My Life as an Asthma Mom

Susan Tatelli is one brave tween! She has life threatening allergies to peanuts, tree nuts and soy. Her mom recorded Susan using her Epi Pen and uploaded it to Youtube. She also interviews several allergy and asthma doctors who talk about when and how to use an Epi Pen. This tween does an AMAZING job using hers!! Susan wanted to show other kids that it's not so scary - that others can use their Epi Pen if they need to. She has had a LOT of experience using her Epi Pen because she was part of a peanut allergy trial. While she was in the trial, she had 6 anaphylaxis reactions. She used her Epi Pen herself 5 out of the 6 times. Way to go! I learned something from watching the doctors she interviewed. Dr. Sakina Bajowala of the Kaneland Allergy and Asthma Center shows how to hold the Epi Pen in your palm with your finger and thumb stretched out.  Then she wraps her thumb around the Epi Pen first. Then she wraps her fingers around her thumb.    She...

I was at a conference and I saw a display from a company that makes a valved holding chamber that you can use with different age groups. (Basically, it's a tube that connects to your asthma inhaler. You spray the inhaler in to the tube, then you can inhale the asthma medicine out of the tube and it will go into your lungs.)  You can use it: as a valved holding chamber with an older child add a mask for a younger child add a mask and pacifier for an baby You can watch a video to see how it works   Has anyone tried this yet? With the pacifier for a baby? It seems like companies are always coming up with something new! I always used the nebulizer for my kids when they were little. I'm wondering if the valved holding chamber and pacifier would work just as well? Any comments from anyone that has tried it?

M any of you who are regular blog readers know that my kids have been hospitalized 12 times for asthma (thanks to pneumonia and/or smoke from forest fires.) Over the years, people have said, "Don't you wonder Why Me ?"  No, not really. It is what it is, the kids inherited allergies and asthma from Hubby and I. So there you have it. It's my job to deal with it.  In fact, because of what we have been through, we have been able to help MANY families over the years. I am very familiar with asthma triggers, signs and symptoms of an asthma attack, asthma medications, how the environment affects asthma, etc.   I am also familiar with hospital monitors and oxygen levels. This came in handy this weekend when we received a phone call that a family member had fallen. We took Family Member to the Emergency Department to get her checked out. While there, we noticed Family Member's oxygen level was dropping down to 76 (you should be close to 100.) If my ...

Last week was The Dreaded Surgery. I had been hoping to avoid surgery, but The Knee was being a LITTLE cranky and wanted some attention. This getting older stuff really stinks. So, despite trying physical therapy/elevating my knee/keeping ice on it, The Knee decided it had had enough. So, surgery was the next option. I would rather do just about anything rather than have surgery. (I mean anything - defrost my freezer, scrub the toilets, wash out my disgusting garbage cans.....) I know from past experience that my lungs do NOT like surgery. I also know that I need to stay on oxygen for a while after surgery (which I carefully explained to the nursing staff.) It seems like they are always in a hurry to get you off oxygen, and to send you home after surgery. "Look at the great progress you are making!" So, despite my best efforts, The Lungs were not happy after surgery. The oxygen monitor kept going off, and The Nurse was saying, "Take a breathe. C...