My Life as an Asthma Mom

If you have been wondering why I haven't created any new articles lately....look closely at the graphic.  This is why.  It was my first ambulance ride, and hopefully my last.  I had a bad fall that left me with a broken leg, and a broken arm (both on the right side.) I couldn't put any weight on my right leg and needed surgery since I shattered my right arm.  After a few days in the hospital, I had no choice but to be transferred to a skilled nursing facility.  I spent two months doing physical therapy with a the rest of the patients, who were all in their 70's and 80's.  We spent a lot of time commiserating about injuries. And I learned how to propel myself backwards in my wheelchair with my one good leg.  It was the longest two months of my life, and I would love to forget it. However, the large scar on my right arm won't let me forget it. And I'm still in a wheelchair and re-learning how to walk.  Accidents affecting asthma It wasn't enough to ...

  The U.S. is a mix of disasters.  The South has been hit by two destructive hurricanes in a few weeks time, Helena and Milton. Milton was called a once in a 1,000 year hurricane.  Homes have been washed away, and the death toll is over 200, and families are devastated. In the West, they are continuing with a drought, record high temperatures (close to 100 degrees in October), and continuing wildfires. There is a wildfire near me, and it's over 20,000 acres and causing evacuations.  In October.  Instead of snuggling under a blanket and sipping hot chocolate while we eat apple cider donuts, we are sitting in front of the air conditioner  What is happening with this crazy weather? The Dangers of Wildfire Smoke  According to the CDC, wildfire smoke can cause: Coughing and wheezing  Trouble breathing Asthma attacks Stinging eyes, scratchy throat and runny nose  Headaches Fatigue Chest pain Fast heartbeat Wildfire smoke doesn't follow city, ...

  2024 Social Health Award Winners    Every year, advocates from around the country are recognized for their hard work during the Social Health Awards. Before winners are chosen, they go through online voting for their category, followed by three rounds of judging.  Some of the nominees advocate for a disease they have, others advocate on behalf of family.  These are the 2024 winners, a few family members, and staff from Health Union.  I was shocked when they announced my name.  In fact, I was yelling so loudly (I won! I won! I won???? Are you sure????) that I had to exit a tram at the top of a mountain.  Good thing I was able to get off the tram before it started down the mountain. No one would want to ride with the crazy lady.  My award validated the work I have been doing in asthma education since 2009. This group of winners advocates in a variety of ways, such as:   Coordinate support groups Make reels for TikTok and Instagram ...

 What is the September Asthma epidemic? During the 3rd week of September, asthma hospitalizations spike. In fact, it's the highest time of the year for asthma hospitalizations. You may have thought it was in the middle of winter - during flu season. But it's the 3rd week of September.   What causes the September Asthma Epidemic? There are many causes: Back to school  - instead of spending time outdoors, kids are back inside Unventilated classrooms - rooms are usually small with many kids and bad ventilation.That makes it easy for germs to spread   Animal dander - kids with asthma can have asthma attacks when other students come to school with cat and dog dander on their clothing. This happened to my son in 2nd grade and he had to start allergy shots (we couldn't ask the classmates to get rid of their pets -  that would have gone over well. So we had to protect my son with allergy shots.) Fall allergies - ragweed and chenopods are in bloom. And outdoor mo...

  Now that the Olympics are over, my social media feed is full of pictures of little kids going back to school.  Awww. I remember those days!  My kids are all adults now, but I remember buying school supplies, shoes, and clothes. But the most important thing was making sure my kids with asthma were are safe at school.  1. Meet the teachers  Back in the day, I was always the first one in the classroom to talk to my kid's teachers. I would let her know that my kids have severe asthma and have been in the hospital many times. (By this point, all of the teachers knew me  - and my kids....) 😬 I would give the teacher my cell number and tell her to call me if my child was having an asthma attack. I always gave them a handout about the signs and symptoms of asthma. I offered to train the staff with a short training "What To Do if a Student Has an Asthma Attack", but they didn't have time 2. Check in with the school nurse  I was on a first name basis with the...

  Is anyone excited to watch the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics? I'll be tuned in to watch the athletes - and hope to catch lots of views of my favorite city!  I've been watching the Olympic Trials and wonder if those athletes are super human. The Olympics Motto is: "Faster, Higher, Stronger" Those athletes seem super human - but they're not.  Olympic Athletes with Asthma    Did you know that asthma is the most common chronic condition among elite Olympic athletes? Did you know that 16.5% of Olympic athletes have asthma?  That's double the rates for the average American (8.3% of adults have asthma). Some researchers say that rates of elite athletes with asthma is as high as 55%!  All sports are different, but endurance sports seem to have the highest number of athletes with asthma  (biathlon and cross country skiers, rowing, swimming, and cycling.) The Olympic athletes can also have other conditions, like rhinitis (runny nose, congestion...

If there is one thing I REALLY hate, it's wildfires (and especially wildfire smoke.) Years ago, my Middle Son ended up in the ICU thanks to a nearby wildfire.The smoke filled the valley, and also filled his lungs.   Later, our state was full of California's wildfire smoke. I live thousands of miles away - but smoke doesn't stop at state lines.  I was caught outside when the smoke rolled into the valley and despite starting breathing treatments (and taking my daily, controller inhalers), I ended up in the ER with a bad asthma flare.   In the 2023, the East Coast of the U.S. was inundated with wildfire smoke from Canada.   It can literally happen anywhere and affect anyone. How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke  Stay indoors  Keep windows and doors closed at all times  Make sure your HVAC filter is clean so it can filter the outside air If driving, use the "recirculating air" setting on your car's AC Use air cleaners in your home So...

  We are nearing the end of Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month.  I have spent most of my time sharing stats and info on My Life as an Asthma Mom on FB, Instagram and Twitter.    I have shared graphics about asthma such as:  " Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children In a typical class of 30 students, 3 will have asthma. Do you know how to help a student with an asthma attack? I helped plan this webinar with Dr. Dave Stukus called "What To Do if a Student Has an Asthma Attack" . It's helpful for school staff or others that work with children"   I have also created graphics about seasonal allergies: "Are you one of the 81 million that has seasonal allergies? Our family of 5 has allergies year round. I stock up on allergy nose spray, allergy pills, and tissues with lotion. All 3 of my kids have already had years of allergy shots, so that has helped. Have you tried allergy shots for your seasonal allergies?"   And I also include graphi...

 There are the basic symptoms of an asthma attack:  Coughing Wheezing Shortness of Breathe  Chest Tightness  But there are EARLY warning signs of an asthma attack - before you get to those symptoms.  Tickle in the Throat  A Tickle in the Throat is one of those early warning asthma symptoms that many people don't know about. This has happened to me all my life.  My throat will feel twitchy or tickle. I feel like I need to swallow or chew a piece of gum and maybe that will help.  Then it dawns on me - I am starting an asthma attack.  The same thing happens to my 3 kids (who also have asthma.) They are all adults now, but when they were little, they were admitted to the hospital a total of 12 times. 2 of those hospital admission were for the ICU (Intensive Care Unit.) They also have the "tickle in the throat" early warning sign.  In fact, Son #2 sent a picture of himself using his nebulizer. I asked if he was sick and he said  he fel...

  Sometimes allergies are so severe that no amount of allergy nose spray or allergy pills can help.  For our family, Allergy Doc recommended allergy shots when despite all the medicine we took, we were still had: Sneezing (Daughter could sneeze 30 times in a row.... not kidding) Runny nose Congestion  Itchy throat or eyes  Interrupted sleep due to symptoms  Asthma attacks caused by allergies  We also made our house allergy & asthma friendly.   Yet we all still struggled with allergies, so all three of my kids had allergy shots for 5 years.  Fast forward 15 years, and college aged Daughter said her allergies were back with a vengeance. In fact, it felt like she had not had allergy shots.  Her allergy scratch test on her back ended with a back covered in welts. Even new Allergy Doc was surprised. She said previous Allergy Doc may have mixed a weaker serum.  It was clear that Daughter needed to repeat allergy shots, since her allergies...

It seems like all Congress does lately is fight. They don't seem to get any actual work done as neither side can agree on legislation.  But it was interesting to see that the Senate Health, Education and Labor (HELP) committee was investigating high price inhalers. In January, the HELP committee had contacted all 4 manufacturers of inhalers to ask why inhalers cost so much more in the US than they do in other countries. They gave a few examples: Advair costs $319 in the U.S. - but only $26 in the U.K. QVAR costs $286 in the U.S. - but only $9 in Germany. Combivent Respimat costs $489 in the U.S. – but only $7 in France.   In March, AstraZeneca announced it was lowering out of pocket costs to $35 (starting in June.) If you use any of these inhalers, they will cost less out of pocket when summer comes.  Also in March, Boehringer Ingelheim announced it was lowering out of pocket costs to $35, (also starting in June.)   These inhalers will also cost ...

    How could a fall possibly affect asthma? You might be surprised.  I had a bad fall last week and was injured enough that I needed to go to Urgent Care.   I was in a lot of pain and noticed that I was breathing hard and fast. From teaching asthma education for the last 15 years, I know that an asthma trigger can be strong emotions (such as anger, laughing, crying, surprise, fear, anxiety, etc) I was fearful that I had broken my arm and would need a cast. I knew that if I didn’t get my breathing under control, I would have an asthma attack. So I focused on belly breathing (which is similar to yoga breaths) to calm down my breathing and relax a little bit. Years ago, I taught Open Airways classes at local elementary schools. The six week workshops are short lessons designed to help kids learn about their asthma and how to control it. During one of the modules, I would teach kids how to belly breathe if they were having a hard time with their asthma....