss you out, so inconsiderate and rude for calling you out. I understand with COVID; we are all a bit concerned when someone coughs near us. But what happened to kindness, compassion, and empathy?
I have been in an area with my oxygen, and if I happen to cough or sneeze, I feel that many are giving me the stink eye. I try hard to keep any cough or sneeze in a while in public because of this. But as you mention, it is often impossible when waiting for long periods.
Once recently, at the lab, a young woman and her young son moved away from me. I wanted to tell her I have a rare lung disease, not COVID. I do often have a dry cough. Manny and I both usually keep cough drops.Like you, he has asthma and coughs at times, too.
I agree with Colleen that a cough is needed for you. Plus, I have heard that Tyvaso causes many to have a cough. @wheeldog, laughing as I know when you talk about making weird faces trying not to cough.
I try to move to an area where there is no one around if I can when coughing or sneezing. At the airport, going through security last week, a lady was encroaching on my space, not keeping her distance as others were. Well, she had a horrible cough that sounded like she could have bronchitis. Manny and I moved to another line away from her. But we were not rude about it.
Excellent topic, thanks, Roger and Colleen.
-
@jenc you made my point the way you and Manny moved to another line without being mean about it. It is possible to protect yourself, which we all have to, and maintain compassion. There is no need for glaring at people, muttering under our breath or calling people out in a crowd like the receptionist did to me. There are better ways to handle concerns.
For example…Cullen was about 2 weeks post-transplant and coughing a lot, which is not only expected but needed. He was required to wear a mask in public for his safety.
We were in a waiting room and a mother took her child up to the receptionist and I could hear her whisper, “Is there somewhere else we can sit because I’m concerned about the child wearing a mask who is coughing.” They were taken back to a room.
I was ok with that. I might have done the same. She didn’t make a scene and was discreet about it. She did what she felt she needed to do to protect her child.
-
Thanks, @colleensteele; I totally agree that people can do this with respect and kindness.
Like in your example with the mon and young child, I, too, did not mind when the lady with her young child moved away from me. I do not know her story or her child. It is possible that either she or her child were immuno-compromised. I try not to judge others as we know what it is like
-
-
-
Yes Tyvaso will make you cough I have been on it for almost 2 years and the more you try to hold back the cough the worse it gets. Sometimes it’s a dry cough but sometimes it is not water helps
-
Yes, I thought so, @cdvol3gmail-com. That and a scratchy or irritated throat. I know many who that was one of the side effects they reported most often with Tyvaso.
Thanks for sharing this, as I know that @wheeldog can relate to this, too.
How are you doing this week?
-
I can relate to the coughing from Tyvaso. It happens to me too. I have only been on it for a few months so I am still learning.
I am doing good. This is a busy medical week. Today I got my lung drained. There was 1.6 Liters with NO blood in it……yea!! Usually they drain 2 liters, so maybe I am working my way out of the fluid??? Tomorrow I get a covid booster vaccine shot. Got my second shot last Feb. Doctor said I should get a booster as the vaccine doesn’t do as well with CLL patients as healthy people. Thursday I have a video conference with my oncologist in San Diego. I have been off my cancer meds for a couple months, so we’ll see how that goes. Then next week, I have an appointment on on the 14th with my pulmonologist to go over my lung drain and Tyvaso.
-
Yay, @wheeldog, I am happy to hear that there is less fluid this time and no blood. That is certainly a small victory to celebrate in our weekly wins topic. That is such great news; keep it up!
It certainly sounds like a busy week or two for you. Please let us know how all goes. I am sending you extra positive thoughts and prayers with the oncology video chat. Let’s hope that you won’t need that med anymore.
Take breaks in between your busy medical calendar and work. Last night my hubby was watching the news a little. They talked about the heardest workers; Alaska was at the top. I thought about you.
-
I had a conference with my oncologist. He wants to wait another month or so and see what my fluid does. I sure like this guy. He is at the top of the food chain as doctors go. He only deals with cancers of the blood and teaches oncologists at UCSD. He freely said most of the time doctors don’t know for sure what causes a lot of stuff. They can only guess sometimes. None of my doctors know for sure why the fluid is accumulating in my lungs. I sure appreciate his candor and didn’t give me a line of BS like a lot of doctors do.
-
Hi @wheeldog, it sounds like your oncologist at UCSD is a doctor who we all look for. I love that he can admit that he does not know and not BS as many doctors tend to do or pass the buck.
I have always had extremely excellent care at UCSD in the past, too.
Like you, I appreciate it when doctors are open and honest with me. Our lives are in their hands. So, these doctor-patient relations are critical.
I am hoping that by next month up will continue to have less fluid accumulation.
I hope that you have an awesome weekend. Knowing you, you and your wife have plans. I will think of you now wearing that muzzle. In that case, she may need to start trying you at home with that one, LOL.
-
Had a doctor appointment this morning. Been busy at work and drove my dump truck to my appointment so I could get right back to work. He saw my truck in the parking lot and we spent quite a bit of time walking around his office. He wants to expand his parking and wanted me to haul gravel in. He needs an excavator to do what he wants. However, I have to haul a load to his house in the morning……go figure.
I did a breathing test….guess it turned out ok. He is working on a plan with my oncologist for treatment as they believe the CLL is causing my fluid. Getting a chest x-ray Monday to see how the fluid is doing and another appointment to follow up the x-ray the following Friday.
-
-
-
With all the smoke in the air where I live, and factoring in my asthma, I’ve been coughing a lot as of late. Apparently, so does everybody else, because nobody even gives me a sideways glance.
One of my good friends had the opposite reaction when her asthma was acting up. She couldn’t stop coughing because of her asthma, but she had masked up. She got lots of hateful looks from the people around, as if she were purposely exposing them to the virus (which she didn’t have).
I’ll never know why the difference in reaction, because we live in the same area.
-
@mamabear007 I was just thinking of you and was going to reach out and see how you are doing. The smoke in the air can really do a number on asthma. We’ve had our share of it this summer and it gives me such a bad dry cough.
How is everything else going? Anything new with your son these days?
-
Thank you for asking, @ColleenSteele. Everything else is going well, and my son is also doing well.
@jenc, my son and daughter-in-law are doing well. Things are going to be hectic for the next few years. She just started working on her doctorate degree. She’s currently an RN, and she’s studying to be a nurse practitioner — or maybe it’s physicians assistant. I never can keep the two straight. She assures me there’s a difference, but I never can remember which one is which.
-
Hi @mamabear007, it sounds like the kids’ lives will be a bit more hectic as your DIL continues her dedication. I love that she is staying in the medical field. Many RNs do NP programs. But some prefer PA, topo, but it is a longer time in school in most areas.
I have a cousin who transitioned from RN to NP, and now he runs a small rural hospital. Many rural areas tend to hire NPs, and in some areas, NPs can have their own clinics. I worked with one who moved to a more rural setting in Texas on a farm, and that is what she did. She opened her own clinic.
I wish them both the best, as I know that will certainly take a lot of your DIL’s time.
Any plans for you over the weekend? How’s the smoke there, any improvement today?
-
@jenc, I don’t have any plans for the weekend. Just staying in (and maybe knitting a bit).
-
-
Hi @mamabear007, I am sorry to hear about the smoke and your asthma. I am not surprised that you have had increased coughing episodes. That must be challenging for you most days.
My hubby has asthma and allergies, so he has been struggling lately, too. Here it is mostly the ozone and the pollen that is so heavy this week.
That is so crazy how you describe the difference in reactions. I am sorry that people are rude to your friend for coughing. Since y’all live in the same area, I would think most are coughing due to the smoke.
How are things besides the smoke in your life? How are your son and DIL doing? I would guess they are keeping busy.
It’s great to see ya post; I have missed ya lately.
-
Log in to reply.