On the floor of the big top right next to the overwhelming sense of impending doom

[sovay]

As of this afternoon with the pulmonologist, it looks like I have asthma, common or garden, either inherited or triggered by three months of lung infection with allergies involved somehow. It may resolve, it may be lifelong, I will have no idea until it has been treated for some time. Honestly, I had been so worried about yet another unidentifiable illness or further permanent damage that being handed a heavy-duty inhaler and instructions to report back in three weeks comes as a relief. Asthma is not thrilling, but it is at least well understood. Also the results of my pulmonary function test—while diagnostic—were just as hilarious as I expected, i.e., it says on paper that my lung capacity is 114%.

I returned home to discover that selkie had sent me one of the four remaining novels by Theodore Sturgeon I have not yet read: the novelization of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961). I have no idea whether it is any good and I look forward to finding out. It was meaningless to me at the time, but I will always regret not impulse-buying I, Libertine (1956) from the pulp racks of Upper Story Books that one time in college I saw it.

Courtesy of moon_custafer: the jiu-jitsu lesson from Stand-In (1937). In the interests of pedantry, Leslie Howard is not actually playing the himbo of the century but an enormous nerd with the people skills of a rock, but in this situation it comes to the same thing.

spatch captured this most elusive expression of Autolycus' in the wild: the blerp.

Comments

[umadoshi]

being handed a heavy-duty inhaler and instructions to report back in three weeks comes as a relief.

That makes perfect sense.

[selkie]

...114% down from what, Dame Melba?

I hope it’s as gloriously schlocky as the cover promised!

[thistleingrey]

Here's to your lungs, though, because my capacity per PFT is 70%ish and I am definitely not asthmatic. :) And here's to the inhaler--may it bring you some relief.

[yhlee]

I'm glad it's a treatable thing and hope the inhaler helps you!

[asakiyume]

That tongue is DOMINATING Autolycus's face.

With you, I'm glad that at least the condition they've identified for you is one that's understood and treatable.

[batdina]

Speaking as an asthma veteran, there are definitely worse ways to go. Still, very sorry you're going through this at all.

xo

[minoanmiss]

O delightful blep!

I should read more Sturgeon. I like how he writes about love.

[sara]

My asthma is induced by allergens and/or VOCs; I have for the last seven months been running one of those fancy air filters with the sensor that turns it up automatically when there's stuff in the air, which I keep plugged in next to my bed. I find that this has reduced the badness enough that I now only need medications during peak allergen season (this week the trees are fucking, for example) or at moments of extremity (during fire season, etc.) I don't know if yours has similar triggers (and it took me years to figure out what my triggers even were) but if it's anything similar, I definitely feel like the filter was worth the money.

[gwynnega]

I hope the inhaler does the trick!

I had to stop myself from watching the jiu-jitsu lesson on a continuous loop.

[nineweaving]

Let's hear it for explicable ills! I do hope the inhaler helps.

I, Libertine once came across my desk at work. It was that sort of job and I miss it.

The tongue and the backflip are adorable.

Nine

[pameladean]

I'm so glad your lung issue was not some mysterious entity. I hope the inhaler does a superb job.

I comment above but am still seriously amazed that Sturgeon wrote a novelization of what my father always called "Voyage to See What's on the Bottom."

P.

[muccamukk]

Awww. The cutest blerp!

[naraht]

Honestly, I had been so worried about yet another unidentifiable illness or further permanent damage that being handed a heavy-duty inhaler and instructions to report back in three weeks comes as a relief. Asthma is not thrilling, but it is at least well understood.

Not ideal to have asthma, of course, but I understand exactly what you're coming from. Medical mysteries are never good and asthma is certainly one of the more treatable things you could have. Hoping that it will resolve itself.

[shewhomust]

It's magic, isn't it? We know its name, so now we can control treat it! Got to be good news!

[ashlyme]

I'm really glad you know the name of the beast and hope the inhaler helps.

The jiu-jitsu scene is hilarious; hopefully Howard gets a bit less clueless before the end of the film.

I don't think I've read *any* Sturgeon apart from E Pluribus Unicorn and not sure about even that. Keep meaning to try The Dreaming Jewels. How the hell did I forget he wrote "Amok Time"?

[mrissa]

Congratulations on a thing that is treatable.

[oracne]

A diagnosis that is of something common and treatable is such a blessing.

[choco_frosh]

What they said, viz: Hurrah diagnosis! Hurrah diagnosis of something treatable! Boo Asthma! Hurrah inhalers!

An air filter sounds like a Very Good Idea.
Also, I am really sorry that you got put in a position where one had to say this, esp. in this day and age, but: Hurrah, it's not consumption!

[tree_and_leaf]

Sympathy. I may or may not have asthma, which may or may not be the result of covid, but they can't do the tests "until the pandemic is over." I wait with baited and slightly wheezy breath

[a_reasonable_man]

I also am glad this is a treatable problem. I've also heard that drinking lots of water helps with certain types of asthma. I once met a fellow who swore his asthma cleared up when he started drinking a quart of so of room temperature water every day, as soon as he got out of bed, before eating or drinking anything else. I think this is a variant of a traditional Japanese "water cure."