My Life as an Asthma Mom

       I was in a cooking class this week with a group of friends. We were listening to the chef tell us about his experience cooking for other people (including famous people and several US presidents!)  We were chatting about food allergies and he said:  “I hate it when people come here with food allergies.” For once in my life, I had a snappy come back! (Don't you hate it when you think of something the next day that you "should have said"?) I quickly replied:    “ Well, I hate trying to find a safe place to eat!”  That didn’t seem to phase him, so I said  “Did you know that from ingestion to death, it can be as little as 30 minutes?!”   (Graphic from Allergy & Asthma Network ) He seemed surprised to hear that My cooking group went on to tell him that he really needed to have a epinephrine auto injectors in his cooking school  - just in case  He said that that "No. I don't have to do that. The people coming to ...

  As I round the corner at the store, I am surprised to see aisles filled with school supplies.  Is it that time already?! My kids are too old to worry about Back to School time.  But when they were little....it was VERY important to me.  In fact - I would try to be the first parent at Back To School Night so I could sign up as Room Parent.  Was I in to planning class parties? Field trips? Decorating the teacher's door for Teacher Appreciation Week?  Not really... As a mom to three kids with asthma, I was always worried. Their asthma was hard to control, even Asthma Specialist was puzzled. My two youngest kids ended up in the hospital 12 times (2 ICU's) So I was always on edge. I couldn't just send them off to school each day and relax.  I wouldn't go too far from home. I would try to run quick errands, but would sometimes get calls from the school that one of my kids was having an attack. I would have to leave my grocery store in the middle of the ais...

  Don't you hate it when you get sick, and people say, "Are you STILL sick?!"  My friends with asthma won't ever say that....they know better! They know that when we get sick, it lasts about a month.  It's people who DON'T have asthma who can't figure why we are still sick. Normal People (no asthma) when they are sick Those without asthma are usually sick for a day or two - a week at the most. They are annoyed thanks to a stuffy or runny nose, and sneezing. And they might use a little sleep here and there. Then they're back at school or work and carrying on with normal life. People with asthma when they are sick  While our friends or family members have recovered, our misery is just starting. At the one week mark, most of us with asthma are still Best Friends with our nebulizer, and we're doing breathing treatments every 4 hour around the clock. Hello 2am Breathing Buddy! And we're coughing so hard we are about to pull a muscle in our rib cage...

  I am one of those people who can never have enough plants.  I go to the grocery store with my list.....but always swing by the plant section. You know - just in case they have a plant I don't have yet 😉 So when I was in DC for work, I just had to stop by the US Botanical Garden . I was planning on spending hours in there. I felt like a kid in a candy store!  I entered the main floor, and could feel my stress melt away. My job is very stressful (chronically) so I needed a little recharge for my soul.  It was humid inside, but not too bad. It's what I expected from a giant sized greenhouse. The tropical plants and meandering stream reminded me of Hawaii. I was a little worried about the heat and humidity, but my lungs seemed to be okay.  Did you know that heat and humidity can trigger an asthma attack?    Sigh.  I noticed a 2nd floor in the greenhouse and couldn't resist a stroll through the tree tops. As I stepped off the elevator, I could feel...

 I'm a little slow in posting this, but May is Allergy & Asthma Awareness Month!  My family had the privilege of attending Allergy & Asthma Day on Capitol Hill, in Washington DC, sponsored by Allergy & Asthma Network.    Did you know that your representatives aren't experts in all areas of life? They rely on hearing from their constituents. Most of the aides we spoke to didn't know anything about allergies or asthma, and how our lives can be impacted by it.  So I share stats about allergies and asthma, and my family shares stories about when they were in the hospital for asthma (12 times) and how scary it can be. We are hoping that sharing our story and those of others will help our reps understand what the allergy and asthma community needs.   I know that I am in a position where I can advocate for those of you who couldn't attend in person. But - good news! You can use social media and tag your reps! (It's not as scary as it sounds!) Allergy ...

     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...