My Life as an Asthma Mom

This is one of those scary decisions as a parent of a child with asthma. I should know - my kids were in the hospital 12 times. Can I tell you how much I hate pneumonia? And smoke from forest fires? Those caused all of my kid's hospitalizations. So, when do you know if it's time to take a child to the emergency room? Nemours Hospital, says you should watch for these Emergency Signs: "Your child has constant wheezing Your child uses quick relief medicines (also called rescue or fast-acting medicines) repeatedly for severe flare-up symptoms that don't go away after 15-20 minutes or return again quickly Your child has a lasting cough that doesn't respond to inhaled quick-relief medicine There are changes in your child's color, like bluish or gray lips and fingernails Your child has trouble talking and can't speak in full sentences The area below the ribs, between the ribs, and in the neck visibly pull in during...

I'm one of those really uncoordinated people. In fact, I joke that I can't walk and chew gum at the same time.  I used to be graceful - I was a dancer and ice skater when I was young. But, the older I get the clumsier I am. Of course, that could be that my eyes are getting worse as I'm getting older! These days, it's not uncommon for me to round a corner and hit my leg or toe on the kitchen cabinet or furniture. I also have fallen UP the stairs. Anyone can fall DOWN the stairs, but it takes talent to fall UP the stairs! So, enter my bruise covered legs. Most of the time, I don't notice it. But sometimes if I wear a skirt at work, someone will say, "Where did you get those bruises?!" And most of the time - I have no idea! Once in a while, it will really hurt when I hit my leg on something (like when I was trying to pull my suitcase off the conveyor belt at the airport before the cranky TSA agent yelled at me because I was taking too...

It's that time of year again, where the flu is making the rounds. I always worry about getting the flu, because it can be especially bad for people with asthma.  Any cold or flu can be worse when you have asthma.  And I am already hearing about people dying from the flu. In fact, a young (and I assume healthy) 29 year old female lawyer died of the flu in October. And there was no mention of that she had asthma. Last year, The Hubby got the flu. Even though I had quarantined The Hubby to our bedroom, was cleaning everything with bleach wipes, and I was sleeping on the couch to try to avoid the germs, I got sick anyway.  I was at work and felt a little tickle in my throat, so I used my inhaler. As the day went on, my lungs started to burn. That was unusual because I didn't have a runny nose, and I wasn't coughing or sneezing. I didn't feel sick. But my lungs just started to burn-  and it quickly got worse.  That's unusual for me,...