conveinent coughing

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Coffee

New member
This is a weird question, but do the rest of you (try) and wait till it's a better time to cough. I wait till people are clapping or the movie is at a loud point, etc before I cough.
Do any of you have any good ideas as to quiet the coughing. I hate it sometimes when people stare of give dirty looks.
Just one of the things that go along with my CF.
Do any of you have any good stories related to this? I'd love to hear them!
 
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Allie

New member
Oh, boy, do I have a story. Ry always used to get stared at by people, or told to go home and rest with that cold etc.

We were in the grocery store one day shopping, and he started coughing. Some woman came up to him and told him he ought to go home so as not to make everyone else sick. My husband, the drama king (technology major, theater minor) Looked at over at her and said, his voice breaking " oh, it's not catching, *sniif* I'm terminally ill and I just wanted to help my wife pick out some food for my last meal *cough cough*" The woman looked HORRIFIED, I'm doing everything in my power to keep from laughing, and she stumbled out " Oh..I'm so sorry" And she walked off, looking supremely embarrassed. Ry turns to me and says " see if she ever gives out unsolicited medical advice ever again" . I told him I was pretty sure he was going to hell for that. He just smiled.

lol It's goofy, but it's one of my favorite stories.
 
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Lilith

New member
LOL! That's great! Go Ry!

Well, Coffee, I can safely say that I do the same thing. But if people give me dirty looks, I give 'em right back. Some kid in my english class (whom I always fought with anyway, and who knew I had CF) one time came up and had the nerve to say, "Will you stop coughing!? It's f**ing annoying!" So (this is gross) I hacked back a big mucus blob and spat it on his shoe. Then I pointed and said, "That's why I cough, you dumba**!!"

He left me alone after that.

I don't recommend actually DOING that to anyone (unless they really, REALLY piss you off like he did to me), but I wouldn't worry about it. And take Allie's husband's approach if someone ever tells you you should go home before you make them sick. Give 'em something to think about ^_-

I do find sometimes that trying to hold back my cough only makes it worse later (like, feeling as if your head is going to explode), so I try not to hold it back unless I absoluely have to. If I can't hold it back, I try to do smaller coughs in increments. Sometimes it works. That's the only advice I can really give on that.
 
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abloedel

New member
Allie - that is too funny. I can see why that's one of your favorites!

I try to cough at more "convenient" times too...to avoid the stares. I was even told recently by my CF doc, that even for a CF'er, I cough too much!

Learned this trick from a nurse the last time I was in the hospital having a MAJOR coughing fit....sipped on a little bit of warm water, not hot though. Quieted my cough right down. When it's one of those fits that won't stop, it has done the trick everytime.

Many of you know that I was recently sent home from work because "my cough was freaking people out". It actually turned out to be one person who was "freaked out", and I made a point of telling her about the same thing your husband told the woman in the grocery store....so I guess I'm going to hell then too! <img src="i/expressions/devil.gif" border="0">

Amy
36 w/CF
 
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JennifersHope

New member
Sometimes when I am coughing really hard and ppl are looking at me I get really embarassed, luckily I have good friends I go to school with who will always make comments like "Jenn when are you going to lay of the smokes" or they say "are you sure the DR told you TB is not contagious"... It makes me laugh so hard..which makes me cough all the more harder but I would rather laugh because if I didn't I would be crying..I hate coughing and I hate the way I sound... so I love jokes being made about it...

I have heard and what I try to do is if I am class I wait for someone else to cough... "they"the ppl in my adult CF book say that pp only are really hear the first cough in a room anyway..... I try to find good times to cough.. like if someone is in the car with me, if I can, I wait till they get out, or if I am working and taking care of my patient I will ALWAYS hold it in as best as I can till I leave the room. In class I try to wait till the teacher is done making a point... sometimes it doesn't work and I can hear the sighs from the other students behind me... Makes me feel horrible because I can't stand to be distracted in class either...

My dad says I have a convienent cough.. meaning I cough when he starts lecturing me.. which I have to admit... does come in handy....but I am not admitting to anything...HA....


Jennifer
 
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EB24

New member
I've always wanted to say "What are you looking at?" When they answer just act serious and say "Coughing? I wasn't coughing. You must be crazy."
 
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65rosessamurai

Guest
Excellent anecdote, Allie! I could imagine the whole incident, as if it were on stage! (or some movie, etc.)

My ex-wife would 'try' to shut me up with my coughing, I'd just leave the room. But I usually coughed when I had a cold or something at that time...recently, my coughing has increased, and if I have a coughing fit at work, I don't wait for any "timing" with it. If anyone asks if I'm ok, I'll "intentionally" cough louder! (maybe ask if I can go home afterwards, too!)

My new wife asked me to "hold the coughs in", but I didn't reply, because it would include "that's what my ex used to insist", probably turning it into another debate. I think I went too long having to hold things back (not just coughing), and have decided not to resist when resistance isn't necessary.

(P.S. Jennifer--I like adding humor to such things, too!)
 
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kybert

New member
i try and time my coughs right. only problem is, when i do try and do that, my cough ends up sounding worse than if i just coughed whenever i felt like it.
 
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julie

New member
Allie, that is such a funny story. I just read it to Mark and he was laughing pretty darn hard. Ry lives on, I think it gave mark and idea for next time he is hassled.
 
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chloe

New member
I think this is a really interesting question...and...as you can see...is getting some pretty funny stories!!

My family member has cf...and she tries to hold in her cough all of the time!

I really notice it when we are driving in the car! She kind of tenses up...clamps her lips together real tight...and then holds her breath! Then her body begins to shake...moving as if her whole body is coughing...but nothing is coming out!! I call it the "silent cough"!! Ha!

I just look at her and say...don't worry...you don't have to hold your cough in...just let it go!!

Then we both start laughing...which of course...just makes her cough all the more!

I think that humor is just about the best medicine of all!!

It really helps us get through the difficult times...don't you think?

Hugs to everyone...
 
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Emily65Roses

New member
I do that a lot. If I'm in a movie, I wait for an explosion or something similar. Haha. If I'm in class, I wait for a break between sentences. If I can. I can't always wait, but if I can, I do.

And oh man, Allie, I LOVED that story. That's the kind of stuff that gives me ideas. AHAHAHAAAA!!! <img src="i/expressions/devil.gif" border="0">
 
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Allie

New member
Awww, thanks guys. He'd have loved the spread of drama and sarcasm that was Ry Stentsland. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
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wallflower

New member
I've done the silent cough too, but it always gets more stares than when I DO cough. If I'm in a meeting or around people I don't know very well, I try to cough when others are coughing, or laughing.

I always try to have something with me to sip on when I think I might be nervous about coughing. It seems to help surpress the cough a little if I take a drink of water or soda.
 
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anonymous

New member
My husband (with CF) saw his doctor 2 years ago (around the time of the SARS scare) because of increased cough & fever. At the doctor's office they decided to send us over to the hospital for a direct admission. While at the hospital we were waiting across from the admission desk for the paperwork to be completed and a room to open. My husband started having his coughing fits and people were giving him strange looks & mumbling under their breath. At one point my husband looked up at me and very loudly stated "I told you we shouldn't have gone to China last week". This freaked everyone out including the admissions nurse who very quickly jumped up and took us to his room.
 
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wanderlost

New member
I try to hold my cough in as well. And I always get those "time to quit smoking" comments. My students always laugh because my face gets very red - but they are good natured about it - they think i have asthma- it was easier to explain that way, so it doesn't surprize them when I do have a coughing fit - though I try to wait until they are gone to really let it go. And as a kid I had a very convenient cough - I always got away with laughing at stuff in school becasue I'd cough to cover the laughter and the teachers were used to me coughing so they never thought much about it - also, when I needed a rest at swim practice I'd have a little coughng fit as an excuse to not swim for a minute.
 
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lovingBenandCambree

New member
Its funny because at this moment I am holding my cough in!!!! I certainly can't do it all of the time but its nice when you can. I am in the community computer lab at the hospital so I don't want everyone thinking they are going to get some deathly disease like the bird flu or something!!!

I just have to say that I love the quote that Allie has from Ry on her replys. Its awesome and very true!!!!

Emilee
 
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