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...

I picked up a Reader's Digest to read yesterday and found an article about allergies. I thought I had read it all and seen it all, but the first line of the article has me laughing! It said: "When the sounds of birds chirping instantly trigger a runny nose, you know your allergies are bad. " They had a few simple ideas from the article and the show "The Doctors" Avoid going outside during high pollen times-5 am to 10 am. Avoid windy days. Use a HEPA filter in your vacuum, air conditioning and heating system (otherwise, you can just spread around the dust and pollen) Try switching allergy medications if yours makes you drowsy. The article says Zyrtec, Allegra and Claritin may help you feel more alert. They also say to take it at night, so you sleep through some of the drowsy side effects. Try allergy eye drops and nasal sprays instead of a pill. Use a sinus rinse, my doctor recommends a Neti Pot . The article didn't mention an important ide...

      Allergy shots (immunotherapy) is a great option for a lot of people. Sometimes, even on daily allergy medicine, it doesn't relieve your symptoms. You or your kids may still be sneezing and wheezing. To be tested for allergies, you must stop all allergy medicine for a week before the test so the antihistamine doesn't mask the results.    Usually, the office will pick an off - season time for the testing. The first time we tried allergy testing, Son #1 couldn't go a whole week without an antihistamine. He actually broke out in hives because his allergies were so bad, so we scheduled the next try for November. The kids start by laying on their stomach while our Wonderful Shot Nurse starts the test. She marks multiple rows and columns on the kids back with pen, that shows her where to administer the serum. It's not a needle, but a sharp scratch on the back that introduces the serum under the skin.    The kids need to lay still for 20 minutes - not ea...