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Clare is a chronic, fragile asthmatic. That means she could have a life-threatening asthma attack at any time, without warning. This happened to her in the spring of 1997, while she was walking across her university campus. Within the ten minutes of the first symptoms of the attack to the time that office staff called an ambulance, Clare and those around her thought she was dying.
Five years ago Clare had been very active and involved in various sports. Then asthma began to affect her more and more seriously. She had moved to the city from her rural home, and within a short time she was having to take increasing doses of steroids to control the condition. She was hospitalised several times; on one occasion she had stopped breathing altogether and had to be resuscitated. Unable to go anywhere where she could not take her nebuliser, Clare had to give up many activities such as the bush tramping she had once enjoyed. Cycling to university was impossible. Simple tasks like a brief grocery shopping trip were extremely difficult. Going to a mall was frightening for her because they were so big; it would take her too long to get out if she felt an asthma attack coming on. Her mother took her Christmas shopping in a wheelchair.
Then Clare heard through the news media about Canterbury Crusader and All Black reserve Con Barrell's success with the Buteyko method, and decided she had nothing to lose by learning it. She met Con at the course, and was greatly encouraged by his success with it. "It was great talking to someone who knew what serious asthma was all about," she comments. "He understood what it was like for me to be dependant on so many drugs and nebulisers. Meeting Con and seeing what he had been able to achieve with Buteyko was the best thing I'd ever done."
At the course Clare learned a new way of controlling her asthma that has not only vastly improved her condition, but enabled her to reduce her many drugs. The Buteyko method has meant that instead of needing a nebuliser every four to six hours, Clare might use one two or three times a week if she is sick. She now rarely needs reliever medication. Since attending a Buteyko course in September of last year, she has travelled to the USA to be bridesmaid at a friend's wedding, something she would not have contemplated before. She sees her condition improving as her practice of the Buteyko exercises continues over time.
"After learning the method I noticed straight away that I was sleeping much better at night. I started walking again; it was a big thrill to be able to walk down to the river without feeling any discomfort, and that's about a kilometre away. Just being able to go shopping and walk from the car to the buildings is a major achievement for me. Before the course when I was unwell, this and walking upstairs to my bedroom were things I couldn't do. Learning the Buteyko method has meant that even with a recent chest-infection, I was still able to move around normally."
Clare still takes preventive medication, but uses a fraction of the relievers she once relied on. "If I couldn't find my Ventolin inhaler I would feel panicky, but not any more," she says. "I don't use it very often now."
"When I was at school, I used to hear other kids talking about their asthma, almost showing off their inhalers as though they were something trendy. Half of them didn't know what real asthma was; its certainly not something I felt good about, it was embarrassing. These kids need to learn its not cool to use a puffer if you don't really need one."
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