I was born on 12 April, 1956, and began struggling with breathing problems in 1982 while still a student. I experienced persistent cough, chest wheezing, and shortness of breath. Initially diagnosed with asthma by my school medical centre in Enugu, I relied on salbutamol inhalers, theophylline tablets, and other medicines whenever attacks occurred.
As the years passed, my symptoms worsened and treatment costs rose. After moving to Lagos, I continued care at different facilities, receiving salbutamol and salmeterol/fluticasone inhalers prednisolone and antihistamine tablets, and, during emergencies, nebulizer treatments and injections of aminophylline and hydrocortisone.
Unfortunately, I reacted badly to the salmeterol/fluticasone inhaler and prednisolone. In 2012, my case was reassessed at a tertiary center, where I learned for the first time that I was not only dealing with asthma but also COPD. Further evaluation revealed diabetes, a stomach ulcer, and high blood pressure.
Although I initially received good care there, I eventually had to stop attending because I was forced to relocate to a more affordable area. The long distance and rising transport costs made regular visits impossible.
I began receiving care at a nearby private facility, but my condition deteriorated. The salbutamol inhaler I had depended on for decades suddenly stopped working. Even repeated puffs provided no relief. Only intravenous injections of aminophylline and hydrocortisone brought temporary improvement.
Between 2019 and 2020, I was twice rushed to the hospital unconscious and woke up to find myself on a bed with an oxygen mask. My visits became so frequent that someone jokingly nicknamed me a “Resident Patient.”
At my lowest point, a cousin and his wife took me to a pulmonologist in November, 2020. After thorough evaluation, the doctor prescribed medications I had never used before—tiotropium inhaler, montelukast, rosuvastatin, and most importantly, the budesonide/formoterol inhaler. Tiotropium proved costly, but the budesonide/formoterol inhaler became my turning point.
Seeing the pulmonologist in 2020 changed everything. After decades of worsening COPD and repeated hospitalizations, the budesonide/formoterol inhaler became the treatment that finally stabilized my breathing, reduced emergencies, and restored hope.
I remain grateful to God and my family for this lifesaving turn.
By Maxwell Ifeanyi Duru
Lagos, Nigeria