My Life as an Asthma Mom

If there's one thing I learned being a mom to 3 kids with asthma, is to know oxygen levels. When they were little, my kids were hospitalized 12 times for asthma (2 of those were ICU.)  In addition to watching for their skin color, fingernails, or lip color to change, I checked their peak flow meter , listened for wheezing , and gave breathing treatments. I also learned how to use an oxygen monitor. We had a hand held monitor we borrowed from a friend, similar to the photo above. (I just did a quick search online and found that you can buy a finger tip monitor for $20-$40!) Wow! The one we used back in 2000 - 2007 was about the size of a paperback book and cost $800. Once you have a monitor, how do you know if your oxygen level is low? Mayo Clinic says: "Normal pulse oximeter readings usually range from 95 to 100 percent. Values under 90 percent are considered low."  When my kids would get REALLY sick, I always pulled out the oxygen mon...

Last week, a family member had an accident and we had to call the ambulance.  While we were waiting for the ambulance, I asked my daughter to throw some snacks in my purse. Unfortunately, we have had LOTS of experience with the emergency room. When my kids were little, they were hospitalized 12 times for asthma. So I knew that there were a few things that would make our LONG wait in the ER a little easier. Here are a few things I have learned: It can be unexpected and scary to be in the ER You are going to be there for a LONG time They are busy, so all they can help you with are medical problems Snacks like trail mix, granola bars, etc Grab your favorite water bottle  Don't forget a portable power bank/phone charger Humor can help - people are usually shocked and scared and may say or do things that normally wouldn’t The medical staff are your friends - treat them that way!    Our experiences with asthma hospitalizations  With my k...

When I teach classes about asthma, I start with "this is what it feels like to have asthma" exercise.  (If anyone in the class has asthma, we do NOT have them participate!)     We start by:   Passing out coffee straws Have the participants jog in place for 30 seconds Plug their nose Then breathe ONLY through the straw  I watch their faces as they try to suck through the straw.    Then we ask them: "How do you feel? Can you get all the air you need? Are you starting to panic a little because you can't breathe?"  Then we have them pull out the straw. People often say that not only can't they get enough air, but they are scared because they can't breathe.  Welcome to my world!    When you can't breathe, it is scary, and you can panic. Then that makes it harder to breathe. It's a vicious cycle.  Then I tell them:    "This is what it feels like to have asthma. Except, we can't take our straw o...

If you are sick (sneezing, wiping your nose and coughing), I will get up and move. It doesn't matter if I am at work, church or the grocery store. I have changed seats in a movie theater and church, and swung my grocery cart around in the middle of the aisle to get away from someone who was coughing (and not covering their mouth of course!) When my kids were little, their teachers would teach them to cough and sneeze into their shoulder or elbow and NOT THEIR HAND! Why? Because you cough or sneeze into your hand, then touch doorknobs, elevator buttons, the copy machine, etc.  And then some unsuspecting person comes along and touches the doorknob, elevator button, copy machine and then innocently scratches their nose or touches their face. And BINGO! They are sick. Am I over - reacting? Nope. With asthma, you can have swelling in the lungs and not know it. You can't see it or know that it's there. So, a cold or flu on top of asthma can spell disa...