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Showing posts from November, 2013

"Tis the season for using the fireplace....

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As you can see, we decided to start decorating for Christmas! Usually I'm one of those one-holiday-at-a-time!!!!! kind of people . But this year, Thanksgiving is a week later than normal, and my irresistibly sweet teenager FINALLY talked me into it.   Hubby also decided that since it is VERY cold outside now, we should use the fireplace. He likes the cozy feel of a fireplace. It has been an ongoing "discussion" between us. We have an older home, and as soon as we signed our names on the dotted line, EVERYTHING started to leak, short out, flood, break, etc.  We had so many ongoing problems that I refused to let Hubby use the fireplace until he had it inspected. With our luck, I was sure that if we used it, our house would burn down. We've had so many strange things happen with our house, it actually wouldn't surprise me.... So, 10 years later, he finally paid to have an inspector come and check out the fireplace and chimney. It was actually in

Feather pillows causing an asthma attack?

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As a follow up to my other blog entry about traveling, it seems like no matter what hotel we stay in, I always have problems with my asthma. I know the room is clean, I check for dust on surfaces. I also look to see if the bed is on a platform (so there's no dust build up under the bed.) But still, every time I would stay in a hotel this year, I would sneeze and wake up with a tight chest. I would have to use my inhaler EVERY morning.  With asthma, it can be VERY hard to figure out what is causing (or triggering) and asthma attack. But after my last stay, I FINALLY remembered something Asthma Doc said.  When he first met us 14 years ago (the 1st time Son #2 was in the hospital) he asked about all sorts of things about our home. Do we have carpet? Pets? Burn scented candles? Have silk flower arrangements? Do we use feather pillows? I forgot about the last one, feather pillows!! That's what most hotels seem to use. They look so pretty when you check into

Taking allergy and asthma meds through TSA

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          So, I've been traveling a lot lately. And that means going through security at the airport. Again. I take out all my liquids and put them in a plastic bag, which goes in the grey plastic bin.....which then rolls through the conveyer belt and goes through the x-ray machine.  I usually leave my rescue inhaler and Epi Pen (I'm allergic to seafood) in my purse, and send that through the x-ray machine. This time, I stuck my daily maintenance inhaler in my purse too, because I don't like to pack it in my luggage. It would be my luck that it would get lost.... So I had a LOT of medicine in my purse this time!! I always worry that the TSA agents will pull me over and search me because I have an Epi Pen. I mean, for a while you couldn't even carry fingernail clippers on the airplane, and I am carrying something that has a needle in it! This time, I went through security, and was waved over to the side. (I did get a quick pat down, but nothin

Are you using asthma inhalers correctly? Only 1 in 169 parents are...

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How hard is it to give kids medicine the right way? Well, it may be harder than you think!  A new study by Children's Hospital at Montefiore in New York City showed that only 1 in 169 caregivers gave children their asthma medicine the right way. Yikes!! What happens if you don't give them their medicine the right way? According to Dr. Douglas Jones, who is an immunologist at Rocky Mountain Allergy and Asthma and Immunology clinic,  "This poor administration leads to a low concentration of the drug into the lungs, which, in turn, inadequately controls the disease" I understand that sentence to mean that kids may not have the protective benefits of the medicine when they need it most. If they aren't getting all of the medicine into their lungs, it won't help control the swelling. If your kids already have swelling (or inflammation) in their lungs ( which you can't see or feel ), then that may put them at risk of getting REALLY sick if they ge

No insurance?

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I was talking to a woman at the gym today (I'm not a morning person, but sometimes I'm awake enough to carry on a conversation.....) and she was talking about her job at the hospital. I said, "Oh, we used to be there ALL the time! My kids have asthma and they were in the hospital 12 times when they were younger. Their asthma seems to be better now that they're older." She asked how old my kids are now, because she has a son that is almost 26 ( which means he will no longer be covered on her insurance.) And that will be a BIG problem because he has diabetes. She said he better find a good job that has insurance!! We REALLY worry about that with my husband's job. If he ever lost his job, who is going to hire him? Who would want to insure him - with a wife and 3 teenagers who have asthma (and a history of hospitalizations?!!)    We would be one of those families that no one would want to insure. I went on the HealthCare.gov website and here's w