My Life as an Asthma Mom

   I was listening to the radio on my commute to work and heard the 2 male hosts discussing when it was okay to let their kids stay home from school,  and how they would treat them. They had opposite views!  Host A said that he would send his kids to school if they were sick (I wanted to reach through the radio and strangle him....) but if they had to stay home, they had to stay in bed and not have any electronics, Netflix, etc. He said he felt like his kids were "faking it." Host B said he would keep his kids home if they were sick (thank you!) and to help them feel better, he  would stop and get ice cream, and shoot off confetti cannons. I like his view MUCH better! As mom to 3 grown kids with asthma, my kids missed a LOT of school when they were little. How do you know if you should send them? I found a blog from Dr. Chad Hayes called "Too Sick for School? Here's Your Guide" He covers 25 different illnesses, including asthma, vom...

http://hcp.qvar.com/ What's new with QVAR? If you are using QVAR now, you know that it's just like other inhalers, it uses a propellant to mix with the medicine and makes a nice little spray for you to inhale. With the new QVAR, it's "breathe actuated". What does that mean? If you have ever taken Advair, Breo, Anora Ellipta or Utibron Neohaler, you know that you usually click the inhaler device to the side, which will load a dose of the powdered medicine , and then you have to inhale it.  With the QVAR RediHaler, it's the same idea - except that it's shaped to LOOK like a regular inhaler (which could be confusing for a lot of people).  I haven't seen one in person yet, but it looks like it works like the ProAir RespiClick. With that rescue inhaler, you will remove the cap - which will click and load the dose, and then you inhale it. It doesn't have a propellant, so you will have to work a little harder to inhale the medicine...

Hats off to New York City for protecting those with asthma! The New York City Council passed The Asthma Free Housing Act, Intro 385 . What does the bill do? WE ACT For Environmental Justice says the bill will: prioritize prevention measures in homes of susceptible persons – those with diagnosed asthma, COPD, or lung cancer; require landlords to inspect for Indoor Allergen Hazards and correct them and their causes using approved methods; require NYC Housing and Preservation Department (HPD) to inspect for Indoor Allergen Hazards and their causes, and issue appropriate violations; require HPD to correct violations for Indoor Allergen Hazards where Landlords fail to do so promptly;  create a system for physician referrals for housing inspections by the City for patients with asthma; and codify safe and effective work practices for remediation of mold hazards. What does your house or apartment have to do with your asthma? A LOT! ...

I saw something on the news last week that I thought was surely a publicity stunt - a "performance artist" who wanted to bring her peacock on the airplane.   Yes, you read that right - a peacock! It seems like there is a big increase in people trying to bring "comfort animals" on airplanes. The thing that is frustrating about this situation is that United Airlines told her 3 different times that she could NOT bring the peacock  - but she came to the airport with it anyway.   Oh puhleeze!   United Airlines since changed it's policy so owners have to 'confirm that the animal can behave in public and that it's up to date on it's shots.'   Here's a quote from a CBS News story:   "United has seen a 75 percent year-over-year increase in customers bringing emotional support animals onboard and has experienced a significant increase in onboard incidents involving these animals," the airline said in a statem...