My Life as an Asthma Mom

    Needles.  Who really likes them?! I was at the lab getting some blood drawn when the tech asked me if I was okay. I said yes - needles are no big deal. I have had many surgeries, so needles are nothing compared to that!  But many people are REALLY scared of needles.  Years ago, I was at the lab waiting for a blood test, and saw a big, burly construction worker in front of me. Suddenly, I heard a thud and saw that he passed out - face first.  The lab worker was there alone and quickly yelled for me to grab smelling salts. After frantically searching the cupboard, I found them and tossed them to her. She held the smelling salts under his nose and then had me help lift him back into the chair. I was shocked at first, then had to stifle a giggle. Clearly this man had not had many surgeries, nor given birth 3 times...... Most moms have a lot of experience with medical procedures - including needles, epidurals, and c-sections. But you don't needles to treat a...

              We haven't had that many problems when the kids get their weekly allergy shots. Sometimes they can get have a reaction. Usually they just have a small bump that looks like a mosquito bite. But sometimes, they get large welts. This was just the start of my daughter's reaction last week. The spot on the upper photo actually tripled in size, leaving a hard, hot welt on her arm. It's important to let the doctor's office know if you have a reaction like that. The next week when you get your shots, they will reduce the amount of serum in the injection. Then you will have to slowly build back up again to your normal level. Shot Nurse taught each of my kids to tell her how big the size of their bump was after shots. She asks if it was the size of a penny or quarter (or bigger!) My daughter's welt was half the size of a dollar bill last week. Ask your doctor what he wants you to do if you have a large welt. We usually put Bendadryl cream on the ar...