Inhalers...Even They've Evolved

Last week I got a new friend, a friend that traveled with me, went to work with me, accompanied me hither and yon. 

It was a shiny new inhaler.

Yes, the symbol of asthmatics and geeks everywhere--it was my new friend.

When I was a kid, I was diagnosed with asthma. I wasn't really sure what that meant because, as a kid, I was very active. I ran, biked, swam, hiked--you know, basic kid stuff. As I grew up I learned more about asthma and I wondered if I ever had asthma. Rarely was I short of breath when I ran or biked, swam or hiked.

As I grew older, I found that having an inhaler was a good idea. The problem with having an inhaler (and with most prescription medicines I take...) is I don't take them very often. I'll put them in a bathroom drawer and they'll sit--sometimes for years. This last week I visited the doctor and they prescribed an inhaler, the first one I've had in maybe a decade.

I dug up the old one and saw there's quite a bit of new technology--okay, maybe one big change and some minor ones. I thought it was really cool that it has a counter on the back so I'll know how many more puffs are inside. Of course, if I stop using it now and don't use it for ten years, the counter will still show medicine inside, even though it'll most likely be expired by then.

Sometimes it's the little details that get my attention. I wonder if they'll even exist in another decade. Time will tell.