Asthma troubles

Discussion in 'Christian Issues' started by sixcloar, Dec 13, 2012.

  1. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    My dd14 is having a terrible time keeping her asthma under control this fall. We saw a specialist today, and the results of her pulmonary tests were strange. Parts of them indicated symptoms of asthma, but others were not normal or asthmatic patterns. She increased to only 2/3 of a normal inhalation pattern even after a breathing treatment. As of now, the doc is treating it as more severe than the exercise-induced asthma we had previously thought she had. She's now on a third round of oral steroids, a new 3-med mix preventive inhaler, and a rescue inhaler. If his does not work, we may be looking at something other than asthma, though he did not say what. The hope is that we can wean her off of this preventative and onto a less potent one. This one is $223 and not covered by insurance. This is so not in our budget. Today, he gave us a sample to last a month.

    She's sat out some practices this week and done as much as she could others. She has a habit of pushing herself too far before getting out to use a rescue inhaler. We had a long talk about asthma not being something you push through. She is so afraid of disappointing her coach, but she's got to get her health under control. Swimming is actually a sport recommended for asthmatics because of the breath control involved. Her sport is totally doable, she just has to get the asthma under control. Preparing for state championships begins just after Christmas, so we are hoping for results before then.

    Please pray for healing. Asthma scares me!
     
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  3. kbabe1968

    kbabe1968 New Member

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    PRAYING!!!! Something to look into....I know this sounds CRAZY, but I have a good friend who's daughter is a swimmer. AFter years of struggling with asthma, it turned out she was ALLERGIC to chlorine! NOT in the water, but the fumes that would come off the water and since she was close to the water when getting her breaths while swimming, it was worse when she swam.

    Anyway.....it's just a thought. It took them a while to figure out the best meds to control the allergy, but once controlled, she was able to regain her momentum in swimming and win big! :) She's still swimming for her high school, and does very well!
     
  4. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    Krista, that's EXACTLY what I think it is--chloromines released when body fluids mix with chlorine!! But how did she get her doctor agree? He said today that her tests don't show typical asthma patterns. She has never, ever had an asthma attack outside of the pool. Would you mind asking what they are treating with? We go for a recheck next Tuesday. If there is not an improvement, I'll talk to him more about this possibility.
     
  5. kbabe1968

    kbabe1968 New Member

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    I'll see what I can find out from my friend....and get back to you (they're away this week based on her FB posts....but I'll do what I can!)

    Have they done allergy testing????? YOu might have to maybe get a 2nd opinion (not sure how easy that is to do?)
     
  6. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    She had allergy testing done last fall. She's only allergic to dust mites and mold. Of course, those tests wouldn't test pool chemicals/toxins.
     
  7. vantage

    vantage Active Member

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    Dust Mites and Mold are very prevelant.

    Most locker rooms and gymnaiums are mold and mildew cesspools. Ditto any towels or clothing left in them.

    Some swimming pools now use a bromine based water treatment instead of chlorine, not sure how this might impact asthma.

    This is quite scary, I pray you will find an answer that will restore your daughters health soon.
     
  8. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    You know, the pool has been closed to the public for the last 2 weeks, because they have been scraping paint and cleaning out all the storage areas. She started having trouble again last week. And this is the first time that using an inhaler has not kept her going. She told me tonight that as soon as she gets in, she can feel herself having trouble. On top of that, she overheard one coach tell another that she needed to be moved down a level if she can't do the practice... What ignorance.!!
     
  9. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    Oh, and she actually swam in a saline pool for a few months. She still had asthma attacks tough they were more manageable. Even saline pools somehow use chlorine though it's not as much.
     
  10. Emma's#1fan

    Emma's#1fan Active Member

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    NOOO!!!!

    I just typed up a long post about Ems recent asthma attack, but accidently clicked off the screen.

    Sigh...

    Anyways, long story short, your daughter's symptoms sound like asthma to me. As long as she isn't allowing her lungs to heal before taking on physical activity or going around irritants, she is going to stuggle even if she is on steroids. It is like a person who sprains their leg. It might feel better, but if they start running on it too soon, it will be re-injured easily since it is already sensitive and not completely healed.



    This last asthma attack put things into perspective for me. Ems is blessed to be alive today. Not trying to scare you, but Em's doctor told us that most death victims from asthma are teenagers because they live with a false security. As long as they have their rescue inhaler, they feel safe. Unfortunately, there comes a point where inhalers, nebulizers, and other meds CAN'T help because the lungs are too inflamed. This is when it gets dangerous and dangerous injections and steroids are needed to force open the lungs in the ER.

    I understand your daughter loves swimming, but she needs to heal first. I would also get a second opinion. It is possible there is another problem, but from what you shared, it sounds like asthma to me. Em's doctor told her, she needs to lover herself enough to take care of herself. She can't care for others if she isn't here.


    ...and I am praying. :love:
    After this last attack, I realized we needed to make changes in our life and home. Em was actually open to them, even though she didn't like them, because she realized how close she came to losing her life. :cry: :cry:

    Saying it just kicks me in the gut. :cry:
     
  11. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    I am having her sit out at least until her recheck appointment next week. He did say it is not exercise induced, because of the other factors that we are dealing with. This was our first appointment with the specialist, I want to give him a chance. I'm not uncomfortable with his diagnosis. We just aren't to a definite answer yet. He was highly recommended to us by more than one person.
     
  12. Emma's#1fan

    Emma's#1fan Active Member

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    Great! Then she is in good hands. :)
     
  13. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    Patty, I hope my post didn't come off as rude! I can and will get a second opinion if I feel it's needed! I'm just not there yet. I really appreciate your post. One of the things I have been reiterating to my dd is that she can die from an asthma attack. It's not like pushing through shoulder pain. :). And honestly, I'm not sure she really gets that yet. My hope is that it doesn't take an emergency situation to change that.
     
  14. Emma's#1fan

    Emma's#1fan Active Member

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    Your post didn't come across wrong. :D
    Thank, you.
     
  15. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    Patty, can I ask what changes you are making in your home? We change air filters regularly and clean ceiling fans regularly. Dd does need a new mattress cover. Hers ripped. She has no carpet in her bedroom.

    She hasn't been in the pool in days, but she did go to practice with her sister Friday to do some dry land exercises (nothing strenuous-- stretch bands, sit-ups, squats). Within an hour, she was coughing non-stop.

    I talked to a friend, who is a nurse. She said the pool needs to be inspected, that the level of chemicals has to be off (we have lots of hair issues too--brown hair turned gray, hair that breaks off). I called the health department. The don't do inspections. They referred me to Code Enforcement. They referred me to the Parks and Rec aquatics director---the head coach. So basically, there is no oversight. If the head coach says the pool is fine, it is never questioned and is never inspected by an outside source. One lady said I can file a complaint with the mayor's office. The head coach already does not like me because I ask questions. (I am not a trouble-maker, but I will ask questions when I see inappropriate things!!)

    We have a check-up tomorrow. Hoping for 100% on the pulmonary tests tomorrow!
     
  16. Emma's#1fan

    Emma's#1fan Active Member

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    The curtains in her room came down. They were huge dust magnets. We vacuumed the blinds and mattress and added a mattress cover. She can no longer sleep with a sleeping bag because she can’t wash it on a regular basis. She loves her sleeping bag! We got rid of all her stuffed animals since they are prone to dust mites. We allowed her to bag and keep some special stuffed animals, but the rest had to go. Her room WAS loaded with wall-to-wall knickknacks, posters, pictures, and anything she could hang. The problem was that we couldn’t vacuum the walls. So they came down.

    She has to use a fresh towel daily, rather than reuse hers for a few days like she did in the past.

    A big thing that has helped is she takes her inhaler BEFORE physical activity. Her doctor said this would prevent the attack from happening in the first place. When I say physical, I mean anything that requires the lungs and heart to work harder than usual.

    A tough one for her was, we no longer allow the dogs in the house. This was tough for me, too. Our dogs are family, but they brought in a lot of dust, dander, and plant matter that irritated her asthma. We do keep the little dog in the house because she eats ridiculously expensive food that gives her little to no dander and she is washed weekly. Her coat and skin are better than ours! :lol: I have been making some of our dog's food for the large dogs. Slowly their skin is clearing up. They are receiving half dry and half homemade moist. I want to try to clear their skin, then see if I can introduce them to the house again.

    We got our hands on air purifiers. They help a lot and she keeps a small one on her dresser.

    We dust daily. We always have vacuumed daily, but now we are also vacuuming the couches a few times a week since dust is a big problem.

    We increased vitamin intake and have started using zinc. I read it helps minimize or can prevent an attack. So she takes one in the morning.

    We have been changing our eating habits for a few years now, but are now really focusing on foods that are helpful or might be triggering attacks.

    We keep her away from places that have strong fumes or irritants. The only place we allow her to go that doesn’t have the best air is her friends house. They have multiple dogs in the house. Even though the house is clean, the danger gets buried in the couches and carpet. She always leaves with trouble breathing. So we make her take her inhaler while she is there. It is a tough call because we do not want to remove friends from her life.

    The carpets are still in the house. The doctor has been telling us to remove them for years, but this time, we are finally going to do it in spring when it warms up a bit. We are going to stain the concrete so it looks like tiles or marble. I prefer a wood floor, but it isn't cost efficient right now.

    Laundry gets washed daily now.

    I know there is more, but I can’t think off the top of my head.

    OH! We also stopped using the A/C unit for heat. There is A LOT of dust buildup in the ducts. We now use room heaters. We were able to buy small heaters for each room for $14 a piece. They work great. We are currently borrowing my bils large room heater for the living room. Once they go on sale, we are going to purchase a large heater. The great thing is we can dust them off. We couldn't dust the A/C unit, unless it was done professionally.

    This is also helpful with Handsome's and my asthma. I do not have it nearly as bad as Ems.
     
  17. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    We do have cats inside, but dd is not allergic to cats. No carpet in the main living areas or her room. We use a dust mop several time a day on those rooms, but I should start washing the mop head often. The other bedrooms do have carpet. It's a rental, so I can't do anything about that.

    She does have one set of curtains to cover French doors. Without them, lights from the traffic from the street shines directly in her room. (There is a fence, but lights pass through it!!). I'll have to make sure I wash those often. The windows have no curtains. She has an antique quilt on her bed I should probably get rid of. It has been washed, but sparingly since it's so old. The other bedding, we wash very often. She has very few stuffed animals, since we already knew those harbor dust mites.

    So, do you use the A/C in the summer? We can't survive with the A/C! We do use central heat, but sporadically. It's been on twice this year for less than 20 min. It doesn't get really cold very often. I set it pretty low (but on) and we use room heaters to heat the room we are in already.

    Thanks for the tips. I did talk to the other mom whose dd has had really bad problems lately. She agrees with me that it very likely may be that they are scraping the paint and cleaning out the natatorium. I know that place harbors mold.
     
  18. Emma's#1fan

    Emma's#1fan Active Member

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    We have always used the A/C during the summer since it gets really hot over here. While I knew it caused allergies, initially, it didn't appear to be a huge problem. Then when Em had her bad asthma attack, I started wondering if we need to come up with a different plan. Honestly, I can't imagine not using the A/C when it is hot. Who knows, we might end up having the air ducts professionally vacuumed before it gets hot. We have used a swamp cooler before, but it tends to get all of our allergies going. Most people I know do not do well with swamp coolers. So we will see.

    EDITED: That is, most people we know with asthma.
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2012
  19. MinnieMouse

    MinnieMouse New Member

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    My asthma was terrible when I was a kid and it is still an issue, just not as bad. My parents did all the things that Patty listed and it was a HUGE help! The other thing is to get rid of blinds in the windows and replace them with shades- they are pretty much dust free! :)

    Also, it is so important to be proactive- like using the rescue inhaler before activity. Drinking caffeinated beverages during times of mild distress can also help.
     
  20. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    Read up on air duct cleaning. I saw some really bad things about it recently--it may have been specific companies. It was something I glanced over, but didn't pay a lot of attention to. I'm thinking it leaves a coat of dust all over your house? I'm not sure, but check it out.

    This house was gutted after sitting empty for years after Hurricane Katrina. I'm thinking all the air ducts were replaced. (I hope!)

    Do you have the allergen air filters in your A/C? I think I'm going to invest in one at least by the time it gets warm enough to have it on often. I don't even know what a swamp cooler is!
     
  21. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    No blinds... And she does use the rescue inhaler before activity. She was needing it again as a rescue within 30-45 minutes. Now that she's on a preventative, we hope that will stop!
     

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