I'm an English teacher, 25, with severe asthma. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it's turned out to be something very difficult.

After I went into anaphylactic shock trip overseas, I saw a specialist about my asthma for the first time. 'Til then, I'd seen a lot of doctors, but nothing so comprehensive as this. I found out some pretty bad stuff about my condition.

To hear my doctor tell it, I should be dead within the day! The family has a lot of health concerns as it is, but this one is immediate for me.

I've had to change my lifestyle in a lot of ways in terms of my diet, exercise and medication intake. It's a lot to handle, but I want to do it, and, as weird as it might sound, so much of it is because of my students.

If I'm going to arrive at a point where my lungs will stop me from doing what I love, I'll make sure that day is far off yet.