My Life as an Asthma Mom

My friend saw an article in BBC news and shared it with me. I may have blogged about this already last year, but this a new article that says: "Scientists at Cardiff University have identified the potential root cause of asthma for the first time, along with a new treatment ." Say what?? The article, titled "Cardiff University Scientists discover asthma's root cause"  is short, but says that the scientists have found the cause of asthma, a calcium recepting sensor - or CaSR. They said they could use a drug that is already available, called calcilytics    (those drugs are used to treat people that have bone-density problems like osteoporosis)  And I had to listen to the video from Professor Daniela Riccardi about 3 times before I could figure out what she was saying. (Come on scientist - use regular people talk so we can figure out what you are saying!) Anyway, check out the article and let me know what you think Happy breathing! ...

Allergy & Asthma Network shared a story on their Facebook page about a student who was disciplined for sharing their inhaler with another student What would you do? If your student has an inhaler at school, and they see another friend having an asthma attack and struggling to breathe,  should they share their inhaler?  I know that legally, prescriptions are NOT allowed to be shared. But - would this be considered a "medical emergency"?  Should they let someone use their inhaler? The student who did so was suspended and sent to an "alternative school."  I know the panic of having an asthma attack and not being able to get my inhaler.     What about sharing an Epi Pen?   I really don't see the difference between sharing an inhaler and sharing an epi pen. Have you ever been on a flight where they asked if anyone had an Epi Pen?    What would you do if someone needed your Epi autoinjector?   What ar...

Have you ever been tested for allergies ?  They can do a skin test on your back or arms. Usually, you'll get little red welts where they scratch the skin with serum. Daughter Kitty has had this done 4 times, yes - you read that right. 4 times over the years :( Kitty also had to have allergy shots for almost 6 years. AND THEY DIDN'T WORK!!!!! This is not for the faint of heart - you start out going to the doctor's office twice a week and gets a shot in each arm. (And you have to wait for 20 minutes so you don't have an allergic reaction )  T   Then you move to shots once a week, then a couple of times a month until you reach "maintenance" - where your allergies are finally stable and you can slowly taper off the shots. Well, that didn't happen for Kitty. We are back to the beginning. After 5 year's worth of shots, she is still struggling. That girl can sneeze 30 times in a row - easy! Then that makes her asthma flare up. So, ...