Coughing judgment at the gym (or any public space)

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erock77

Member
I've had only about 4 occasions in the last 2 years of gym-going that someone has commented on my coughing. I had just started a weight-training program that has kept me motivated, focused and dilligent about getting to the gym. It's good for my/our health and I'd like to have some more muscles so I don't look so frail. Plus I'm back on the singles market and I gotta polish this turd of a body.
Anyway, tonight I was at the gym in the weight room. As I finish a set and rest to catch my breath. I noticed this dude 10 feet away staring me down, I take out my earbuds so I can hear what's on his mind. He says "You know, it's really inconsiderate of all of us here to for you to be coughing all over the place". I understand his concern, we're all touching equipment. I make a habit of coughing in my elbow or towards the floor to prevent my germs getting on stuff. I explain "sorry but I have a chronic illness, the coughing is never going away and it's not contagious". He responds "I'm just stating my opinion", I say "I'm just trying to make you feel a little better about it, I'm not contagious". He responds he doesn't feel better about it, and we part ways. Feeling bummed out and self-conscious I cut my workout short and leave.
How have some of you dealt with issues like this? I understand his concern, and I can expect others have thought similarly. I do cough after most sets when I catch my breath, but not full on coughing fits that I may do alone. I try to stay discreet but it's impossible. If I really need to cough stuff up I usually leave the room. It kinda sucks. Also I may be slightly contagious since I have cultured MRSA, even though "regular" people don't contract it easily without having cuts. I'm tempted to go back to home gyming it, since my coughing has gotten considerably worse in the last year or so, despite just having an IV tuneup.
 
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erock77

Member
I've had only about 4 occasions in the last 2 years of gym-going that someone has commented on my coughing. I had just started a weight-training program that has kept me motivated, focused and dilligent about getting to the gym. It's good for my/our health and I'd like to have some more muscles so I don't look so frail. Plus I'm back on the singles market and I gotta polish this turd of a body.
Anyway, tonight I was at the gym in the weight room. As I finish a set and rest to catch my breath. I noticed this dude 10 feet away staring me down, I take out my earbuds so I can hear what's on his mind. He says "You know, it's really inconsiderate of all of us here to for you to be coughing all over the place". I understand his concern, we're all touching equipment. I make a habit of coughing in my elbow or towards the floor to prevent my germs getting on stuff. I explain "sorry but I have a chronic illness, the coughing is never going away and it's not contagious". He responds "I'm just stating my opinion", I say "I'm just trying to make you feel a little better about it, I'm not contagious". He responds he doesn't feel better about it, and we part ways. Feeling bummed out and self-conscious I cut my workout short and leave.
How have some of you dealt with issues like this? I understand his concern, and I can expect others have thought similarly. I do cough after most sets when I catch my breath, but not full on coughing fits that I may do alone. I try to stay discreet but it's impossible. If I really need to cough stuff up I usually leave the room. It kinda sucks. Also I may be slightly contagious since I have cultured MRSA, even though "regular" people don't contract it easily without having cuts. I'm tempted to go back to home gyming it, since my coughing has gotten considerably worse in the last year or so, despite just having an IV tuneup.
 
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MeasureInLove

Guest
I know how you feel, Eric. I have that problem at the gym just walking on the treadmill. Sometimes I have to stop because of coughing fits and people turn around to stare at me. I wish I could explain to everyone or have it printed on a t-shirt. I even wipe down the equipment multiple times and use hand sanitizer. Honestly, those things are for me, but sometimes I feel I have to put on some show for others. It's very hard. My cough is much worse now and I'm being evaluated for transplant. It makes me sad sometimes that people are quick to judge. But my friends and family know just to pause for a moment to allow for my cough fits, and their patience and understanding is really all that matters to me. It's hard, but we also deserve to live our lives and go out and do the things we enjoy.
 
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MeasureInLove

Guest
I know how you feel, Eric. I have that problem at the gym just walking on the treadmill. Sometimes I have to stop because of coughing fits and people turn around to stare at me. I wish I could explain to everyone or have it printed on a t-shirt. I even wipe down the equipment multiple times and use hand sanitizer. Honestly, those things are for me, but sometimes I feel I have to put on some show for others. It's very hard. My cough is much worse now and I'm being evaluated for transplant. It makes me sad sometimes that people are quick to judge. But my friends and family know just to pause for a moment to allow for my cough fits, and their patience and understanding is really all that matters to me. It's hard, but we also deserve to live our lives and go out and do the things we enjoy.
 
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Anomie

New member
It got really hard to keep taking my daughter to the public swimming pool because the chlorine would cause her to have horrible coughing fits and because she's only four, I was having to carry her all the way to the other side of the pool and hold her over the garbage can so she could do a spit up. Sometimes this would happen as frequently as every 5 minutes and the lifegaurds would give me real concerned looks or run over thinking that she was drowning or choking on water. The one time I actually tried explaining to someone that she had cystic fibrosis, they just gave me a blank stare and said "Oh". Like they didn't understand the correlation. People who don't have any personal experience with this disease are always so ignorant of its symptoms.
 
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Anomie

New member
It got really hard to keep taking my daughter to the public swimming pool because the chlorine would cause her to have horrible coughing fits and because she's only four, I was having to carry her all the way to the other side of the pool and hold her over the garbage can so she could do a spit up. Sometimes this would happen as frequently as every 5 minutes and the lifegaurds would give me real concerned looks or run over thinking that she was drowning or choking on water. The one time I actually tried explaining to someone that she had cystic fibrosis, they just gave me a blank stare and said "Oh". Like they didn't understand the correlation. People who don't have any personal experience with this disease are always so ignorant of its symptoms.
 
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jbrandyn

New member
I always used to get looks in class or in public, but now that my social circle is fairly large and strong, and since I wear my CF on my sleeve nobody gives me crap about it anymore. I still get really self conscious when I cough up blood though or have a coughing fit/spasm that turns my head bright red and make my veins pop out. Once my prof saw this and wanted to lighten the situation because everyone in class was staring and he said "Brandyn Angry!" I started laughing so hard it gave me another coughing fit lol. At least most people are caring and just ask if I need water, but it is annoying.

@Anomie, I would recommend a colder water pool if you want her to do swimming for exercise since the chlorine seems less harsh in colder pools (to me at least), also one that has good ventilation.
 
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jbrandyn

New member
I always used to get looks in class or in public, but now that my social circle is fairly large and strong, and since I wear my CF on my sleeve nobody gives me crap about it anymore. I still get really self conscious when I cough up blood though or have a coughing fit/spasm that turns my head bright red and make my veins pop out. Once my prof saw this and wanted to lighten the situation because everyone in class was staring and he said "Brandyn Angry!" I started laughing so hard it gave me another coughing fit lol. At least most people are caring and just ask if I need water, but it is annoying.

@Anomie, I would recommend a colder water pool if you want her to do swimming for exercise since the chlorine seems less harsh in colder pools (to me at least), also one that has good ventilation.
 
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Printer

Active member
First as a Salesman and later when I owned my company and even in my years in a service club, I had the problem of coughing in public. I found that most people, even before they knew I had CF, were initally concerned about my health.

As a rule, the first time I would cough, I would explain that I have CF and it is not contagious. Just a pain in the ass. I would explain that the cough is part of my life and it won't get better. Then I would go about business as best as I could.

The problem comes when we, as CF patients or CF parents, want the world to allow us to cough as much as necessary, while at the same time want to restrict others from having the same right.

Bill
 
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Printer

Active member
First as a Salesman and later when I owned my company and even in my years in a service club, I had the problem of coughing in public. I found that most people, even before they knew I had CF, were initally concerned about my health.

As a rule, the first time I would cough, I would explain that I have CF and it is not contagious. Just a pain in the ass. I would explain that the cough is part of my life and it won't get better. Then I would go about business as best as I could.

The problem comes when we, as CF patients or CF parents, want the world to allow us to cough as much as necessary, while at the same time want to restrict others from having the same right.

Bill
 
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Rebjane

Super Moderator
Eric,

I think wearing your Great Strides t shirt is a great idea. You can spread awareness; while you are working out and doing what you need to do to keep yourself healthy. My daughter is the one with CF; we've gotten some weird looks at times; One woman told me her son had that cough and have I tried Mucinex because it really works. I just smiled and said No.

I just say; My daughter has CF and leave it at that. I have learned not to care what people think of us. My daughter is only 9, in public she is VERY polite about how she coughs; she coughs into her elbow. Sometimes I think she suppresses her cough at school or social situations cause it is so loud. I do not encourage this; but it is something I have noticed.
 
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Rebjane

Super Moderator
Eric,

I think wearing your Great Strides t shirt is a great idea. You can spread awareness; while you are working out and doing what you need to do to keep yourself healthy. My daughter is the one with CF; we've gotten some weird looks at times; One woman told me her son had that cough and have I tried Mucinex because it really works. I just smiled and said No.

I just say; My daughter has CF and leave it at that. I have learned not to care what people think of us. My daughter is only 9, in public she is VERY polite about how she coughs; she coughs into her elbow. Sometimes I think she suppresses her cough at school or social situations cause it is so loud. I do not encourage this; but it is something I have noticed.
 
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Melissa75

Administrator
What a ___! Sorry. If you explain you're not contagious, I don't see why someone has to be like that. I cough in my dance classes. I cough at the rock climbing gym. If I get looks and sometimes just as a preventative measure, I tell people i've a lung problem and it's not contagious. I hope that guy decides to switch gyms. You should not have to work out at home! That said, I admit to pretty much never going to yoga classes, partly because the meditative ambiance is screwed by my coughing + all that lying down. One recommendation I have is to carry an extra shirt or towel and cough into it--not expectorate ha ha as an hour's worth of that on a towel might freak people out more--but use it to "catch" the air you cough. It would at least seem like more of a screen than your arm. I fell into this accidentally because I am a sweaty pig and end up de-layering as I work out, but I only bother with it for the deeper longer coughing episodes, not the short huffs.
 
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Melissa75

Administrator
What a ___! Sorry. If you explain you're not contagious, I don't see why someone has to be like that. I cough in my dance classes. I cough at the rock climbing gym. If I get looks and sometimes just as a preventative measure, I tell people i've a lung problem and it's not contagious. I hope that guy decides to switch gyms. You should not have to work out at home! That said, I admit to pretty much never going to yoga classes, partly because the meditative ambiance is screwed by my coughing + all that lying down. One recommendation I have is to carry an extra shirt or towel and cough into it--not expectorate ha ha as an hour's worth of that on a towel might freak people out more--but use it to "catch" the air you cough. It would at least seem like more of a screen than your arm. I fell into this accidentally because I am a sweaty pig and end up de-layering as I work out, but I only bother with it for the deeper longer coughing episodes, not the short huffs.
 
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jessykt

Guest
Sometimes I use the excuse of having asthma. It is something that is more commonly known, and people will understand that better. If I'm going to be around people multiple times, then I explain the whole cf thing. I have to wear a mask at work because it is so dusty, so that warranted an explanation. Oh well...
 
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jessykt

Guest
Sometimes I use the excuse of having asthma. It is something that is more commonly known, and people will understand that better. If I'm going to be around people multiple times, then I explain the whole cf thing. I have to wear a mask at work because it is so dusty, so that warranted an explanation. Oh well...
 
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erock77

Member
I thought of trying that the other day, saying I have asthma, or emphysema, maybe I could try lung cancer <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Not sure which one matches our coughing symptoms best.
 
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erock77

Member
I thought of trying that the other day, saying I have asthma, or emphysema, maybe I could try lung cancer <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Not sure which one matches our coughing symptoms best.
 
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