My Life as an Asthma Mom

  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...

  I was diagnosed with asthma in my 30's, and I thought, "Well, that explains a few things...." My young son was hospitalized with "breathing problems" - and THEN he was diagnosed with asthma. I had suspected my son had asthma after reading an article in a parenting magazine, but the pediatrician said my son did not have asthma, it was "just a virus". It was not.  It was asthma.   When I was learning about asthma after my son's diagnosis, I thought that the signs and symptoms of asthma sounded very familiar. In fact, I had them my whole life, but thought it was normal! Hint: it's not. Common asthma symptoms are: chest tightness  shortness of breath coughing  difficulty breathing  wheezing**  **It's important to know that there are people with asthma who do NOT wheeze (like me).  I have cough variant asthma , and don't wheeze. I have to mention that to the doctor at Urgent Care when I'm sick. Don't listen for wheezing, because y...

Like many of you, I visited family graves during Memorial Day.  As we visited the graves of my dad and other family members who fought in World War II, I shared memories with my family.  My great uncle served in World War II (and suffered lasting consequences which took his life). He was buried near his wife and their four infants.  They had lost all four babies back in the late 1930's and early 1940's due to the HR factor.  Cleveland Clinic says: Rh incompatibility happens when a woman who's RH-negative is pregnant with a baby who is RH-positive. The woman's immune system reacts to this difference and makes antibodies. The antibodies then attack the baby's red blood cells (because the woman's body thinks the RH positive blood cells are an invader It's important to know your blood type BEFORE you become pregnant. If not treated, babies can have hemolytic anemia, liver failure, jaundice or heart failure, which can result in a stillbirth.   Now they hav...