Asthma & Babysitting kittens

This week has been interesting since our neighbor's little girls got two kittens from Santa. They were so excited! But they had already scheduled a family trip after Christmas, so they asked my daughter, Kitty, if she could babysit. We were a little unsure since Kitty is allergic to all animals, trees, flowers, bushes, etc. There is actually one animal that she's not allergic to according to her skin test, and that's a rat. Shot Nurse brightly suggested that we get a pet rat for Kitty! What a teaser she is, just what we always wanted, a pet rat.

We weren't sure how this week would go with babysitting. Kitty has been doing allergy shots (immunotherapy) for about 3 years, so we were hoping she would do well being around the kittens. The kittens are at the neighbors, and Kitty goes over every couple of hours to cuddle and play with the kittens. She even bought toys for them but it seems they prefer a piece of paper tied to yarn. (Kind of like when you buy presents for your toddler and they would rather play with the box.)

Kitty decided to wear a special jacket every time she went over to cover up her clothes so she could cuddle the kitties. Then when she got home, she could take that off and hopefully remove much of the cat dander. She also washes her hands after playing with the kitties. But her idea isn't working. Even with allergy shots, she sneezes and sneezes and sneezes. At least she's not coughing and wheezing. She has to change all of her clothes and shower every night before she goes to bed to remove all of the cat dander.

It's so frustrating being allergic to so many different things. Normal people (aka people who don't have asthma) can play with kittens and even have them in their home. But if you have asthma, it's a whole other story. Why can't we just be normal and be able to pet cats and dogs, and have flowers, trees, and bushes. And a real Christmas tree?!

I can't tell you how much I hate allergies and asthma. I resent it being such a big part of our lives. On the positive side, I have been able to help countless families with what I have learned about allergies and asthma over the last 12 years.

That's My Life as an Asthma Mom

Don't party till you drop

		Thursday, Dec 29, 2011 AsiaOne (Singapore)
Don't party till you drop
You might be ready to run right out to celebrate a completed year and the one to come and there is definitely nothing wrong in letting your hair down and partying hard with your friends and family this weekend. Since parties this season are infamous for binge drinking we have put together a few pre-party tips that could come in handy to help you avoid an entirely intoxicated night. Just keep in mind that having excessive alcohol is not healthy for the brain, the body and the mind. We have also thrown in a few post-party tips to help you get over that hangover if you simply cannot resist the temptation this weekend. Pre and post party basics for this New Year's EveClick on thumbnail to view. (Photos: Eu Yang Sang, ST, TNP)

Allergy alert bracelets/necklaces/watches/shoe tags

(http://www.medicalert.org/)

Wow! Things have certainly changed since I first bought a medical alert bracelet for Son #2 at the local drug store. It was an inexpensive silver band that showed that he has asthma. Of course I also would meet with his teacher at the beginning of every school year, and also let any coach or scout leader know that he had asthma. They have some new styles of bracelets, necklaces, watches and shoe tags to alert people about allergies and asthma.

He has long outgrown his asthma alert bracelet, but of equal concern is his tree nut allergy. We have to watch for that everywhere we go. In fact, last week we were in the city looking at Christmas lights and stopped at a street vender who was sellling hot chocolate. We ordered hot chocolate for all of us, and then Son #2 spotted a bag of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies. And did they look good! He asked for a bag, and I started to reach for it, then remembered that those same cookies had caused him to have a reaction a few years before.

We were at a band concert for older brother, Son #1 (he was right in the middle of his saxophone solo) when Son #2 started eating Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies from the vending machine. His throat started itching and he started feeling warm, we thought 'uh-oh!' We raced out to hall, had him spit out the cookies, rinse his mouth out with water and spit that out too. I had a Benadryl Strip in my purse, so he quickly stuck that on his tongue and started to melt that. We had the Epi Pen at the ready, and could also race home to use the nebulizer for a breathing treatment.

Whew. What an experience. It didn't up going into full blown anaphylaxis. We were lucky! We grabbed the cookie package and read the small print that said it was made in the same factory as products containing nuts. Oh great! Who would have thought chocolate chip cookies could contain tree nuts?! What would have happened if I wasn't there? Would anyone else have known what to do? Would they even know he was allergic to tree nuts and was having anaphylaxis?

We had a similar experience years before, when Son #1 had anaphylaxis after getting an allergy injection. It was truly life threatening, and I never want to see that happen again-to anyone.

If you or a loved one has an allergy, do you have anything that warns other people? I am constantly checking for tree nuts in anything we eat, but what if I'm not around? I think I'll be ordering a few things from the Medic Alert website today. Things have come a long way from the little inexpensive silver bracelets I used to buy at the pharmacy. I need to buy something he will actually wear, otherwise what's the use? Christmas is over, but Son #2 will be getting a little gift from his mom in the mail. And it could someday help save his life.

Practical tips to regain control of your life

 

		Fri, Jun 03, 2011 AsiaOne
Practical tips to regain control of your life
By Ng Kiak Peng, Librarian, National Library Board (NLB) The hectic pace of modern life, coupled with personal and work stress, puts a strain on the mental and physical well-being of even those who are resilient. If you find yourself experiencing more than the occasional "Monday blues" or feel that the drudgery of daily life is getting to you, read The Feel Good Factory on Beating the Blues for short and easy-to-apply practical tips to regain control of your life and beat the blues! Here are four tips: 1. Write it down, make it better "When you're upset, Rant - pour it all out just as it comes to you. Finished? Now read it over and Evaluate what you've written. Try to bring some objectivity. Look for clues as to what is really upsetting you. Spot patterns of negative thinking - are you being a victim? Are you defensive? Finally Decide on a pattern of action." (page 14) Putting your thoughts down on paper will allow you to review all that is troubling you from an objective perspective. This will help you in finding solutions. 2. A pleasure a day… "When we do things we love, we forget ourselves, lose track of time and dismal thoughts take a back seat. Doing just one thing that's fun or that gives you that warm glow of achievement will make you feel better. In fact, even planning to do something you enjoy can cause a mini buzz." (page 21) You may not realise it, but depriving yourself of activities you enjoy leaves you with less energy and motivation to do the "essential but boring" stuff. 3. Create a sanctuary "Creating a place where you can go that is uniquely yours, where you have chosen what you look at, what you feel, hear and smell will prove invaluable in your battle against stress. A room is ideal, a cupboard will do, a corner of a room - just one armchair will be enough." (page 103) The copyright of the book cover belongs to the respective publishing company. Having a place where you can retreat to, where you can do whatever you like, will help you deal with stress and achieve peace on a daily basis. 4. The time of your life "Check emails three times a day and limit how long you spend replying. Morning, lunch and before you leave. That's it. Keeping to this means your working day isn't frittered away in pointless emailing." (page 145) With today's technology, there is no excuse not to be available. Thus, it is important to have a strategy to avoid technology burnout. Otherwise, constant emailing interrupts your daily work and reduces productivity, which will lead to even more stress. The Feel Good Factory on Beating the Blues: Life-healing, mind-mending, soul soothing ideas to heal a troubled mindAuthor: Elizabeth Wilson Publisher: Oxford : Feel Good Factory/Infinite Ideas, 2010 Call Number: English 616.852706 WIL -[HEA] The extracts are taken from the book, which is available in NLB public libraries. Availability of the book title can be checked via NLB's online catalogue at www.pl.sg