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In This Issue:
Asthma Publications Aim to Raise Awareness
Kathryn Kalan never knew she was asthmatic. Every allergy season or when she had a cold, she complained of pressure in her chest. “I never attributed that feeling to asthma,” she said. “I always thought asthma would bring about a dramatic episode, something less subtle than the pressure I experienced.”
During training for a climb of Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro, Kalan often became breathless and sought the advice of Lynda M. Cristiano, MD, BWH’s Pulmonary and Critical Care. A detailed review of her history and pulmonary function tests revealed she had asthma.
“Dr. Cristiano told me that I needed to make serious adjustments in my life to make the upcoming climb and started me on a very aggressive treatment regimen,” Kalan said.
Kalan departed for Mount Kilimanjaro after only 30 days of first meeting with Cristiano, equipped with a specific action plan of how to take care of herself.
She drank additional fluids and covered her nose and mouth during her climb to breathe warmer air. These precautions provided the energy to successfully reach the summit, one of only five in her original team of ten to reach the top.
Kalan credits Cristiano for her accomplishment. “She helped me realize that my condition didn’t have to physically hold me back, provided I stuck to my care plan,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without her.”