My Life as an Asthma Mom

Do you or a loved one have food allergies? Have they had a severe allergic reaction to a food? You may know about anaphylaxis, but have you heard of "rebound anaphylaxis?" It's also called a "biphasic reaction."  I have heard of it, but didn't think it would happen to me or my adult son.   Anaphylaxis   I have food allergies, as does my Middle Son.   My last post was about my son having anaphylaxis from careless cross contact at a restaurant. (Yes, we reported it to the local health department so a food inspector could pay a visit to the restaurant).  I was so relieved my son recognized the symptoms of anaphylaxis, self injected, and had a roommate rush him to the E.R.  Fast forward 2 weeks, and I received another late night call that my son was having anaphylaxis and was being rushed to the E.R. - again. He was puzzled about what caused this reaction, but wondered if it was a piece of bread he borrowed from a roommate. It was a different brand th...

  I had to laugh when a young mom said, "It must be nice that your kids are adults, because they don't need you anymore." Oh, that sweet, innocent young thing. I told her that once you're a parent, you're a parent for the rest of you life. You don't stop being a parent when your kids turn 18.   Late night phone call   Case in point: I received a late night call from Middle Son, who could barely speak and said that he was having anaphylaxis - and his roommate was driving him to the hospital.  My muscle memory kicked in, and I threw on comfy clothes for a long night/early morning in the ER. I also grabbed my phone charger, allergy free snacks, and a drink.  This isn't my first rodeo.  My kids have been in the ER countless times due to asthma (made worse by RSV, pneumonia, and wildfire smoke). Of course, they would always get worse in the middle of the night. So I knew what to pack for a sudden late night hospital visit.  After a quick chec...

I live in an area that is in a prolonged drought (at least 25 years).  Lakes are literally drying up and we have dust storms and tumbleweeds being blown across the road. Not kidding.  This also means it's a disastrous fire season. So far this year, we've had almost 400 separate fires (most of them human caused), and they have burned over 300,000 square miles. 3 fire fighters were killed in a flash over and 2 were critically injured. Also not kidding.  So it was a relief when local mayors started banning fireworks.  I hate fireworks   Why? Because firework smoke almost killed my son when he was young.  Those of you who have read my posts before know that Son #2 ended up in ICU during one 4th of July weekend - all thanks to smoke from neighborhood fireworks. (You can read more details in another post )  I'm naturally, I'm NOT a big fan of fireworks.  I have also had many asthma attacks from the smoke that's full of heavy metals - and it reaches...

  Have you had an asthma attack and aren't sure what triggered it?   I had an asthma attack out shopping and I have no idea what triggered it. Sometimes, it's a mystery.  Lately, I've had a few asthma attacks in my home office.  I don't have an asthma attack every day at my desk, but often enough that I need to figure out what is making my lungs cranky.  I feel like a detective that is trying to find clues and solve a mystery.   Common asthma triggers There are a LOT of asthma triggers - and they can change over time. A few of the most common are: Pet dander  Pests (mice and cockroaches) Pollen (tree pollen, grass pollen, weeds)  Strong scents (scented candles, essential oils, cleaners, perfumes, etc)  Smoke from cigarettes, vaping or marijuana)  Dust  Acid reflux  Cold, flu, or other infections  There are  many, many asthma triggers. You can see more from AAFA -  Asthma and Allergy Foundation of Americ...