Having another Flare

Just got back from my pulmo and my asthma's flaring up a little from weather (allergens) and minor viral repiratory illness. So, I'm back on prednisone (40 mg taper to 10 over a week) to keep my peak flows from nose diving too much. They've been down in the 60% range and having to take neb treatments to keep them up into the 70% range; but last night and this morning neb treatments weren't popping my numbers up enough, so he's being aggressive and giving me the prednisone. It's pretty much the way I have to be treated when having flare's. My asthma doesn't seem to respond to just added nebs or upping my symbicort. I for whatever reason don't wheeze that much (although I did a lot as a kid), mine is more of chest tightness, short of breath, a TON of tight coughing and sometimes difficulty speaking. My doc is super great...I can get into him really quickly if needed (like today) and he's really aggressive in treating me...we've been down the "not treated aggressively" route times before only for me to end up in the local ER over the weekends or back in his office sicker than before. So he knows now how to handle me. It's great to have a good patient relationship with a doctor!! Anybody else feel the same way??

Back to Reality

I knew the ride of great asthma was not going to last too long......I'm really hoping I'm NOT coming down with the same cold my daughter had/still has. I was out of town when she had a fever while she was with her grandparents. By the time my husband and I got back, she had been fever free for over a day; but, started the typical post nasal drip cough. She thankfully has a great set of lungs and has the typical cough that produces normal amounts of congestion and mostly just a cough from post nasal drip. However, today I've noticed that my peak flow's are slightly down and they had been awesome over the last 2 weeks. That and I've had an "occasional" cough here and there and overall just a sense that my asthma is trying to act up. Any of ya'll get that "feeling"?? Where you know you are not feeling at best, but it's not quite that bad yet. So, we'll see where it goes from here. I'm REALLY hoping it's just allergies and I've avoided her cold, we'll see. It is hard to keep from getting germs when you do have a toddler in the house. It's inevitable!!! Wouldn't trade it in the world though...my daughter is worth all the colds and breathing problems I have!!!!

Back from Vacation

Just got back from a long vacation. Had a blast and my asthma did really well...thankfully. Even better, no hassles from security about my nebulizer....they usually have asked me a bunch of questions, but none this time. We'll see how I hold out now that I'm back because while my husband and I were gone my daughter developed a slight cold. She's feeling much better (my parents watched her while we were gone..they are awesome grandparents for doing that even while she had a fever and all...she was in great hands!)...hopefully I won't develop the same thing and neither will they.

Green Zoning!!

Well, woke up in the green zone this morning...that's been a while since that's happened...probably the rain calming down the pollens in the air. Yea!!! Off to my daughter's ballet class. Hope everybody is having a good Friday.

Nebulizer dilemma??

Hi fellow asthmatics and asthma parents...ok, which nebuilizer do you find works best? My current compressor nebulizer is about 20 years old...yes, it still works, but it is rather large, noisy and just not very practical for me a 30 something Mom of a 2 almost 3 year old. I did break down and buy the Omron MicroAir Mesh type of nebuilizer, but it just takes WAY too long to take a treatment...around 30 min....I don't have 30 minutes to be attached to this thing. I love that it is extremely quiet, lightweight and very portable. I can throw it in my bag and go....but the con of taking 30 min to take a treatment is making me not use it anymore. So, my next step is to get another compressor style nebulizer. I need one that is extremely portable, fast treatment times (10 min or less), quiet and small, some sort of rechargeable battery would be fantastic. It's hard to get everything done as a Mom when you are attached to tubing next to your plug in nebuilizer, my daughter KNOWS this and tries to make the most of it when "Mommy's attached to her medicine". There are a lot out there and if any of ya'll have found one you like, love, or hate, please let me know your thoughts.

Tuesday Morning

Yellow zoning again...woke 68% of my personal best. Taking another neb treatment...feeling much better already. Kinda commical...taking a breathing treatment while making chocolate chip pancakes for my 2 1/2 year old daughter. Hey, you gotta multitask when you have children!!

Busy Weekend

Well, these last several days have been crazy busy for me. Had a couple of events going on, one outside. My asthma did really well. Took a pre-outside neb treatment (i take a neb combo of ipatromium and albuterol), and allergy meds and I did really well. Next morning a little tight, but not too bad. Pretty much been in my mid to upper yellow zone these last several mornings, heck, most of the month. I'm pretty used to it. I think mainly until allergy season passes and it's summertime, these are how my days will be. Definitely doing much better than last year. Last year by this time...I had been in and out of the ER's about 3 times (in about 4 months) by now and had to be on IV solumedrol to stop the attacks. So, in comparison, this year seems to be doing much better. ..no ER trips so far!!! My pulmo and I changed my treatment plan last spring and we are more aggressive now. I know my family is greatful, especially my 2 almost 3 year old. It's pretty sad that my own daughter knows "mommy's cough", when I'm back visiting my doc and she's in the waiting area with her grandma. Hope this year's allergy season isn't too rough for everybody! I'm just greatful my daughter isn't showing any signs of asthma...she's got a good set of lungs!!!

Yucky allergy season!

Woke up earlier than I'd like to by my 2 year old wanting to watch cartoons. Oh well, up for the day. Once up and about, realized I'm a little tight in the chest, after I got my child situated, took a peak flow measurement....yellow zone. Normally happens to me in the mornings (especially since it's full blown allergy season) and I get it back up to green zone once the day gets going. I'll take a neb treatment and then I'll be back to feeling better. I don't know about everybody else, but I can always tell when my pf's will be down because not only do I get chest tightness, but many times I'll get a headache as well, that and I feel like I'm constantly clearing my throat from the congestion. As soon as I take a treatment, it all goes away...interesting about the headache going away.

Questions for fellow asthma bloggers??

Hello out there! I've seen several cool peak flow meter gadgets on other websites, where do you find those and how do you customize them to your red, yellow and green zones?? Please help. I'm very new to blogging and would very much like to customize my page.

why I'm writing a blog

After months and months of reading other's stories about their daily lives with asthma, I have decided to start my own blog. Mostly to share experiences of having had asthma since I was a young child, as an adolsecent and into my young adulthood and I'm now in my 30's and it's still there and has progressively gotten worse. Also I feel this will better help me keep track of my symptoms and make note of how I'm doing...so here it goes!