My Life as an Asthma Mom

  Summer has flown by and I realized that Independence Day is just around the corner. That means wearing anything I can find that is red, white or blue. Then going to the annual parade, and watching fireworks. Normally, we just watch aerial fireworks from a nearby city celebration. We found a great spot overlooking the valley, and we can see the fireworks perfectly.  But since we are a few miles away, we don't have to worry about the smoke.  This year, we moved into a new neighborhood. The new neighbors were telling us about an annual  4th of July tradition. They hold a neighborhood BBQ, parade for the kiddos, and end the night with a "Cul de sac of Fire." Hhhmm. I was okay until they mentioned fireworks. They make me VERY worried. Smoke from fireworks landed Son #2 in ICU when he was 8 years old, and it was one VERY scary time for us.  So, I am very worried about fireworks and smoke. Not only do I worry about Son #2, but I also have 2 other ...

There comes a time when you realize that you taught your kids well and they actually LISTENED to what you said! As a Mom with asthma, who has 3 adult children with asthma, our life is always changing. We all have different asthma triggers, and we try to avoid our triggers as much as we can. In fact, when Daughter Kitty was young, she loved horses. So, she started riding lessons. But, she kept having a LOT of problems with her allergies while she was riding. Those allergies would trigger an asthma attack. The arena where she took lessons was a long drive from our house. So, she would take her allergy and asthma medicine, but then still have problems while she was riding. She would change her shirt to try to get most of the dirt and horse dander off before we drove home. But she would still be sneezing, wheezing, and coughing. So, we ended those lessons. Now she is older, and two of her high school buddies also love horses and work at a barn. Which is fabulous...

What is "stock albuterol?"  Well, that means schools can "stock" (or store) an albuterol inhaler in school - in case someone has an emergency.  Shouldn't everyone have their own inhaler? Well, in a perfect world, yes. Inhalers are small and can be easily lost, left at home, or even expire before they are empty. I have heard many stories of families that can't afford an inhaler, so 3 or 4 kids are sharing one inhaler at school. Or sometimes mom takes the inhaler to work, and if the school nurse calls her, she will take the inhaler to the school for her child to use. They family shares 1 inhaler between mom or dad's office and the school. I don't know about any of you, but I had moments of panic when I couldn't find my inhaler - even though I KNEW it was in my purse. This is why there are stock inhalers in schools. 11 states allow schools to stock albuterol inhalers. Is your state one of the lucky states? You can check the graph...

School is out for summer in most states, and that means emptying out the backpack your kids have been carrying around all year (how long has THAT been in there?)   As you empty out their backpacks, make sure you check for their asthma inhaler.   Some kids will have an inhaler at home and another one at school. Sometimes you can forget about the inhaler at school.    Older kids usually carry their inhalers in their backpacks, but the younger kids might have theirs stored in the teacher's desk.   By the way, did you know it's legal in every state in American for kids to carry their inhaler with them at school? American Lung Association says:   "Although all 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed a law allowing students to carry and use inhalers at school, some kids are still being denied access to these lifesaving medications during the school day. "   When my kids were little, I would fill out a pe...

Well, as though this year wasn't bad enough, I am sick with bronchitis (again) - 4th time since November. What's going on? Well, I've been traveling - and airplanes and airports are some of the germiest places you can be. For anyone who regularly reads my blog, you know that I am a germaphobe. However, my husband (who likes to come along on my work trips if I'm going to a cool city) isn't a germaphobe. I can easily go through a whole package of antibacterial hand wipes during a 4 day trip. That nasty tray on the airplane? It's getting wiped down before I have my pretzels and Coke! Think it's not that dirty? CNN has a slide show called "Journeys with Germs" What are the dirtiest things on the airplane?"  You might be surprised!   Think of everything else you touch - door knobs, elevator buttons, the TV remote in the hotel.  I use the antibacterial wipes like a mad woman. And follow it up with hand sanitizer. T...

If you are having a miserable time this spring, then join the club!  Want to know where your city ranks? Are they one of the top 2018 Allergy Capitals? Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) just released their Allergy Capitals Spring 2018. They rank the 100 largest American cities every years. The Hubby and I and all 3 kids have allergies, and we are miserable all spring and summer. In fact, at 11:30 last night, 2 of my kids were in a panic because they were out of their allergy medicine! They are NOT going to have a fun day today.... Where does YOUR city rank for allergies? AAFA says: "The top five most challenging places to live with spring allergies this year are:" "1. McAllen, Texas 2. Louisville, Kentucky    3. Jackson, Mississippi 4. Memphis, Tennessee 5. San Antonio, Texas" What do they look at when deciding which cities make the list?   Allergy medication usage (we personally keep the wareh...

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Allergy & Asthma Network Asthma Blogger Summit. Thanks Tonya and Allergy & Asthma Network.     Who is Allergy & Asthma Network? "Allergy & Asthma Network is the leading nonprofit organization whose mission is to end the needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions through outreach, education, advocacy and research." A big part of what they work on is advocacy.    What is advocacy? It's talking to your legislators about important topics for allergies and asthma. As you can see from the slide, there are several things Allergy & Asthma Network are working on: Safe, effective and affordable medication Affordable and high-quality healthcare and insurance coverage Nurses in all K-12 public schools Appropriate funding for allergy & asthma health and research programs Access to innovative therapies and technologies to advance medica...