Monday, January 02, 2012

Happy, Healthy New Year.

So...eight years into this blog, who is the most seriously asthmatic in the family?  The mama, natch! B and Ig aren't even on asthma meds anymore!

I'm now on Qvar 80, 2 puffs a day. Oz is down to Flovent 100 (diskus, not MDI now) but he hasn't been sick in AGES.  I just had a major flare in November, so I WIN. Whoopee!

The flare in November felt a lot like what I had previously thought was my twice-annual bronchitis. Stupidly, when the doc had started me on Qvar over the summer, I never filled the prescription. I honestly thought he was over-prescribing, since I only got bronchitis in the winter and spring, and had really mile exercise-induced asthma. (Nothing a puff of albuterol couldn't handle after a rough workout.)

But when the cough got really bad in late October, I realized I probably needed the steroids. I was coughing till I gagged, and could barely get through a sentence without coughing. I called the doctor and tried to schedule an appointment, but due to our freak snowstorm here in the east, I couldn't get in. After phone tag with the doctor over the course three days, I got my Qvar Rx filled.

Within 48 hours of starting the Qvar, I was 75% better. It took a light course of orals to get me the rest of the way through, but the experience taught me something critical: I've probably never had bronchitis.

All those times I was diagnosed with bronchitis, it's likely I was just flaring. Thank God, my GP always assumed it was viral and never put me on antibiotics, but it's amazing to think I'd been misdiagnosed for so long.

So, while I'm not thrilled about being on Qvar every day, it beats the Symbicort and Asmanex I've been on the past. I didn't like the way they made me feel, or the unfortunate yeast infections they seemed to cause. (Ick. Seriously. ICK.)

Meanwhile, while I've always eaten well and exercised daily, I'm taking my diet even more seriously now. No more processed foods. More sleep. Whatever I can do to improve my health overall, I'm doing it. I have three boys to take care of - which is a TON of work all on its own, a full time job, and a singing career that (while small) is still really important to me! I need my health!  And I don't want to be on inhaled corticosteroids forever.

The boys are going off processed foods, too, much to their chagrin. No more KD, candy or packaged cookies. It's whole wheat pasta and 100% fruit leather from here on in! They'll learn to love it. Maybe.

So...wish me luck as I start this new year with optimism and a healthy new direction for my family and me.

3 comments:

tracy.rose@healthline.com said...

Hi Aimee,

Healthline editors recently published the final list of their favorite Asthma blogs and your blog made the list. You can find the complete list at: http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/best-asthma-blogs (in no particular order). We encourage you to share your status as one of the best blogs on the web with your friends, family, & followers.

We also created a set of badges you can easily embed on your site & anywhere else you see fit:

http://www.healthline.com/health/asthma-badges

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Congrats & continue the great work!

Warm Regards,
Tracy

tracy.rose@healthline.com said...

Hi Aimee,

Healthline recently finished putting together a collection of the best online asthma videos. You can find it at: http://healthline.com/health-slideshow/best-videos-asthma

We encourage you to share the list with friends, followers, and subscribers.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Warm Regards,
Tracy

tracy.rose@healthline.com said...

Hi Aimee,

Healthline recently kicked off its second annual "Best Health Blog of 2012" contest & our editors have nominated The Angry Asthma Mama. You can find your blog at http://www.healthline.com/health/best-health-blogs-contest by searching or sorting.

We encourage you to promote the contest amongst your readers & friends. The blog with the most votes on February 15, 2013 at 11:59 pm will win $1000, 2nd place wins $100 and 3rd place nabs $50.

You can also add a 'vote for me' badge to your site by going to: http://www.healthline.com/health/contest-badges, and clicking 'embed.'

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Warm Regards,

Tracy