To Catch My Breath

People used to say to me, "That's an awfully deep sigh," or "What's the matter?"  Usually I didn't even realize I was taking deep breaths, which apparently made me seem frustrated.  Most of the time I was quite content and happy, I was just trying to get enough breath.
As a newlywed my husband often asked me what was wrong.  When I would assure him that nothing was wrong, because he was convinced I was upset he would press to get an answer until I really was upset.  Looking back I understand that I was taking deep breaths and he thought I was being huffy.  He was accustomed to people with turbulent emotions and I wasn't one of those.  It took a almost a decade for him to understand that I was just breathing.
Eventually I learned to wait till no one was looking to catch my breath, and inhale quickly and quietly to avoid appearing irritated.
A couple of years ago I suddenly started feeling like I couldn't get enough breath even with a deep sigh.  I was alone at work, Googling "feels like I can't breathe" and "can't get enough breath" because I felt like I was suffocating.  I needed to move freight and count inventory and I was afraid I would pass out in the warehouse because I couldn't breathe.  That went on for over a week.  Several days later it started again.  The only advice I could find on the world wide web was to try not to think about it.  Yes, next time you feel like you're suffocating, just try to forget it.
I didn't bother going to the doctor because I figured I'd get some kind of non-diagnosis like "anxiety attack" and a prescription I didn't need.  I understood that anxiety attacks are real, but I also knew that wasn't the cause in my case.  A fix would be great, but I wanted to know why this was happening.  I wondered if I had walking pneumonia, but the symptoms didn't match up.  I wouldn't recommend the internet as a physician, but I didn't have time and money to waste on health care I didn't trust.  I knew I was getting enough oxygen because I wasn't turning blue, but I needed to know what was wrong.
After my naturopath diagnosed adrenal exhaustion, I started finding references to shortness of breath being associated with adrenal fatigue.  http://www.adrenalfatigueblog.com/2011/07/shortness-of-breath-adrenal-fatigue-syndrome/  It's been months since the last time I experienced that suffocating feeling.  I still have to take deep breaths often.  If you catch me sighing, don't presume I'm sullen.  I'm just trying to stay alive.  I have a lot of great reasons to.