Page 104 of Beyond the Stroke

“That’s rude. Don’t you think I would be the best person to talk to aboutmyspecific condition?”

A knock on the door interrupts our conversation, but it doesn’t stop me from stewing over Rory’s insinuation that he doesn’t trust me to tell him about my condition.

“Good afternoon, I’m Dr. Lasgo,” she extends her hand to me.

“Summer.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Rory stands and shakes Dr. Lasgo’s hand.

“I’m Rory. Summer’s husband.”

I shoot Rory a sharp look, but he just lifts his brows, unbothered.What? I am.

“Nice to meet you both. I see this visit is a physical exam requested by your insurance carrier.”

“Yes.” I nod.

“And I have some questions.” Rory raises his hand like he’s a student trying to get the teacher’s attention.

“Sure.” The doctor motions to Rory while she types on her laptop. “Go ahead.”

“Would a bonfire with smoke be a trigger for Summer’s asthma?” Rory asks.

“Smoke definitely can be a trigger. I think the most important thing is that Summer is consistent with using her inhaler, which I think she noted was out of date and at one time even empty.” She reviews her notes on the computer.

“Yeah, that was not cool.” Rory narrows his gaze at me.

“I’m taking care of it now.” I motion to the exam room.

“Any other questions or concerns?” Dr. Lasgo asks, looking between us.

“What about exertion?” Rory asks, typing something into his phone. “What type of activity, if any, is off limits or needs to be monitored?”

My annoyance grows because I could have easily answered these questions.

“Again, that’s Summer’s call. There’s no activity I would limit as long as she’s got her inhaler on hand and has been using it regularly. Mild, daily activities like walking, hiking, and moderate aerobic exercise should be fine.”

Rory glances down to his phone again.

“What about sex?” he blurts out.

My eyes bulge at Rory’s question, but Dr. Lasgo doesn’t miss a beat. “Sex is not an activity that would need to be limited or refrained from. Again, it’s Summer needing to monitor what she feels is a comfortable situation.”

I shoot Rory a glance.Are you done?

Dr. Lasgo continues. “Though there are some intimate situations that could be triggering. Choking or breath play are not recommended.”

“Got it. No choking or breath play.” Rory looks so serious as he types on his phone.

Is he taking notes? I watch his brows crease with concentration. Yeah, he totally is.

“Certain positions that put pressure on the chest or abdomen that could make breathing more difficult should be refrained from. Also, temperature and humidity changes like a steamy shower could irritate the airways so use caution and monitor Summer’s breathing in those situations.”

While Rory nods and takes notes on his phone, I’m seriously considering climbing under the table.

“Strong scents, like scented candles, certain types of massage oils and lotions, sometimes contain ingredients that trigger asthma symptoms. Even unwashed bedding that contains dust mites could be an issue.”

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