Can Asthma be so Severe?

Can asthma be so severe, that all the body parts of the patient become stiff and the body itself is arched like a bow. Well I have never seen any asthmatic person to get such kind of fit, except my mother- in law. Yesterday, me and sister-in law were lying on bed and chatting. Suddenly we heard mother-in law coughing. That’s not unusual. After a few minutes, my father-in law called out. When we went in their room, my mother in law seemed unconscious and her body had turned stiff, her knees had bent and neck was protruding upwards. I put all pressure on the legs to straighten them, Devaki( sister in law) rubbed her feet and father-in law gently thumped her chest. After a while she came to her senses.

In my opinion, it was all drama, with an intention to gain attention. You see, Devaki’s aunt has come for some treatment for her back ache. I think that this fit was a show staged for Devaki’s aunt, to gain her sympathy and to get publicity. It is obvious that Devaki’s aunt will narrate the incident after returning home and they will discuss how ill Devaki’s mother-in law is. Its all done to get sympathy and attention.

My mother-in law never gets this fit when she is alone. Her condition invariably distorts when there are people around her, who can take care of her. She had to live alone on and off for two years when my brother-in law Satish met with an accident and everybody had to shift base to look after him. My mother-in law couldn’t go because she has a job here. I was staying in other city for my job. There was nobody with my mother-in law, and she did okay. Never had any asthma attack or the fit which I described above.

Tags: asthma, mother-in law