Stocking Up on Supplies for Asthma

It's March, and instead of thinking about March madness, we are worried about asthma supplies.

My friends are all posting pictures of empty store shelves. People are panicked about running out of food and water (and toilet paper!) 

I'm not sure if people realize that you can still turn on the tap and water will come out? This isn't a natural disaster like a tornado or hurricane - infrastructure will still work! 

My worry is running out of asthma meds for the nebulizer. 

With a family of 5, 4 of whom have asthma, we take precautions around sick people, avoid germs, and stock up on asthma meds ALL THE TIME!

Welcome to our world!

We are in that small percentage of people who get REALLY sick with respiratory infections. In fact, my kids have been in the hospital 12 times. Thanks asthma. 

For the past 20 years, we have used alcohol wipes, hand sanitizer and hand wipes. We wash our hands so often that we run through a LOT of soap.

We walk out of movie theaters, church, and other social gatherings where someone is coughing and sneezing. 

We use paper towels to open the bathroom door in buildings, use our sleeve or paper towel to touch the hand rail, etc etc.

When the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) starting spreading, the first thing I check on was how much Albuterol we have for the nebulizer. I was excited to see that we have 2 boxes. 2!

And we have a bottle of prednisone. Oral steroids are not our first line of defense - we all take daily, controller inhalers to control the swelling in our lungs. But sometimes, when we are sick with a respiratory infection, we have to take oral steroids to get the swelling down in our lungs. 

This is a last resort. as it has some nasty side effects. But - it keeps us alive, so that's always a bonus.

If you have asthma, do you have enough medications to get by if you are sick? Your daily controller inhaler? Rescue inhaler? Medicine vials for the nebulizer? Extra canister kits for the nebulizer?

Tissues? Fever reducing medicine? Lozenges?

Take stock of what you have and ask your doctor if you should get refills - just in case!

My adult children come home frequently to visit, and still call me when they are REALLY sick. That's just My Life as an Asthma Mom.