Celebrities With Asthma : Chad Brown
- Wednesday, September 2, 2009, 15:34
- Asthma
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- I’d like to introduce you to a man with asthma who by no means lets it keep him on the sidelines. Chad Brown of the Seattle Seahawks football team is one of the best defensive linebackers in the NFL. He has played in the Super Bowl; been chosen for the NFL Pro Bowl twice; and voted by his Seahawk team members as most valuable player. Lately, with twelve tackles in just one game, they’ve been calling number 94 a “defensive machine.”
Chad plays with this intensity despite the fact that in late summer 1998 when he found it hard to breathe and fainted in the hot, sticky air of a game in Dallas, a doctor told him he had asthma. Chad, welcome to the Asthma Education Network.
- Chad:
- Thanks for having me.
- Andrew:
- Tell us about the shock of that asthma diagnosis and the fear you had leading up to that, that your professional football career could be over prematurely? I know you’d been having symptoms or it was difficult to some degree to play to your best ability.
- Chad:
- Yeah, my first year here in Seattle I really, really struggled. I tried to play with the intensity that I had the first years of my career, as I did in Pittsburgh, and I simply couldn’t maintain that intensity; I couldn’t play as hard as I wanted to, because I couldn’t breathe. You know, I could go a play or two, but after that, my lungs would burn, I would feel light-headed and my legs would burn from lack of oxygen getting to my legs. So actually being diagnosed with asthma was fantastic for me, because I finally had an answer to what had been plaguing me. Because I had started to believe that, you know, maybe I’m just not cut out for the NFL anymore. Maybe something will prematurely end my career here. And the diagnosis was great and then the treatment after has been so helpful.
- Andrew:
- The diagnosis of asthma could be scary for people who really don’t know about the latest treatments. It sounds like for you, first it was an answer to what was going on, and second of all came a message from the doctors that you would still be able to play and that despite this disease you could do well.
- Chad:
- I approached the diagnosis as a positive thing, because now that I knew what was going on and I knew there were treatments available. I’ve had teammates and friends all my life who’ve had an inhaler or two for whatever reason. So I knew a little bit about it. Once I was diagnosed it was just a relief, basically. And people shouldn’t see the diagnosis as a bad thing, it’s a good thing, because they can go ahead and get help with their problem.
- Andrew:
- I understand that you’ve been able to get the asthma under control, and of course as we’ve seen lately, continue to perform at such a high level. What is part of your routine now in working with your doctors to keep it under control?
- Chad:
- During the season I am on just about every possible allergy or asthma medication. I take four different inhalers to control the asthma and to free me up to breathe. On game day I really have to pay attention to my medication routine to play effectively.
- Andrew:
- And your medication is really an everyday thing, it’s part of your daily routine, I imagine, just like your training?
- Chad:
- Yeah, I get out of the shower in the morning and I take my meds. And on game day I get out of the shower, take my meds, and as soon as I get to the stadium I hit my inhalers again. Before the game starts I hit my inhalers again. And at halftime I take my inhalers again. They really open my lungs up and allow me to be the player that I am. If I was still struggling with this problem, I can’t say that I would be able to play at this level. I’m certain, I can say there’s no way.
- Andrew:
- And before you got this under control or maybe even had that diagnosis, I think you were probably wondering if you could go on and have the career you’d dreamed about.
- Chad:
- I was shocked! I couldn’t figure out what had happened to me. I was a great player in Pittsburgh and then I come to Seattle and suddenly I can’t breathe. I’d done the exact same type of workouts in the off-season to maintain my shape. So it’s just simply the allergens in the air in Seattle.
- Andrew:
- Have you worked out with your doctor an actual asthma plan to help you with the proper use of the medications and the things you need to do to keep it under control?
- Chad:
- Yes. I have a very clear plan and everyone here on the medical staff knows in case I forget and don’t have my medications with me, they have them. So yeah, we are always prepared and the plan is very clear to me.
- Andrew:
- I guess the message is, with a plan like that and with newer medications and the things you can do to control it, you’re really an example that somebody can perform at peak level despite asthma.
- Chad:
- Yeah, and then like I’ve said, to be diagnosed with asthma is not a bad thing. People have to view it in a positive way because by taking the medications you can, for the most part, eliminate the effects of the condition on your [body].
- Andrew:
- Does asthma run in your family at all? Had you had any family experience with this?
- Chad:
- No, so when I was first asked about asthma, [I said] I’ve never had asthma and no one in my family has had asthma. But I can see the effects on my two young children when we’re here in Seattle. When they run around quite a bit they kind of start to wheeze a little bit. But when we’re at home in Colorado which has less allergens in the air, less molds and pollens in the air, there’s no problem for them out there. So it can be kind of a geographic issue, as well. But it’s important to know once you’re diagnosed that treatment is there and it can help you.
- Andrew:
- Chad, I know that you are an honorary chair of the American Lung Association of Washington’s Asthma Awareness Campaign. What’s the message that you want to give kids when you go into schools and talk, and they get your posters and read about you? What do you want them to hear about asthma and controlling asthma now?
- Chad:
- Asthma is not a death sentence. It shouldn’t keep you on the sidelines unless your condition is very severe, if you follow your treatment protocols. You’re responsible for your medications. Asthma should not prevent you from doing what it is that you want to do. It really shouldn’t. There’s definitely ways to control the condition, and with supervised medical advice, you should be able to live your life just as you want to.
- Andrew:
- And I guess that’s really good for parents. If someone finds out that a child has asthma, that’s probably really comforting to know that the child can be as good as they can be, and if they’re athletically inclined maybe even be a top competitor such as Chad Brown.
- Chad:
- Asthma should not hold you back from your dreams. And if your dreams are to be a professional athlete–the Seahawks, I believe, have three guys who are on the same type of protocol with medications as I am for asthma. It doesn’t hold those guys back, it doesn’t hold me back, and it shouldn’t hold anyone back.
- Andrew:
- There are billboards with you on them here in the Seattle area that say “Asthma’s tough. You’re tougher.” And so the message is, that parents and their children, and doctors, with determination can really beat asthma.
- Chad:
- Yes, I do believe that. Now my particular condition is exercise-induced asthma. So I can imagine it can be very scary for a parent whose child has asthma attacks just sitting down or in the car or whatever. But there are medications for that, as well. And, if a child is taking the medications and the doctor approves, I don’t think there’s any reason to hold your child out of sports activities or recess or those kind of things. Asthma doesn’t mean you have to be on the sidelines, you can jump in and play as long as you are responsible with your medications.
- Andrew:
- Yet I read somewhere that growing up in California you knew kids in the neighborhood who did have asthma and they couldn’t come out and play, or at least they were afraid to.
- Chad:
- Or maybe their parents were afraid to have them go out and play. I had a friend of mine who had an attack and his mother wouldn’t let him be on the baseball team anymore because she was afraid. I can imagine for a parent it can be an extremely scary thing to have your child gasping for air. I’m sure the medications have come a long ways since when I was seven. I’m twenty-nine now, so it’s twenty-two years; I’m sure they’ve made quite a few advances with the treatments. I don’t think it has to be the kind of thing where you’re diagnosed with asthma and now you no longer are able to be on the sports team. I don’t think it’s that way anymore.
- Andrew:
- By the way, Chad, I understand that as part of your involvement with the American Lung Association of Washington, there will be book covers and posters that are going to be distributed that will be available for kids, is that right?
- Chad:
- It’s very important for kids to get the message for several reasons. In the state of Washington I think asthma is a leading cause of hospitalization among children. The fact is that it doesn’t have to be a death sentence for your active lifestyle if you choose. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be fearful of. It can be controlled, you can still live your life. And if you are having those symptoms it’s important to get treatment, so you’re not forced to be hospitalized or your condition worsens because you’re not trying to actively make it better.
- Andrew:
- I’ve interviewed Jackie Joyner Kersee, who is a top female athlete in spite of asthma, and she talks about her concern that kids in school who have asthma may be ashamed about it, and that may hold them back, too.
- Chad:
- There is no reason to be ashamed. I think it’s kind of cool to pull out an inhaler before you play. I think it gives me a little edge, because some of the guys ask me, “Let me try some of that man! You know, it seems to make you go faster.”
- Andrew:
- Chad, beyond kids there’s certainly many adults who either fear a diagnosis of asthma or think that they’re simply dealing with a cold or allergies and it couldn’t possibly be asthma, and so they don’t seek treatment. Do you have a message for adults, as well, who may be simply coping with the condition but not really getting the proper treatment?
- Chad:
- Getting treatment will make your condition so much easier to control. Some of the people who do have allergies also have asthma, because there is something that they’re allergic to that is constricting their lungs and not allowing them to breathe. They’re pretty closely linked. So if you have allergies that cause difficulty breathing, perhaps an asthma program or asthma protocol can help you with your condition. So, just like with kids, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, and I think if you are having those kinds of problems you should definitely consult your doctor and see if they can do some type of test and determine your condition.
- Andrew:
- Right, and certainly as we know, people can have shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, allergies. And the tightness in the chest. And all of that could lead to a really good reason to consult your doctor. So Chad, looking back on all this then, what would you like to leave people with if they have asthma? We’re going to see you competing, hopefully in the Super Bowl, and are looking forward to seeing you in top form.
- Chad:
- Don’t let asthma hold you back from what you want to do, from what your dreams are. Like I said, I was actually happy when I was diagnosed with asthma, because it gave me answers to questions that had been plaguing me for over a year. And by getting treatment I am completely able to control my condition. It hasn’t prevented me or stopped me from doing anything. It has actually, by being discovered, helped me to prolong my career and play the way that I play.
- Andrew:
- And taken a weight off your mind, wondering what was going on that was limiting your performance.
- Chad:
- Exactly.
- Andrew:
- Well, it certainly is a great message Chad, and we wish you well. And as the American Lung Association says, these are issues that people really need to deal with if they have those sorts of symptoms, when you can’t breathe nothing else matters.
- Chad:
- There’s nothing more true than that. You know, when I fainted in Dallas because I could not breathe, the game wasn’t important–I fainted. And being able to control that and know what is happening now with my body, has given me control over it.
- Andrew:
- I might mention one thing. I know there’s really a scary statistic that for children, particularly inner-city children, this asthma problem can be an epidemic. They are often hospitalized and certainly there are fatalities. Their parents may not be aware–it’s not recognized. So I guess your message of kids and families really paying attention to this, could really save some lives.
- Chad:
- I certainly hope so. You know, through the banners and the book covers, hopefully there will be some education, and people will begin to understand that particularly here in the state of Washington this is a pretty big issue, and a pretty big health concern. But, simply by addressing it and having some education and knowledge, and seeking a doctor’s advice if you have questions, it can definitely be controlled.
- Andrew:
- Isn’t that great that for this health condition, a serious one, we can do something. And you’re an example that people can go on and have a great life. Chad, I want to thank you for your time. We’ve been visiting with Chad Brown, defensive linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks, a man who knows that asthma can be controlled; that having asthma doesn’t have to prevent you from living out your dreams. Chad, thank you very much.
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