Judy, Unfortunately, anyone who has to slow down after leading an active life tends to resent it. I hate being 54 and slowed by a body that feels much older at times. My mom is 73 and gets really down that she can't do things she used to do. Bob hate

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Judy, Unfortunately, anyone who has to slow down after leading an active life tends to resent it. I hate being 54 and slowed by a body that feels much older at times. My mom is 73 and gets really down that she can't do things she used to do. Bob hates that his body won't do what it used to be able to do, and I don't blame him. All we can do is what we can and try not to fret about the rest. I too could walk to a nearby market in about 15-20 minutes, but I'd pay for it if I did in the temperatures and air quality we have now. I don't tolerate diesel fumes well at all. We also have a few people here who don't maintain their cars well and the cars smoke badly. That makes me quite ill. I tolerate AC better as long as it's not too cold. I set ours on 65 at home and

keep the rooms open. That way it's not too cold in the room where the window AC unit is located. In my car, I set it a bit higher. Colder air, like during winter, that's below 40 gives my asthma fits. I attend a local university so I carry a mask during the winter months to keep the cold air out of my lungs. I use one during summer and early fall when the air quality is really bad. To: asthma Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 11:23 AM Subject: Re: heat back to

--You asked, "Does Bob's asthma/COPD tend to act up in extremes of hot or cold temps even with short outdoor exposure time?"I think the answer is yes. He can walk to the supermarket in 10 minutes. But the sidewalk adjoins a major thoroughfare with two busy lanes of traffic. I can smell the fumes from the vehicles.

The walk there is slightly downhill; therefore uphill on the way back. Last November, when the air was just slightly chilly and breezy, he walked back pushing a small cart with a light load of packages. Just 48 hours later, his condition worsened. Since then, he has reluctantly agreed not to walk on that street or in hot or cold weather, but he resents it.

He's also had trouble with his breathing a day or two after walking slowly in an air-conditioned mall for an hour and a half. By contrast, although I'm 81 and have mild asthma, I only become slightly tired under the same conditions.

Thanks for your interest and time,Judy K