My Life as an Asthma Mom

We were so excited to wake up to snow on Christmas morning. Snow storms have been few and far between for our beautiful mountains. In fact, it seems like the weather is different from when I grew up.  And even 20 years ago, when I had my last child, winter was different. I can remember snowstorms that were so bad that they cancelled church. (This has never happened before or since then!) And I live in an area where everyone has 4 wheel drive SUV's, snow tires, and chains for the canyons. But there was so much snow, they were also shutting down roads! So even though we only had a few inches of snow on Christmas Eve, I was happy. But my lungs were not. Are cold temperatures one of your asthma triggers? When I head to my car for my morning commute, my lungs call out "Uncle!" until I get to my nice, warm office. Repeat on my commute home. Asthma lungs can be notoriously cranky. Our lungs like the same temperatures and humidity level. Not ...

Yeah, I know - awful title. But as a full time working mom, that's how I feel. I don't get time off during the holidays, only the actual day itself (Christmas Day, New Years Day). Any other time I want to take off cuts into my precious vacation time. And I'm saving that up for the beach! It seems like Moms have a lot on their plates. We coordinate: Office parties and gift exchanges Neighborhood parties and gift exchanges Neighbor gifts Family gifts Decorating the tree Decorating the rest of the house Supervising the Hubster while he puts up lights outside (he has a habit of falling off ladders and injuring himself....) Baking  Baking Baking Watching Christmas movies Sending out Christmas Cards Just writing this list is making me tired! And stressed.    And there's always the "trying not to get sick" game during the holidays. Everywhere I go, people are coughing and sneezing. We wash our hands constantly and use hand sanitizer...

              This is one of those phrases that I hear quite a bit from people - "My inhaler isn't working."  Well, inhalers don't "stop working". It's usually "User Error." I love this term because I often have computer problems at work and my colleague (who is the Tech Queen) teases me that it's probably User Error - and it usually is!  I may not be a whiz on computers and software, but I am on inhalers. One of the most common things I see when I help families is that they aren't using their inhaler correctly.  In fact, 92% of people do NOT use their inhaler correctly. Yep, 92%!  Why? Well, there is a dizzying array of inhaler devices now. Some are MDI's (Metered Dose Inhalers), some are DPI's (Dry Powder Inhalers), and some are a soft mist inhaler. That could be part of the reason people have a tough time with using their inhaler the right way. There are so many different types of inhalers. ...

I know Mom Guilt is a real thing. My kids are all adults now, but I remember feeling really guilty about a lot of things when they were little.  (I still do now!) In fact, it started when I was expecting. Back in the 90's, I remember all the things the doctor warned me not to do. He said I had to limit caffeine (he even said to limit chocolate!) I couldn't have unwashed produce, had to be careful with lunch meat and soft cheeses and couldn't take ibuprofen.   I don't drink or smoke, so that wasn't a worry. But I also made sure to exercise every day and try to get enough sleep. I also breastfed my kids for the first year to give them a good immune system.  My life was turned upside down 20 years ago when the kids and I were all diagnosed with asthma, and I am surprised by all the dumb things I have read that seem to blame moms! I read a news article years ago that said if pregnant moms are exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMF's), it ...

I was on a call with a group of nurses, when one of them mentioned something about using the "float test" to see if an inhaler was full.  I had just been listening to the call up to that point, but knew I HAD to say something. As a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C), I am ethically bound to make sure people have correct information. And - to correct any misinformation.  And that included the float test.  What is the "float test?" Well, decades ago (literally), inhalers didn't have counters on them, so it was hard to know how many puffs were left.  So, people were supposed to take the metal canister out of the holder, and put it in water to see if it floats. The idea was that if floated, it was supposed to be empty. But a study from the National Institutes of Health way back in 2002 said that: "Float characteristics are product-specific and a function of canister size, design, content, and method of testing. Clinician...

I was talking to a young mom the other day, and she said "It must be nice to have college aged kids, now you don't have to worry about them." If she only knew that parenting doesn't end when your kids go to college! I hope I have taught my kids everything they should know.  I hope they are managing their asthma, allergies and food allergies.  But as a parent, you still get those phone calls. "I feel like I have pneumonia again, I think I need to go to Urgent Care."  "I hurt my hand at work, what do I do?" Health Center on campus   Both universities my kids attend have medical clinics for students and faculty. And they are cheap! A co-pay for a visit was only $10. They have medical care and mental health services (if you have kids in college, you know how stressful it can be for them and how many kids have anxiety and/or depression.) During the campus tour, I made sure I pointed out the clinic to my kids, and that if...

This follows under "My Asthma Doc is a genius!" I learned so many things from him over the last 19 years since my kids and I were all diagnosed with asthma and allergies.  In fact, we REALLY miss him since he retired :( My kids are all college aged now, but when they were little, we had a tough time controlling their asthma - especially with Son #2. He was in the hospital 8 times (2 of those were ICU.)  Asthma Doc had tried everything he could think of. In fact, he was thinking about sending us to National Jewish Hospital in Denver to see if they could figure out how to treat my son. (They specialize in respiratory care.) Asthma Doc asked us many questions about our home - such as: Does anyone smoke? Is there mold in our home? Do we have pets? Do we have carpet or wood floors? Do we have a fireplace? Do we burn scented candles or scented plug ins? Does our son sleep in a bunk bed? I have to admit I was a little puzzled when he asked about...

We are going to have a full moon again tonight, only today is Friday the 13th, so it's supposed to be extra spooky! I didn't think much about the full moon until I was talking with a friend (who is a GREAT yoga instructor!) She always gives a short massage or positive thought at the end of yoga. One thing she said was that our bodies are like a full moon. Sometimes we are definitely "full" and feeling great! You know the days - coworkers are getting along, no one is fighting at home, dinner turns out great and you have lots of energy. And then there are days when we are like the moon - when it's just a sliver (usually called the crescent moon.) Those are the days when I want to smash my alarm clock with a shoe. I want to stay in bed and skip work, but I can't. So I hope I can just get through the day at work, go through the drive through for dinner, and then head to bed. And it's the same way with asthma. Some days I don't even ...

Someone just asked me, what's the worst time of year for you with allergies?  Ummmmm....year round. Many people think those with seasonal allergies (hay fever) just have allergies in the spring when the flowers and trees bloom. If only. IF only.... For many of us, fall can be just as miserable. I have woken up coughing several nights this week - which is very unusual for me. That is a sign that my asthma is not well controlled. In fact, Baylor University has an easy way to check if your asthma is controlled.  It's called the Rule of 2: (Baylor University Rule of 2) Since I am now waking up more than 2 times per month, I need to figure out what is going on. I already take a daily, controller inhaler, so that should keep the swelling down in my lungs. Since The Hubster just cleaned and vacuumed our room, I know dust isn't the cause of my asthma attacks. A quick check at the pollen count in my area shows Ragweed, Sage and Chenopo...

I was just watching a new series on a streaming service that highlights Dr. Lisa Sanders work with the New York Times.  In the series, she talks to patients who have "hard to solve medical mysteries." She researchers their medical record, then films a short video of that person explaining what happens to them. Then she puts the story up on the New York Times page. She asks people from all over the world to "crowd source" and help solve the mystery.  People film themselves, and send their diagnosis. Sometimes it's a patient that says something like "This sounds like me - I've had these same symptoms for years and they diagnosed me with _________." Sometimes it's a doctor who says, "I had a patient with these symptoms and we discovered it was ______."  Most of the diseases are really obscure and I have to look it up on my phone to see what they are talking about.  But one episode made me pause the episode - a...

As a Certified Asthma Educator, I often have people ask me if they can have a cat if they have asthma.  Well, it's not up to me to give "permission." And they may not be allergic to cats. But most people with asthma have allergies too.  In fact, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) says that between 65% - 75% of adults with asthma also have allergies. And 60% - 80% of children with asthma also have allergies. For that small percentage of you without allergies..... I am so jealous! All 5 in my family have allergies, and 4 have asthma. And allergies can make our life miserable. For those of us with allergies and asthma, having a pet is difficult. Many parents may veto the kids pleading for a pet. Others may opt to have one.  One of my friends wanted a dog to keep her company, so she had years of allergy shots so she could tolerate her dog. And the dog IS adorable and a lot of company, so well done Asthma Chef!   ...

Well, it's almost Back to School Time. And with all those kids crowded in one classroom, there are bound to be parents who send their kids to school when they are sick. That means lots of germs floating around the classroom.  And kids who don't cover their mouth when they cough and sneeze. And wipe their nose with their hand and then touch everything in the classroom.... Hello germs!  I would always dread Back to School Time because my kids would always get sick at the start of the school year, then I would get sick too (since I also have asthma.) Colds and asthma are not a good mix.  National Jewish Health says that 80% of childhood asthma attacks are caused by colds And 50% of adults suffer asthma attacks from colds Hospitalizations for asthma are so common when school starts that the "September Epidemic of asthma" is known nationwide! And 25% of kids who end up in the hospital for asthma do so in the month of Septembe...