My Life as an Asthma Mom

Last night, a dear friend sent a text to tell me that her daughter was in the hospital. She said she needed my expert help. As a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C), and mom of 3 grown kids with asthma, I knew I could help. For those of you who are regular readers of my blog, you know that my kids were hospitalized 12 times when they were younger (mostly due to pneumonia but once from smoke from a forest fire.) So, I have had a little experience with kids in the hospital. Things I wished I would have know when my kids were first diagnosed: When should I take my child to the hospital? Nemours hospital has a section called "When to Go to the ER if Your Child Has Asthma." Please read it!  I once heard a doctor say if you wonder if.....and your next thought is "take my child to the emergency room", then go! The hospital has experts that can treat your child. If they just need to be treated and released, they will do that. But if they need...

It's finally spring out west! And neighbors are already trimming their trees and bushes - and burning the clippings. Argh! On my way home from work, I drove past a home just long enough for my car to fill up with smoke from them burning brush. I was starting a cold, so my lungs were already cranky. By the time I got home a short 5 minutes later, I was in desperate need of my inhaler. I love spring - but not when neighbors trim their yard and burn the brush. When my kids were in elementary school, a big problem was a neighbor who had a small orchard right next to the school. He trimmed all of his trees and decided to burn the tree limbs - during lunch recess - when 500 kids were outside playing. The entire playground was full of smoke. I was NOT happy. Since my kids were hospitalized a LOT when they were little, I was always trying to protect their little lungs. So, I marched over to the school to talk to the principal.  It wasn't just my kids I was...

  We had a long weekend with a Family Member in the hospital.    I always hate getting one of "those" phone calls, then jumping in the car and driving 4 hours to the hospital.   This family member was in the ICU, then moved to a room on "the floor".    During the 3 days we were there, I noticed the usual - room after room of patients and family members. And staff literally running from one room to the next.   How do they do it?    Work 12 hour shifts and take care of one patient, run to the next room and are pleasant and helpful in that room?   When the nurse, aide or respiratory therapist would come in to Family Member's room. They were friendly, answered questions, and asked if WE needed anything (not just the family member.)    I wouldn't ask them if I needed something, they are way too busy! Since I was there with the Hubby, one of us could stay in the room and the other could walk down to the cafe...