My Life as an Asthma Mom

This time of year can be stressful if you have allergies and asthma.  If you are traveling to Grandma's house for the holidays (or another family member's house) - you may worry about all sorts of things.  Can you make your flight? How long is the drive? What is grandma's house like? (or wherever else you are going) Are there cats there? Dogs? Is it dusty? (when is the last time the guest bedroom was vacuumed?) Are there going to be other people there - like kids with runny noses and coughs? Will someone make a dish for dinner that has tree nuts? (Even though you have told them MANY times that your son is allergic to nuts?)   Did you know that stress can trigger an asthma attack? There are some things you can't control - like weather for flying or driving. Or if someone gets sick.  Holidays are always an adventure!   When we travel for Thanksgiving (or any other holiday) we plan ahead. We always pack maintenance medic...

Like many of you, I watched the news of the attacks in Paris with my heart in my throat.  Previously, Hubby and I had spent our 25th anniversary in Paris. We LOVE Paris, it is such a beautiful place!  And then we watched the news reports. My emotions were a mess - first shock and horror, then love for the people of Paris who offered help to the innocent people caught in the cross fire.  The hashtag #portouverte (or #opendoor) was trending on Twitter.  The people of Paris were opening their doors to scared and injured tourists. They fed and clothed the tourists and provided a place for them to sleep and feel safe. Did you know that strong emotions can trigger an asthma attack?    According to Mayo Clinic, the following can cause (or trigger) an asthma attack: Airborne allergens, such as pollen, animal dander, mold, cockroaches and dust mites Respiratory infections, such as the common cold Physical activity (exercise-induced...

http://us.gsk.com/media/495349/151030_gsk_eosinophil_story_infographic_us-full-version.jpg For those of you who have asthma (or kids with asthma) you know that all asthma is NOT created equal. Son #2 had severe asthma, and had 8 hospitalizations (2 of those were close calls.....they had the "crash" cart parked outside his room!!) He is one of the 10% of people with asthma who have severe asthma. He didn't seem to do well on asthma medicine. He took multiple medicines every day to try to control his allergy and asthma (and had 5 years of allergy shots) . When he would get sick, he would take steroids (pills and shots) and STILL end up in the hospital. Sigh. It was a tough time for our family. Asthma Doc started our son on Xolair injections. For our son,  it was the only thing that seemed to work to keep him out of the hospital.  There is another option now for people who have severe asthma. GSK has a new medicine that was just approved by the FDA   ...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sanofi-allergy-injectors-recalled/ This is a short post today! CBS News had a story about a recall of the Auvi-Q injectors.   They are being recalled because they may not give you the right amount of medication if you have an allergic reaction. The story says there are about 200,000 people in the U.S. that have the Auvi-Q. There were about 26 people that reported problems with the injectors, so they are recalling ALL of them. (Hey - better to be on the safe side, right?!) So what do you do if you have an Auvi-Q? The CBS story says: "Consumers can call 1-866-726-6340 or visit the product's website for information on how to return the injector. They should also contact their health provider to get a prescription for an alternate device." However, if you have one of those injectors, they want you to get a replacement FIRST before you give them your recalled Auvi-Q. (You don't want to be without epinephrine...