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Showing posts from 2010

Using oxygen

Using oxygen for asthma Of the 12 times Kitty and Son #2 have been hospitalized for asthma, they have all included oxygen. Yet there are different ways it is administered. I was reminded of this when Hubby was telling me about being in the hospital last week with a family member. Because of our many experiences with oxygen, he noticed that the family member's oxygen rate was only at 89%. It should be closer to 98%. This family member was sleeping, and was using a nasal cannula (a thin tube with a small nozel that fits inside each nostril). Hubby noticed the family member was breathing through their mouth, instead of their nose, so the nasal cannula wasn't helping. Hubby notified the nurse and asked her to switch the family member to an oxygen mask. I love my Hubby, what a great guy! This ended up being a better delivery system, since the mask covers the nose and mouth. Sounds simple, right? Well, the nasal cannula and oxygen mask are used for different levels of oxygen use. Th

Nothing under the bed

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Tip #3 One thing I have learned is that if you have allergies and asthma, it is best to not store anything under the bed. Sounds terrible, doesn't it? (What am I supposed to do with all that junk now?!) And if you ask Son #1, he would say, "Oh great! I've have not one, but two parents that are clean freaks!" Well, I'm not as bad as some people (when it comes to cleaning) but I try to narrow down what triggers a case of sneezing and wheezing. And stuff shoved under the bed seems to be one of them. When was the last time you cleaned anything out from under your bed? Be honest......the last time you moved? And then you were forced to clean it up? Granted, it is a great place to put things. Out of the way, you don't trip over anything, great hiding place, but the last time you had to retrieve something from under the bed, how was it? Full of dust? Did you sneeze and cough? That's one of the biggest dust magnets there is, so the rule in our house is 'nothin

Asthma advocate

Want to be an Asthma Advocate? I always perk up when I hear about something that has to do with asthma. Do you want to help out in your kid's school and teach people about asthma? It's actually fun! The Utah Department of Health's Asthma Advocate program offers a chance to get involved in your community. Asthma Advocates come up with ideas and take them into local schools. You are encouraged to be as creative as you would like, based on what interests you. You can let the schools and students know about resources that are available about asthma. You get to work it around your own schedule, which is great for all of us busy multi taskers. The Utah Department of Health will provide a free 3 hour training, and even provide lunch. If you want more information, contact Kelli Baxter at (801) 538-6595 or email her at kabaxter@utah.gov . She also has a blog at http:// asthmadvocate.blogspot.com There's all sorts of fun things

Stress as a trigger

Stress as a trigger I was going to put another tip in here today about how we changed our home. But, we had a little family emergency last night. We are particularly worried about one elderly family member who is in the hospital caring for their spouse. The reason for our concern is that the care giver has asthma, and stress can actually trigger an asthma attack. I wasn't even thinking about that last night as we were discussing the situation with our kids. But Son #1 brought it up. We were worried about the care giver's coping skills, you never know how people will react in an emergency. Son #1 said, "I hope she's okay and doesn't get so stressed out that she has an asthma attack". Oh yeah, that. Belly breathing is a great exercise if that happens. I know it's the last thing you want to think about. But you can put one hand on your stomach and one on your chest, then you breathe slowly in through your nose, and out through your mouth. I usually do it 5

Flash back - fires

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    Flash back Friday- fires There's a beautiful historic building across the street from me that is on fire. I saw the news coverage this morning during breakfast. The area here is swarming with people taking photos. It's freezing cold outside, and the area smells of smoke. I can smell a little bit of smoke in the main part of the building where I am, I am watching through a window. It's a shame to see beautiful architecture lost to fire, we're all hoping if can be saved and renovated. I'm not so sure. But I am lucky to be able to watch it from inside another building. If the cold didn't trigger my asthma, the smoke definitely would. It always makes me a little uneasy. Smoke from a forest fires several years ago blanketed the valley where we live and almost cost Son #2 his life. It all happened so fast. He was outside playing with friends, and we didn't notice how smoky it was. You know little kids-if they're have fun, they won't come in for anythin

Tip #2 - floors

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Tip #2 So, as much as my historic home drives me crazy because there is always something leaking, flooding, shorting out, breaking, etc. There is one up side- original wood floors. We had to rip out all the carpet when we moved in and Hubby refinished the entire upstairs, which had wood floors. (You can rent all the equipment at hardware stores). Hubby looked with satisfaction at his handwork and declared, "We could play a great game of basketball in here!" I love my wood floors, especially for allergies and asthma. They're easy to clean, plus I can actually see the dirt and dust bunnies. Helllllooooo vacuum! Yes, I am a little strange. I love to vacuum. There's something about the monotonous work of vacuuming. My canister vac (equipped with a hepa filter of course) allows me to vacuum the area rugs, then flip a switch and use it on the wood floors. Then I switch attachments on the nozzl

Making your home allergy/asthma proof - tip#1

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How do you make your home allergy/asthma proof? Tip#1 I was listening to a presentation the other day about asthma by two pharmacists. I'm not suggesting you disagree with someone with medical training, but I will anyway. Someone asked him if you should change things in your home to make it more allergy/asthma proof. He said no. He has a family member with asthma, and he had removed his carpet and replaced them with wood floors. But he said it would be too expensive for most people. I think he missed the boat. There are a lot of things you can do to make your home better. The first is the photo you see here. Take your shoes off! This is the view from my front door. And if you come to visit, your shoes had better be in there. This didn't cost much, you can find baskets at any craft store. Or use a big plastic box, whatever works for you. As a designer, mine has to coordinate with my room..... So, what's the big deal about wearing shoes in a house? Well, everywhere you ha

Flash back diagnosis

I was thinking about when Son #2 was diagnosed with asthma. It was his first time in the hospital when the respiratory therapist told us he had asthma. I still remember the shock, thinking 'wait a minute!' I already took him to the pediatrician clutching my wrinkled little article about asthma out of a parenting magazine. Something just didn't seem right. I still felt unsettled when the doctor said there was nothing wrong with him. The day he was admitted, I took him to the doctor because he had a cold and was sick and coughing. But his color was really off, he looked very pale, had purple circles under his eyes, and his lips were a burgundy color. I just felt something wasn't quite right. So, off we went to the doctor's office. The physician's assistant came in first, then suddenly the room filled with the head doctor and a couple of nurses. I remember Son #2 seemed very sleepy. He couldn't even sit up right when they were doing a breathing treatment, so

Water leak

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Success! I think Hubby may have finally fixed the mysterious leaking washing machine. I spent time laying on my stomach on top of the washing machine, with a flashlight trained on the pipes to see if I could isolate the leak. How hard can it be? Very difficult, it turns out. I gave up at one point. Then, as I was running a load through the washing machine, I heard a loud splash. Both Son #2 and I looked at each other, said "Uh oh" and simultaneously and jumped up to check the washing machine. Still puzzled. I had Hubby take a photo of the pipes and head over to the plumbing supply store and to see if they could help him figure out the problem. They suggested there may be a blockage and recommended a product to clean out the pipes. He had already tested that theory, he stuck the garden hose down the pipe and turned it on full force. No blockage. He actually figured it out on his own, he deduced that there was an airlock in the pipe at one point of the cycle. He replace

Christmas trees

Christmas trees - real or fake? Well, it's that time of year. Kitty was so excited to put up the Christmas tree, that we did it the day after Thanksgiving. Sorry, I only celebrate one holiday at a time. So, she had to wait. But, do you get a real Christmas tree, or a fake one? We used to get real trees when the kids were little. But we noticed non stop sneezing and coughing. That was when the kids were first diagnosed with asthma. And since the kids have multiple triggers (basically, they're allergic to anything that's alive). Trees, bushes, flowers, grass, dogs, cats, horses. Oh, I exaggerate. There is one animal that Kitty isn't allergic. Shot Nurse was laughing when she said there was one animal that didn't show up on Kitty's scratch test (skin test to see what you are allergic to). A rat. She said we could get a pet rat! Very funny. Not happening. So, I know it takes the fun out of Christmas, having a fake Christmas tree. It's one of the wonderful smel

Flash back - triggers

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      Flash Back Friday - triggers F lashback is just from this week. I had another asthma attack, this one on Wednesday night. Problem is, I can't for the life of me figure out what set it off. I remember sneezing quite a bit, and my family laughing and saying, "are you done yet?"but instead of answering, I just sneezed some more. Then I started coughing, and coughing, and coughing. I could feel my chest tightening up, then started coughing up mucus. Fun times! So, as I was sitting on the couch in my big furry bathrobe, I had to try to think back to what I had just done. I changed clothes in my room, washed my face, then went in and retrieved a book from my nightstand. That was it. I had to analyze each action. Anything in the bathroom that would have set it off? How about the nightstand? Was it too dusty? I remember the curtain catching on my bathrobe as I passed. Hhmm, it was the 'winter curtains' I had in the store room. I had changed my bed set to put the wi

Medication changes

Medication changes As I was using my asthma disc the other day, it dawned on my that my asthma has been pretty good lately. Hhmm. I was looking over the 'step wise' approach listed in the national guidelines a couple of weeks ago. I know one of the recommendations is to 'step down' medications if your asthma has been in control for 3 months. I think I'll set an appointment with Asthma Doc. I'm on a combination medication right now. Sometimes people can step down to just an inhaled corticosteroid. (Check with your doctor! They're the experts!) I'm wondering, as I look out the window at the snow and cold if this is a good time to step down. This is going into flu season (and pneumonia season for us!) Plus cold weather is a big trigger for me. Shoveling snow yesterday didn't help the lungs much. That's the thing about asthma, for us anyway, it requires constant tinkering with medication. By far the worse time for me is spring and summer, even with a

Water damage

More water damage I say more water damage, because almost exactly when we signed on the dotted line for the house we're in now, things started going wrong. We've had numerous floods in the basement, things shorting out, have nearly started fires with electrical problems, gas line leaks, etc etc. Looks like the washing machine is leaking now. I saw a puddle under the washer last week, hubby AKA 'fix it guy' worked on things for a while and we thought we had it fixed. Then Saturday, I noticed a bubble in the paint on the kitchen wall (located next to the laundry room. ) I knew that wasn't good, and as I was feeling the wall to see if there were any soft spots, my hand went right through the wall. Yep, definite soft spot! So, here we go again. I have this natural aversion to water damage and mold. In our previous house, we had a leak in the roof over our sun room. It took 3 months to fix. They had to tear the wall down to the cinderblock, then sand it, bleach it, and u

Traveling with asthma

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Many of you may be traveling during the holidays. The first thing I pack is all of the kid's medications and equipment. The last thing I want is to get stuck somewhere without the nebulizer. The last time we went on vacation, we packed all the maintenance medication, emergency medication and nebulizer. The only thing we forgot was the liquid fever reducer medicine and cough medicine. And of course, we ended up needing it. It's common to think "'we won't need that". But when you're on vacation, it's difficult to try to find a store, especially when you're in a strange place and don't know where things are located. So, now we pack everything, and if we don't need it, that's okay. I believe in Murphy's law (if something can go wrong, it will). So, I use my own logic and pack everything, thinking if I bring it, I won't need it. If I don't pack it, I will be kicking myself because I'll need it. This spring when we w

Open Airways

Open Airways I'm volunteering with American Lung Association and teaching an Open Airways class at Kitty's elementary school. It's a 6 week class that teaches kids age 8-11 how to manage their asthma. It's really fun, I know most of the kids from volunteering at the school and working there for a few years. Since everyone with asthma is different, it's been fun to go over triggers, when to take their inhaler, how to get help, how to use your inhaler, etc. I hope it helps the school nurse, since she has so many schools to cover, she's only available on Thursday mornings for a few hours. So I tell the kids "if you're going to have an asthma attack, make sure you do it Thursday mornings!" Only kidding, things never work out that tidy, do they? With the unpredictable nature of asthma, who knows when an attack will hit. This way, they know they're not alone - other kids in the school have asthma and deal with the same things they do. In teaching the

Plan ahead

Flash Back Friday - plan ahead! I think it's important to remember that asthma can be unpredictable. I can remember one particular time when we thought we would take Son #2 to the Er "just to get some chest x-rays and make sure he was okay" An hour later, I was standing in his hospital room in the Pediatrics wing, wearing a skirt and high heels. I hadn't thought to change after work, because I was certain he would be treated and released from the Emergency Department. Well, that's what I get for doing my own thinking. I had to ask the nurse for a set of scrubs and some slippers that I could sleep in. They also brought a toothbrush and toothpaste-they were very nice about it. But, since that time, I have learned to plan ahead. If I'm really worried about Son #2 or Kitty, I quickly change into a pair of workout pants, long sleeve t-shirt, sports bra, and socks with sneakers. The perfect outfit to sleep in next to the kid's hospital bed, and still be be pres

Could be worse

Things Could Always Be Worse I was watching the video "Ever After" the other and there's a great line from Anjelica Houston. She is the deliciously evil step mother who says to Cinderella (Drew Barrymore), "We must'nt feel sorry for ourselves, must we? No matter how bad things get, they can ALWAYS (insert shrill trill of the tongue sound) get worse" That has been our mantra. I sometimes have people ask if we think "why me?". It always surprises me when people say that. No we don't say 'why me?'. I'm a fixer. Like most women, when something's wrong, I want to fix it. So, when we're in the doctor's office or pharmacy, or I'm pacing the floor because one of the kids is really bad with their asthma, I think 'how can I fix this?' Sometimes it means multiple breathing treatments with the nebulizer, sometimes I know we need to start Prednisone (again.....), sometimes one of the kids will need a shot of Decadron (ste

Compliance issues

ROTFLMBO As the kids would say, "rolling on the floor laughing my bumb off !" (For those of you who are confused, look at the last post which was authored by Son #2. Okay, I should act like an adult, but that was my response to Son #2 talking about compliance with his asthma medications. Let's face it, I'm a nag. I have to be. Especially when he is on a course of Prednisone, I have to make sure he is taking the correct dose morning and night. That's not a medication where you can afford to miss a dose - from what I know, it affects your adrenal gland. And that can cause some major problems if you stop taking it suddenly. It's important to take it EXACTLY as the doctor prescribes, including tapering off the medication. As for maintenance medication, I feel like I'm always watching to see that the kids take it. If their disc or spacer & inhaler are in the exact same position on the kitchen counter for a day or two, I know they're not taking their me

#2 posting

This #2 writing under my mother's account. She asked me to write about how I feel about asthma, seeing as how it's easier for me just to write about having asthma instead of telling my mother everything and having her write it, heh. So to start, I'm answering some questions, and I'll try to throw in anything else I feel someone may need. #1. How do I react to having asthma? Well, to be honest, it sucks. I hate it with the all the burning passion of 10,000 Twilight fans. But, I realize there are people with worse problems than me, and I know several of them (i.e. diabetes). There are some times when I wish that I didn't have it (I'd be insane not to), but most of the time I just kinda accept it and move on. #2. Do I ever ask "why me?" Sometimes. It's not too often, but most of the time it comes from having to miss certain events that I could attend otherwise, such as a Scout activity where we'd be going somewhere cold, and I had been having prob

Insurance companies

Insurance companies! Don't get me wrong, I love my insurance company - except for a few little details. They seem to treat asthma as a one size fits all disease, which of course it's not. Their medical board has decided to no longer cover Xopenex (levalbuterol). It's more expensive than Albuterol, so of course they want everyone to use the cheaper version. Son #2 (severe asthmatic) is sick again. Asthma Doctor was out of the office, so we went to the Pediatrician. He sort of squinted his eyes at Son #2 and said, "I know how he is, we better start him on Prednisone." I looked at our medical file in his hands, it must have been close to 3 inches thick! He's on to us.... He knows he has to be agressive in treating Son #2. The only problem is his Xopenex inhaler and nebulizer vials have just expired. And insurance is no longer covering them. Pediatrician suggested I call the pharmacies and ask for the cash price. A Xopenex inhaler will be $58, the vials for the ne

Stress and asthma

Stress and asthma I just read an interesting little paragraph in Reader's Digest magazine. It was talking about a new book that had come out, called Stress Less: The New Science That Shows Women How to Rejuvenate The Body and Mind, by Thea Singer. The article talks about repeated stress, and how most people know that it puts them at higher risk of multiple diseases. But here's the quote that caught my eye, "What we didn't know till now was that it actually physically ages us - all the way down to the DNA in our cells...Chronic stress literally gnaws at our DNA- it's tips or "telomeres" to be precise- speeding up the rate at which our cells age by an alarming ten years or more." YIKES! I had heard that research years ago on one of the national news stations, but it's good to hear as a reminder. So, what do we do as asthma moms? Find what works for you to relieve stress: * lunch out with friends * movie night with hubby or friends * watching a funn

Another asthma attack

Another asthma attack This time it wasn't me, it was Son #2. I have to rewind a little. I don't go to the salon that often, but my naturally curly hair is getting a little wild, so I decided it was time for a trim. I had an hour where I thought I could fit in a trip to the salon. Well, no sooner was I under the sink and had a sudsy head, then my cell phone started to ring. I apologized and told the stylist I needed to check my phone because my kids have asthma. (I was sure it was Hubby calling, or a friend but thought I better check just to make sure). But, alas it was Son #2. Once in a while, he will send a text from school during lunch if he needs something. This was a phone call I missed, so I knew something was up. I called him back, and he was having problems and some weird symptoms. So, now what? I'm sitting in a cape with dripping wet hair. He is pretty good at mangaging his symptoms, (he's in high school) so I told him that if he didn't feel better after us

Asthma mom

Life with kids with asthma! Well, I was wondering if any moms would comment, I know the blog is new and getting up and going. Some of the things I find in common with other moms is that asthma really controls all aspects of your life. You can plan a vacation, night out, family outing, etc - and all that can go out the window when one of the kids has an asthma attack or is sick with a respiratory infection. I still have times that when I hear my kids cough, my heart starts pounding. I say, "Who's coughing?!" Sometimes the kids will say "Mom, chill! I just swallowed wrong!" Other times, I can see by the worried look on their face that something is seriously wrong. Things aren't as bad now, but when they were little, I would have to carefully screen who came over to the house to play. A friend with a runny nose? Coughing? Sneezing? I would have to call the parent and say, "please come get your child." I would try to explain that a cold to a 'norm

Moms

Calling all moms! I would like to hear from any moms of kids with asthma. I would like to hear your stories of dealing with your kids. I was visiting with two friends the other day whose kids have asthma, we found that we were all experienceing similar things with asthma and our kids. I would like to hear what you think and feel. Do you feel uneasy when the kids start a runny nose, thinking 'I know what's coming next, asthma problems!' Do you sound like a paranoid, hypochondriac mom that won't let other kids come over to play if they are sick? (We don't want our kids sick again). And do other moms understand why we worry? Do they think we're over reacting? Feeling unsure about 'should I take the kids to the asthma specialist now? wait? start their prednisone?' Should I skip the doctor and go straight to the emergency room? Why did the kids end up in the hospital again? Do you rack your brain to see if there's something you could have done differentl

Vitamin D

Vitamin D again. Well, test results are in for Son #2, looks like he is way below where he should be for his Vitamin D level. Average numbers are between 30-60, he's below 30. It can only be diagnosed from a blood draw, but not a bad test if you can handle getting pricked by a needle. Asthma Doctor recommends a Vitamin D supplement twice a day for Son #2. We are also having him spend as much time outside as possible. This should be an all around 'win' for my pale son who rarely sees the light of day. What?! Leave the computer and World of Warcraft?! For the record-we don't allow computer play on school days, and limit the time on weekends. But he also likes to read, but he can read outside, right? It will be interesting to see what happens, this is the newest research in asthma-the link to deficiency in Vitamin D. If it can slow down the 'remodeling' in his lungs (scar tissue building up from repeated inflammation). At least that's the way I understand it. I

Just call me professor

Just call me professor. I'm guest lecturing about asthma in a class at a local university. I have all the supplies packed, nebulizer, peak flow meters, inhalers, discs, emergency medicine for the nebulizer, Epi pen, etc. I was looking up the latest stats, it's a little surprising what they are. According to Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Every day in the US: * 40,000 people miss school or work due to asthma * 30,000 people have an asthma attack * 5,000 people visit the emergency room due to asthma * 1,000 people are admitted to the hospital due to asthma * 11 people die from asthma I never want to fall in that last statistic. However, we've been in the first four statistics numerous times. It will be interesting to see what this class thinks about asthma, if I can just get them to understand what happens physically during an asthma attack, what can trigger it, how to treat it, and how serious it can be, I'll think it's well worth my time. I think people

Vitamin D affecting asthma?

So we're at Asthma Doctor's office last week getting #2 son's Xolair shot. For those of you who have never heard of Xolair, it's for patients with moderate to severe asthma whose asthma is uncontrollable by traditional treatment plans. My pale son, who likes to read and play computer is being asked by Asthma Doctor if we should check his Vitamin D level. Hmm, what makes him think that might be low? The fact that he spends little time in the sun?! It seems that those with low levels of Vitamin D are at higher risk for severe asthma symptoms. I'm all in favor of anything that can reduce his symptoms. It's not unusual for him to suddenly drop 150 points on his peak flow meter during an asthma attack. It's been 2 1/2 years since he's been in the hospital, that's the longest he's gone without being admitted. They may have to give away our corner suite in pediatrics to someone else. It's amazing what little things can affect asthma. #2 Son a

smoke and asthma

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              There's a fire about 15-20 miles away. It was making us really nervous, we were wondering if the smoke would get to our house. We could smell smoke from another fire that's about 100 miles away, but the smoke has drifted up here. The moon looked really pretty last night, but the smoke is unnerving. I made sure all the windows were closed and the air conditioner was on. Smoke from a fire about 10 years ago put #2 Son in the hospital, on oxygen, IV steroids and on a heart monitor. Why the heart monitor? To give them a little advanced warning because they were waiting for him to "crash", then he would have been on a ventilator- on life support. So smoke makes me very nervous. I was watching the live news casts last night wondering how the people near the fire were doing, especially those with asthma. If you had to be evacuated from your house and had just minutes to grab a few things, what would you take? It makes you stop and think. Amongst the photo albu

Neti pots

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  Neti pots. Neti whats?! Ever try one? They look like a tiny plastic magic lamp or a squatty squeeze bottle with a pointed lid with a hole in it. What is it for? It's for all of us plagued by allergies, it's a tool used with a saline rinse that cleans out your sinuses. Isn't that exciting? Well, not really- but necessary. Sinus infections are really common for those with allergies, and they can trigger asthma attacks. Asthma Doctor said that Neti pots are as effective at antibiotics at clearing up sinus infections. (and since antiobiotics are overprescribed and their overuse is causing antibiotic resistant bacterias......) You simply fill the neti pot with warm STERILE water and a packet of saline solution, you lean over the sink and squirt it up one nostril, tilt your head, and let it run out the other side. Then you switch nostrils. It's like jumping into a swimming pool without plugging your nose! It makes your eyes water and your nose run. But it's

Suggestions?

Any suggestions of things you want to hear about? I can happily blog away about 10 years of experiences, some good and some bad. But is there anything anyone wanted to hear about? Any questions? Confusion? There's a lot out there when it comes to asthma, and everyone seems to have different experiences. So, if you want to hear about something, feel free to leave a comment! Otherwise, I'll just keep blogging-

Achoo! 1st cold of the school year

Well, here we go again. Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! Sore throats, running noses and coughing. I was hoping at first that it was just allergies and that something in the pollen count was REALLY high, no such luck. The sore throat started, and I thought here we go. I need to crack down again with my germiphobe precautions. I noticed Hubby and Kitty and I are all using the same tube of toothpaste. Great way to spread germs. I usually use separate tubes of toothpaste for each of us. Guess it's a little late for that for this cold. And the toothbrushes are getting thrown out and fresh ones are replacing them once the cold is over. (You don't want to use old germ filled toothbrushes) Also, I keep all the toothbrushes on separate shelves in the bathroom. (And NOT by the sink. I've heard that over spray from the toilet can spread over 5 feet in the bathroom - I don't know about you but I would rather not have toilet water on my toothbrush) Also, when kids wash their hands, they drip

Putting things in perspective

This week, I was lucky enough to join a friend whose daughter was receiving her wish from Make A Wish foundation. The staff there showed us how the kids decide on a wish, then go inside a tower with a waterfall in the middle of the room to place their wish in a capsule. Some kids wish for trips to Disneyworld or Hawaii. Others want a puppy or a laptop. One cute little toddler wanted his room to look like a fire station. But the hardest part on reading the stories of these children and teenagers is to see why they were there in the first place. Some wish recipients had bone cancer, brain tumors, cystic fibrosis, leukemia, etc. Some stories ended by listing the child's death date. Yes, my kids all have asthma, but they're still alive! Don't get me wrong-asthma can be deadly as I was reminded of last month when "48 Hours" news reporter Harold Dow died of an asthma attack while driving his car. They found his inhaler on the floor of the car. Here's the link -I hop

Flash Back -flu shot

I'm glad it's not this time last year when the big Swine Flu or H1N1 was hitting the news! There seemed to be a lot of panic and school closings going on. And since asthma complicates any respiratory infection, I was very worried about my kids. (They've already been hospitalized 12 times thanks to asthma) They kept mentioning the high risk groups to get immunized, which included pregnant women and also chronic disease. But seldom did they say the actual word "asthma". I even had someone from a health department say, "asthma? you're not in the high risk category". Oh YES WE ARE! The Assistant Surgeon General was in town recently speaking about immunizations. I heard her several times refer to people with asthma as being high risk and needing immunizations. She also cautioned that they not get the nasal spray, but instead the injection. Since the nasal spray is a live inactivated virus, it's not recommended for people with weakened immune systems o

Anaphylactic shock

To follow up on the last post, I cautioned that you must stay 20 minutes after every allergy injection. There is a possibility of anaphylactic shock since you are getting injections of what you are allergic to. The ONE TIME we left early, #1 Son had anaphylactic shock. #2 Son was already in the hospital with pneumonia and asthma, and we had gone to do allergy shots with #1 Son and Kitty. We were going to get shots, grab some pizza and head to the hospital. HA! We told Wonderful Shot Nurse that we weren't going to stay, but were headed back to the hospital. She assured us we would be fine. Then Murphy's Law stepped in. We were a block away when #1 Son started coughing and said he thought something was wrong. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw #1 Son with a bright red face, glassy and bulging eyes and a swollen neck. Uh oh. I did a quick U-turn and called Wonderful Shot Nurse who was waiting for us as I sped back. She had the epinephrine injection ready, and a breathing tr

Allergy shots

Allergy shots (immunotherapy) is a great option for a lot of people. Sometimes, even on daily allergy medicine, it doesn't relieve your symptoms. You or your kids may still be sneezing and wheezing. To be tested for allergies, you must be off all allergy medicine for a week before the test so the antihistamine doesn't mask the results. Usually, the office will pick an off season time for the testing. The first time we tried, #1 son couldn't go a whole week without an antihistamine. He actually broke out in hives because his allergies were so bad, so we scheduled the next try for November. The kids start by laying on their stomach while our Wonderful Shot Nurse starts the test. She marks multiple rows and columns on the kids back with pen, that shows her where to administer the serum. It's not a needle, but a sharp scratch on the back that introduces the serum under the skin. The kids need to lay still for 2o minutes, not easy with an itchy back. We would usually have th

Beware of hardware stores

Who would have thought just running through the hardware store with Hubby would cause an asthma attack?! As a trained Interior Designer, a hardware store to me is like a kid in a candy store. Oooh, love that flooring! Hey, is that a new style of vanity for the bathroom? Nice mirror...... So, I am usually accompanied by Hubby so I don't drag home any new project for him. This time we were in the lumber area, getting wood for some faux paneling we were installing. I immediately started sneezing and coughing and my chest tightened up. This store was out of the size of boards we needed, so we had to drive across town to the other hardware store. Repeat sneezing, coughing and tight chest scenario. Only this time, I had to grab onto a display to catch myself because I was coughing so hard. I managed to gasp out 'must leave' as I staggered toward the exit. The cashier was eyeing me as passed by her (who could miss that cough and stagger?!) Fresh air outside! But alas, no inhaler i

Flash-back Friday- coming home on oxygen

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Does anybody like using oxygen at home after your kids have been discharged from the hospital? I'm can't remember how many times the kids were discharged on oxygen, but it always made me nervous. Sometimes, they can discharge a patient if all they need is oxygen or they can stay for another day or two in the hospital. There's nothing like being back home in our own beds! And there can be other risks of picking up infections in the hospital-I don't want the kids coming home with any infection they didn't already have! By the end of the hospitalization, the kids are pretty hyper from the steroid IV. Once they get home, they're still a little crazy. They want to run around the house, but usually get to the end of the oxygen tubing and are yanked back like a dog who has reached the end of his chain. It's hard to keep a straight face when that happens. If one of the kids was going to be on oxygen for a while, they gave us an oxygen "concentrat

Great minds think alike!

I was surprised to see this post on my Facebook page. Looks like great minds think alike! I think I just posted something about getting my kids ready for back to school with asthma. The Utah Asthma Program has a list of things to do to get the kids ready for school. http://health.utah.gov/asthma/schools/backtoschool.html They listed the Self Administration Form so the kids can carry their inhaler with them. I know our school nurses send one every year that we fill out and mail back. If your school nurse doesn't, there's a form on the website. There's also a link to the Utah bill that allows students to carry their inhaler with them at all times in the school (if the parents think they can self-administer their inhaler) They also have an Asthma Action Plan link, you can fill that out with your doctor so the school knows what to do if your student has an asthma attack. I saw several programs also listed that will train the staff at the school (what does an asthma look like, w

Whew! Close one on allergies!

It's a good thing we've taught #2 Son to carefully check labels. Last night, he went to get some ice cream after dinner, we had bought a ice cream with candy bars mixed in. It looked chocolately and delicious! He came into the living room, holding up the carton by one hand (like a waiter carrying a tray) and said, "good thing I just read the ingredients on this before I took a spoonful." Listed right there on the side were almonds, tree nuts! His worst enemy. Known to cause anaphylaxis for #2 Son. It didn't even dawn on me that a candy bar ice cream would have almonds. Some mom I am!There goes my Mother Of The Year Award (again) ha ha. Ice cream with Snickers doesn't worry me because they're peanuts, but tree nuts mixed in candy bars are another story. Sure, I'm supposed to protect my kids, not buy something that is going to give them anaphylaxis. Although, come to think of it-Hubby was the one who picked out this flavor. I'll be more careful next

Flash back Friday- hospital birthday

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            So, what are the odds of being in the hospital on your birthday? Well, Kitty ended up there one year. We were planning her birthday party and had sent out all the invites when she started getting sick. (#2 son was also sick and already in the hospital) Then Kitty started coughing and wheezing. Not unusual for an illness to travel through the family, especially one full of people with asthma. She was admitted a day later, and I just sat down and cried. Then I thought, now what?! Two kids in the hospital, one with a birthday in a couple of days. Enter One Very Cool Child Life Specialist. She said, "We'll just have the party here!" I didn't know you could do that! So she had us pick out a theme, pulled together decorations and party favors, and set up a room. I called all the parents, who met us at the hospital, then security took up the elevator into the secured area. I told Kitty we were going to go for a walk with her tank to 'get another chest x-ra

Back to school

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Yikes! It's that time already?! I haven't done any shopping yet as far as clothes and school supplies. I should probably get started. But I did just get the kid's Asthma Action Plans filled out by Asthma Doctor and mailed back to the school nurse. She thanks me profusely for actually taking the time to fill them out and return them. She said she is frustrated because she can send out 120 requests every school year, and usually gets 10 of them returned. If you have a child with a medical condition, wouldn't you want the faculty and staff to know they are asthmatic (or diabetic, have seizures, etc?!) How is the faculty or staff supposed to take care of my son or daughter if they don't know what medical condition they have, or what medicine to give them? I'm not about to leave that up to chance! I want the kid's Asthma Action Plans filled out so that if I'm not around, their teachers will know what to do. In our school district, the nurse has a heavy school

Cleaning carpet

Ah, cleaning carpet. It's about as much fun as getting the tires balanced and rotated on the minivan (next on my list). Luckily, the main living floor of our house has wood floors, which are recommended for people with asthma. I can keep them quite clean, because I can see all the dirt, dust bunnies and food particles that have dropped. And with teenagers around, they can get dirty in a hurry. The downstairs level is another story. With another living room, dining room and kitchen, the downstairs gets a lot of use. This weekend #1 Son had a Star Wars movie marathon. There was a great group of college aged kids over and they weren't too messy. But with all the previous stains we decided to bite the bullet and get the carpets cleaned. Our downstairs has Berber carpet, the unique smooth carpet seems to trap lest dirt and gunk than a 'pile' carpet. We've had the carpet cleaned in the past, but it still looks dirty. So we're trying a new system that uses a specially

Flash back Friday- VCD

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VCD stands for Vocal Cord Dysfunction and it's one of those conditions that can be confused with asthma. Sometimes, when the severe asthma is uncontrollable on medication, they look at VCD. #2 Son was evaluated for this, once again more fun at the hospital! He LOVED having a probe stuck up his nose as they watched his vocal chords during speech patterns. Nasal endoscopies are a great way to start the week! His vocal folds turned out to be normal, but for many people it is an answer as to why they are displaying symptoms of asthma, yet not responding to normal asthma medications. Some people are needlessly taking asthma medication when in reality, it is a problem with their vocal folds. Once again, diagnosis can be confusing. We are lucky to have a great asthma doctor who carefully ruled out all other possibilities before deciding on a treatment plan for #2 Son. He does have severe asthma and that is why he does Xolaire injections. But do a little research and carefully consult with

Xolair

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(photo from www.xolair.com ) I'm surprised about how many people have never heard of Xolair . Of course, it's a small percentage of the people with asthma that actually need it. Since only 5-10% of people with asthma have severe asthma, many people are unaware of Xolair. From what I have learned so far in lay-people terms, Xolair is an "IgE inhibitor". There are different immunoglobulins in the body, but "E" is associated with allergic responses. Apparently, there are little 'mast cell' (they look like little prickly balls) in the body that are filled with histamine granules. When an allergic reaction starts, those mast cells break open and the histamine is released, thus starting the allergic response. We all know what that looks like, swelling, sneezing, coughing, etc. Rather than treating an allergic reaction (with anithistamines), Xolair is supposed to stop that allergic reaction from taking place at the cellular level. With #2 Son's severe a

Pioneer day & triggers

It was nice to celebrate Pioneer Day with the kids this weekend. One of the cities close by hosts a pioneer celebration in the park, and it has a lot of fun activities. #1 Son and Kitty had fun competing in a log sawing competition, followed by carving 'petroglyphs' at the Native American Village. Surrounding the park were several activities which Kitty rolled her eyes about (apparently she is getting too cool to participate in kiddie activities). We didn't hunt for the Sheriff, put her in the jail, pan for gold or participate in the watermelon eating contest. I made sure we gave a wide berth to the station that was hosting a "needle in a haystack hunt"-just walking by all the piles of hay with kids clawing through them was enough to make us start sneezing. Then Kitty spied the miniature ponies from across the park. She dragged us over there, but oh, what a shame, the line was too long! What a disappointment! We also told her that it looked like it was

Flash-back Friday - terminology

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                      If there's one thing I've learned over the past 10 years, it's to know asthma terminology. It helps immensely when I am at the ER to be able to say, "He's asthmatic, his peak flow is usually 350-right now it's 200." Knowing your kid's peak flow gives them a concrete reading, rather than just saying "he's having a hard time breathing". We're also lucky enough to be able to use a friend's oxygen saturation monitor. So I can also say, "their oxygen level is reading at 89 on my sat monitor" (you should be be closer to 100). They usually admit the kids to the hospital if their oxygen level is at 89 or lower. I tell them not to bother looking for retraction , because my son suffers from air trapping and experiences the 'barrel chest'. Retraction is when they are trying so hard to breath that they use all their accessory muscles, usually sucking in the skin surrounding the chest when they breath.