My Life as an Asthma Mom

This is how I felt a few years ago after my basement flooded..... So - where do you start? Before you start cleaning anything, take photos/and or videos for the insurance company.  Check with insurance to see what (if anything) they will cover. Our insurance didn't cover our basement flood because it was caused by a heavy rainstorm which was  "An Act of God. "  If your insurance company will cover it, make sure you save all of your receipts. If the local authorities give you the okay to re-enter your home, experts at University of Minnesota Extension office have a great website with detailed information. I'll highlight a few things here:   Be Safe! Turn off the gas and electricity Gas leaks can be dangerous.  And electricity and water don't mix - so make sure the electricity is turned off. They also recommend wearing rubber boots.   Gear up! Protect yourself from cuts and contaminants by wearing waterp...

                Ask any mom, and she may say she has compassion fatigue. Because moms give and give and get run down.  Compassion Fatigue is a little different. The definition is: "The emotional residue or strain of exposure to working with those suffering from the consequences of traumatic events. It differs from burn-out, but can co-exist. Compassion Fatigue can occur due to exposure on one case or can be due to a “cumulative” level of trauma." For those of you who are regular readers of the blog, you know that I have 3 children, all of whom inherited my allergies and asthma.  And their childhood was full of doctor visits, After Hours Visits, ER visits and hospitalizations. In fact, they ended up in the hospital 12 times when they were little. (I can't tell you how much I hate pneumonia and smoke from forest fires......) Even Asthma Doc struggled to figure out how to control their asthma. He consulted about my ki...

Yep, it's that time of year again. When they start to play the patriotic songs and all of a sudden my allergies flare up and just like that - my eyes start to run. What a coincidence! *Wink Wink * Many people celebrate the 4th of July with parades, BBQ's, a dip in the pool, and end the night with fireworks. Our cul-de-sac has a tradition called the "Cul-de-sac of fire."   And.......we can't go outside.  Why? The LA Times says: ".......U.S. government scientists found that on average, concentrations of fine-particle pollution for the 24-hour period beginning at 8 p.m. on the Fourth of July are 42% higher than on other day s."  Yikes! That's a lot of smoke to be breathing in when you have asthma. But some people may wonder, how bad can it really be? I mean, it's only once a year, right?! "All those extra fine particles in the air concern experts and regulators because they are an especially harmful type ...