My Life as an Asthma Mom

     Isn't it crazy that we are still using the same delivery device for epinephrine? Auto injectors. Can't they develop a new way for us to get epinephrine? There are two options in the works. One is an oral film, and one is a nose spray. Oral Film  The oral film just received "Fast Track" designation from the FDA.   A press release says : "U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to AQST-109, the first and only orally delivered epinephrine-based product candidate for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis." The film will be about the size of a postage stamp and will go under the tongue. It will dissolve immediately (no water needed, and it doesn't need to be swallowed.) How cool is that? I don't know about you, but carrying a twin pack of auto-injectors is a pain. I have to carry a large purse for my auto-injectors, inhaler and spacer, plus the assorted mom things (gum, bandaids, t...

  I was just chatting with a group of writers, and we were talking about "gross topics."  Should we write about them or not? Well, if it can help someone feel like they're not alone - why not?! One of those gross topics I brought up is allergies. For those of you with allergies, you may know what I'm talking about.  Mucus (aka Snot)  We all make mucus (and some of us make more than others.....)  And you may make more mucus during certain times of the year.  Spring is always fun for a lot of people. I was recently at a work conference near one of the beautiful national parks. My husband and adult son tagged along so they could go hiking and exploring.  The morning after my conference, we were in the hotel room getting ready for breakfast. My son asked if I was okay? I was a little confused, but then my husband said, "She's fine. She sounds like this all the time." I had blown my nose 4 times before breakfast, and still had a lot of congestion. But I did...

      I was listening to The Today Show while I was getting ready for work. I stopped in my tracks when I heard them talking about Medical Gaslighting.  That was a new term, so I had to listen to see what they were talking about. I have heard of gaslighting before, but not MEDICAL gaslighting. Psychology Today says gaslighting is a form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims are deliberately given false information that leads them to question what they know about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, perception, and sanity.  The Today Show segment focused on how women are not believed when they go to their doctor. Some doctors may not listen to the patient - and instead just chalk up the symptoms to a woman being depressed, anxious, or just fat. New flash - you can be overweight and STILL have medical problems.... One woman was overweight and her doctor repeatedly dismissed her complaints of stomach and back pain. She went through thi...

  As I look back over the last 22 years (when our asthma journey began) all I can think is WOW. How did I make it through all those years?? My introduction to being an asthma mom was having my then 5 year old admitted to the hospital....and then finding out he had asthma. What?! Trying to learn the asthma lingo (what's a controller inhaler, reliever inhaler, spacer, nebulizer and a breathing treatment?!) Trying to make my home allergy & asthma friendly. See ya carpet! Trying to find the right doctor (Asthma Doc definitely managed their asthma differently than the pediatrician!) Hovering to make sure my kids took their controller inhaler every morning and every night   Calling dibs as room parent so I could see what was going on in my kid's classrooms. (Looking for class pets, stinky art projects, or anything else that could set off their asthma.) Volunteering to go on field trips (yeah.....they're not going to the zoo or state fair without me. I KNOW my son or daughte...

  Is it OK to ask my doctor for a different inhaler?  Well....the short answer is yes.  Don't like your inhaler? Want to try a different kind? It's perfectly OK to ask your doctor about that! Some organizations are trying to encourage doctors to slow down and listen to patients preferences. And part of that is deciding WITH your doctor what is best for you. Shared Decision Making  Allergy & Asthma Network and CHEST have created a tool that allows clinicians and patients to work together to find the best treatment.  The patient tells the doctor their preferences, and the doctor figures out their labs and bio markers.  That helps them figure out the best medicine for their asthma.  They say: "Targeted therapies + shared decision = personalized medicine" Here's an example of what you fill out as a patient Pretty easy, right?  Having a say in what inhaler you take for your asthma is important.  If you don't like it, you won't use it - right?...

 This is one of those words that can strike fear in people  Mold For those of you who have had mold in an apartment or home, I get it. I do.  I had black mold in my first two homes.   I've attended many in-depth trainings for my environmental health job. And I now help other families with evidence based interventions. (And a few stories about our experiences thrown in.) Here are some basic things I learned along the way: Health Effects of Mold Mold can irritate the throat, lungs, eyes, skin and nose. It can also cause an asthma flare. When we  found black mold in our play room, our daughter had just been discharged from the hospital after a battle with pneumonia.  Can I link it to the mold? Maybe? You don't need to "test for mold"  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says: "In most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary." When we had mold in our first home (20 years ago), the disaster cleanup company wouldn't allo...

  It seems weird that the Winter Olympics are starting in February. Didn't we just have the Summer Olympics?! Oh right....the Summer Olympics were postponed for a year due to the pandemic.  Some people wonder if athletes can compete at the Olympic level if they have asthma. Can someone with asthma be the Best in the World at their sport?  Well.........Yes! About 8% of Olympic Athletes have asthma. That's the same percentage of the general population. So if they can compete on a world level, there's no excuse for us not taking a walk around the block, right? Asthma Triggers for Athletes Exercise Induced Asthma (EIA) or Exercise Induced Bronchospasm (EIB) is a common asthma trigger in athletes, so that can make it extra hard to train for the Olympics. They train for HOURS every day, day after day, year after year. It must be hard battling their exercise trigger. There can also be other asthma triggers that Olympic athletes have to deal with (that their competitors don't...