My Life as an Asthma Mom

I washed my mini van last night, and woke up to see it covered in a yellow powder.  Even though my car was parked in my garage. With the garage door down.  My car was still covered in yellow pollen. And I wonder why I am sneezing and wheezing?! You can check the pollen count in your area by visiting the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) website.  Our area is high in Cottonwood and Birch trees now. Oak and Maple trees are in the moderate category.  All I know is that I am miserable. Hubby started to open our bedroom window yesterday and I said, "NO!! Don't open it!!"  The problem is that the pollen comes in the room, lands on the bed, and covers everything. That leads to itchy eyes, a runny nose and constant sneezing.  Now it's affecting my asthma-my chest is really tight and I woke up during the night coughing (a sure sign that asthma is NOT under control)  You shouldn't be waking up at night coughing if you aren't sick...

                                           Son #2 is allergic to tree nuts and it's amazing how many things they are in. Muffins, brownies, cookies, ice cream, etc. Son #2 went out to dinner last night with friends and had a great time. He knew from all the other times we've eaten at that restaurant that the waiter will bring out a basket with breads and rolls. One of the breads is a delicious carrot bread with walnuts. But he knows he can't eat the other rolls or bread in the basket because they are now cross contaminated with nuts. He casually told me that he remembered to ask the waiter to bring a separate bowl for him with plain bread and rolls. Yesssssss!  I usually have to ask the waiter for a separate bowl with just plain rolls or bread for Son #2. I  expla...

      I am very excited for spring! Like most of the country, we've had record cold temperatures this winter. In fact, it's STILL colder than normal here. I'm determined to switch to my summer wardrobe, even if wearing sandals to work means I can't feel my toes! Yes, they are numb. But I feel happy and full of spring inside, so that's all that matters! I have also noticed the pollen is out already. The whole family (Hubby and I and all three teenagers) have allergies. So we go through A LOT of boxes of tissues. I buy Puffs With Lotion so my nose isn't red all the time from blowing it. I stash tissues in the house, car and my purse. Why is it that no one else in the family carries tissues? Why is the mom the one that has to cart everything around in an over sized purse for everyone?! I'm also getting strange looks from people at the grocery store as I sneeze my way up one aisle and down another. When they look at me, I say "allergies" and move ...

                                          If you have ever been to Europe, you have probably had Nutella. I've been eating it for years, since my first trip to France in 1985. Many people may think it's just a chocolate spread. Notice the nuts on the label? Those are hazel nuts (which is a type of tree nut.) So if you are allergic to hazelnuts, Nutella could cause an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis.  Two classmates in Oregon had a close call when one boy innocently shared Nutella with his friend at lunch. Ransom Duel was eating lunch with Sullivan Moore when Sullivan asked another student to share his "chocolate things". Unfortunately, his "chocolate things" were Nutella. Sullivan immediately started to have an allergic reaction and his 7 year old friend, Ransom, grabbed the Nu...

                                      Have you ever tried Belly Breathing? It's a simple way to calm down and help control your breathing if you are having an asthma attack. Or you are at the dentist. Or you just saw your kid's report card. Or..... There is a fun video on Youtube with Elmo, Common and Colbie Caillat about belly breathing.  Elmo teaches kids to Belly Breathe if their "inner monster" wants to come out. They teach the same thing to kids in American Lung Association's Open Airways for schools program. Open Airways is taught in schools to kids aged 8-11. They teach kids how to manage their asthma. One of the ways is to Belly Breathe if they're having an asthma attack. Not only is it physically hard to breathe. But when you have an asthma attack, it affects you emotionally too. We ...

We were in a group discussing healthy eating the other day, when the teacher mentioned how important it is to eat seafood. It has Omega 3 fatty acids which are good for your brain. Since I'm allergic to seafood, I take flaxseed oil capsules instead so I can get that good fat for my brain. I said it was fine with me if I was allergic to seafood since I hate it anyway! One class member pointed to her head and said, "are you really allergic to seafood or is it all in your head?" After a few moments of shock, I blurted out, "I am allergic to seafood. I carry an Epi pen with me at all times. If I eat seafood, it can kill me!" Sheesh people. Get a clue! Someone else in the class knew I was upset and placed their hand on my shoulder as if to say, "take a deep breath-she doesn't know any better or she wouldn't say something like that." If you suspect a food allergy, visit an allergy and asthma specialist. They can run a blood test or a scratch ...

                                         Last night the CBS Evening News with Brian Williams had a story about allergies. The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA) has released their 2013 list of Top Allergy Capitals. Dr. Michael Foggs of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology said it's going to be a bad season for allergies. In some areas, they have been having problems with pollen in January! And the season is stretching into late fall. Call it global warming, call it climate change. Whatever you want to call it, warmer temperatures are making pollen worse. Allergy season is going to be long and miserable. Yay. They interviewed Dr. Nancy Snyderman for the story. She says there are a few things that you can do to ease your symptoms. Exercise in the early morning, and...

      If you are newly diagnosed with asthma, you may feel like you are back in school. You may be reading articles on the internet, thumbing through magazines, reading books, talking to other parents, etc.  Things have come a long way from when our three children were diagnosed 13 years ago. Back then our then-5 year old was in the hospital for the first time. The respiratory therapist came into our son's hospital room and said "didn't they tell you that your son has asthma?!" He then dropped 30 pages of internet articles on the table by our son's hospital bed and said, "Let me know if you have any questions." He then left the room to visit other patients.  Huh? What?! To say having a new diagnosis is overwhelming would be an understatement. I heard "your son has asthma" and that was about it. My head was swimming. I had taken our son to the pediatrician a few weeks before with an article from a magazine that talked about asthma. The sym...