My Life as an Asthma Mom

  With a family of 5 (4 with asthma) we often had a hard time affording our asthma inhalers.  We couldn't afford the copay for my son's pricey asthma biologic and I didn't know what to do. Somehow I found NeedyMeds.   This is NOT a sponsored post, I'm just sharing a resource I found with others who are also struggling to pay for prescriptions.  The NeedyMeds website changes often and is a one stop shop to find:  Coupons, rebates, or co-pay help for medicine  Affordable medical clinics, dental clinics, behavioral health clinics, or substance use disorder clinics  Education about your disease     The website was hard for me to figure out, so I'm sharing what I learned  Finding help paying for prescriptions    This is the main page for NeedyMeds   Then I click on "Savings" on the top bar which takes me to "Search Drugs"      You can search by Brand Name Drug - or Generic Drug    For ...

  As a mom to three adult kids with asthma, the one piece of advice I would give other moms is to trust your gut.  If you think something is wrong with your child, something probably is.  I know my child better than any doctor does. They are brilliant when it comes to their medical knowledge about asthma, but my child may not fit a text book explanation.  Two kids in the hospital at the same time  There were numerous times I would take one of my kids to the pediatrician because they were sick and their cough sounded TERRIBLE! If you have kids with asthma, you know what I'm talking about.  One time, Middle Son was very sick. He was taking his daily, controller (anti-inflammatory) inhaler twice a day, was taking oral steroids, and he was still getting worse.  I had taken him to the pediatrician to listen to my son's lungs. Pediatrician said it was "just a virus" and we had to let it take it's course.  I knew something else was going on. I had a hunc...

  Have you heard of "Asthma Peak Week"?  Asthma Peak Week happens the 3rd week of September every year.   What is Asthma Peak Week? There are more asthma flares, ER visits, and children hospitalized with asthma during the 3rd week of September than any other time of year.  Weird, right?  You might think the worst time of year for asthma flares and asthma hospital visits is  in the winter, during flu season. But - its right after school starts.    Doctors and hospitals noticed this trend happening the 3rd week of every year, and it's so common that researchers have studied it and it's well documented.    They dubbed it Asthma Peak Week.    So Why is the 3rd Week of September Asthma Peak Week? Many kids go back to school in September (or August in some states).  There are many things that seem to converge at the same time kids go back to school.  Environmental triggers such as: weather changes  fall pollen (ra...