I never got a formal diagnosis, but bronchitis in 2006 left me with sensitive lungs, if not actual asthma (my doctor is an incompetent idiot who couldn’t be bothered to give me more of an explanation than that). Fortunately, daily meds keeps it under control and I’ve never had an all-out hit-by-a-truck attack; just the occasional wheeze and tight chest due to certain triggers that I mostly know, mostly dust and pollen.
I guess I’m a little in denial as well, but since it pretty much doesn’t affect my life, I figure I can get away with it 
Ruffian, how are you feeling today?
Glad to hear you’ve got a nebulizer now. Is it one of those big-ass ones or something more portable-like? I have a huge one (about the size of one of my shoe boxes… and at size 12-W, I have large shoe-boxes) that we got when my daughter was about 10 months old. I really wanted to get a more portable one because sometimes during a flare, I’m well enough to go to the office but have had to stay home to have the neb handy. The doc’s office screwed up sending the fax to the DME provider until I phoned and reminded them, but I finally got it last Friday. The compressor is about the size of a walkman-type cassette player. Yay. Even comes with a car adapter and a rechargeable battery.
I lovehate the nebs. They work… but hoo-boy they make me jittery. I’ve found that Xopenex causes less heartbeat racing than plain old albuterol, but I’m still shaky.
There must be something going around that’s really kicking people’s butts. I’m nearly 4 weeks in from the start of my flare and am still coughing more than usual. I too had to go back on the 'roids (though only two courses, not your third - you still have me beat!). Mine definitely got slightly worse as the taper progressed, just not enough (so far) to need to escalate the meds again.
I wonder if there’s such a thing as rebound inflammation after weaning off the steroids? I do plan to ask the doc, the next time I need a taper, to give me a longer, slower taper, in case that’s the issue. Also, the medrol dose-pak is only a 7 day course (if I remember correctly) - do you think maybe you “just” need a longer/slower taper?