Students Face Health Risks from Air Contamination | Environmental Working Group

Classroom asthma, Children's Asthma created by cleaning supplies | Environmental Working Group

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Found this while surfing ... thought my "Mom" readers, as well as any students, might find it helpful and interesting. I sure did.

We've been switching, slowly but surely, to green and safe cleaning product. Most of what we use is from Trader Joe's "Next to Godliness" line, and we've also tried and liked WowGreen and some other brands. (Call me wacky, but I just don't feel like I've really *cleaned* when I've used only vinegar. And it leaves my house smelling like a tossed salad.)

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on this one!

Asthma/Allergy Update - me, B and Oz

So, lately our house has been feeling a little...small. It's a great house - a ranch with a full walk-out basement. Not a stitch of carpet anywhere, and we've kept it fairly upholstery free. (If you're asthmatic, you know that the first thing you look for in a house is hardwood and/or tile!)

We have three bedrooms...and three kids. The two oldest boys love sharing a room with a bunk bed, and Ig has his own room. But the living space is very close to the bedrooms, and while we've made the basement into a bright and fun rec room, the kids don't spend a ton of time down there.

....which is why we've been hitting open houses on weekends. We're not sure we're serious about moving, but we're curious to see what's out there. Plus, we're having some "issues" with our town's special education programs, and they may well be insurmountable, so we may well have to move, once we find a town that's more willing to provide necessary  services for Ig. But that's another post for another day.

So, to my point. We went to an open house on Sunday, and in addition to having two cats, they also had loads of potpourri to hide the cat smell. And loads of broadloom. As soon as we walked in, I took two puffs of albuterol.

After checking out the house (beautiful curb appeal, bad corner, weird downstairs floor plan), we headed home. Within five minutes, I was coughing hard enough to gag. More albuterol.  Then I was OK for the rest of the day...but the next morning, I felt like I'd swallowed a Nerf ball, and it had lodged somewhere between my throat and chest. Not a nice sensation. And my chest hurt, too. I wasn't sure if it was asthma-related, indigestion, or just muscular.

I'm much better today, but realizing that I have a lot to learn about my triggers and the severity of each trigger.  A few sips of ice water got me going today! I need to start documenting what they are. Also, I need to see about getting a spare inhaler.  Right now I have one that I keep in the bathroom, and one I carry with me, but my purse MDI only has a few puffs left on it. Will they give you an RX for spare?

In other news, B tried eggs today for the first time since he was a baby. He had a moderate allergy, and they used to make him vomit. Last time he had them, just a few years ago, his face went bright red and he had a headache. He's always afraid to eat them - as well as mayo, French toast, and anything else "eggy."

But today, he had a little bit of my hard-boiled egg - just a few bites of white and yolk, and he's been perfectly fine.

But Ozzy's been coughing ever since. Go figure.

Mom's Asthma - Symbicort

Another quickie update -

While the Asmanex did stop the coughing, mostly, I had a heavy feeling in my chest and just didn't feel well overall. I almost felt like there was a wet sponge wedged under my sternum, and it sort of pulsated or spasmed before I started coughing. Ick.

I called the doctor's office when I ran out of the Asmanex, and told them I wasn't feeling that much better. They gave me a sample of Symbicort, which I've been on  before.

It's only been a few days, and while I'm coughing a bit more, I feel SO much better overall.The only downside is that I keep losing my voice.

For other people, this might not be a big deal but (surprise!) I sing professionally and am booked every Friday this month. I had to cancel last week, because I couldn't get through two songs, and I'm supposed to sing four. During rehearsal, I was so winded after my first number, I could barely get through the less challenging second song. Singing, after all, does rely heavily on breath support.

When I asked the doctor about the laryngitis - which seemed to occur after every presentation I gave, or any time I spoke for 10 minutes at a time or longer - he said it was probably from the Symbicort. So, in addition to rinsing my mouth after taking the stuff (which you should do after taking ANY inhaled steroid), I am now gargling. It's very feminine and appealing, I assure you.

So...hopefully we're on the right path now. I'm looking forward to feeling better soon!

Update on Mom's Asthma

Two quick things:

• First of all, I doubled my Asmanex dose, so now I'm doing two puffs in the AM and in the PM.Within 48 hours of dose-doubling, my cough pretty much stopped completely - despite the fact that I seem to have a head cold. Pretty impressive. Still need albuterol from time to time (like right now, in fact), but sooooo much better!
• Secondly, I found this article on cough-variant asthma, and it's seems 100% like what I've got. Cold air and strong smells are definitely among my biggest triggers, and I don't think I've ever wheezed.

The timing for the sudden improvement is pretty fortuitous. I have a singing gig every Friday night in March, and I was in no shape to perform. The big concern: My accompanist has about 5,000 cats, and his whole house does kinda reek of cat pee. Should make for a fun rehearsal. I'll definitely bring the MDI!

Doubling the Asmanex

Just a quickie update - Peak flow hasn't exceeded 420, and I've been coughing my HEAD OFF.

The pulmonologist told me to try doubling the Asmanex - 2 puffs in the AM, 2 at night.

Hope it works, because I'm actually *sore* from coughing.

...quick question for you more experienced asthmatics...does the cough ever start with an itch or tickle in your throat? I'm congested today, and the cough seems to start there, but then it's pretty convulsive and nonstop, and I typically end up (embarassignly) gagging. Horrible!!!

That was dumb.

I was doing so well... until Monday night. I thought the kitchen smelled funny, so I lit a scented candle.

And then I wondered why the Asmanex and albuterol weren't working anymore. Oh...because, apparently, vanilla-scented candles are a trigger for me.

I haven't broken 410 on the peak flow meter since Monday, but at least the coughing is starting to let up again....

I'll learn!

Peak Flow Today

About 430. And no coughing. Hmmm.....

Coughing has just about stopped...

...just like the doctor said! He said Saturday, and it's Sunday, and I'm not coughing!!

Peak flow: Just over 400. Still lower than it should be.

Mom's Peak Flow Meter

OK, so I got my peak flow meter today.

Here are my benchmarks:

I should be around 471 if I'm healthy, according the chart that came with the meter. (It's a PDF)

I'm blowing about 400 right now. Would we make that....yellow?

Admittedly, I was still questioning whether this asthma or chronic post nasal drip (I *love* denial! And I never had reason to believe that I was asthmatic) but I guess daily peak flow tests will make me a believer.

If I'm anywhere near 465 two weeks from now, I'll buy into the diagnosis.

Meanwhile, I'll try to remember to post my scores every day.

I have asthma.

I was diagnosed by a pulmonologist yesterday.

I think I caught it from my kids. ;-)

Albuterol vs. Xopenex - the debate continues!

Three years ago, I posted an article that stirred up huge debate regarding the value of Xopenex vs. Albuterol.

Amazing how many comments that post still gets!! I thought I'd bring it back to top of the blog to see who else wanted to weigh in.

Here's the original post.

And the pneumonia just keeps on comin'!

Update -

Sent Oz back to school yesterday. He'd been fine all weekend, and practically bouncing of the walls. He couldn't wait to get out!

When he came home, he immediately lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.

That is NOT like my Oz.

When I checked, he was running 100.8 and complaining of pain in his chest and a headache.

I put him to bed early, but he woke up shortly after crying hysterically - he was completely incomprehensible. Then he threw up all over my bed. Then he fell asleep again.

Next time he woke up, not an hour later, the screaming resumed. He was in pain, scared - I don't even know what. I started to warm up the car so I could take him to the ER.  But by the time I came back in, he was asleep again.

I'd spoken to the doctor twice by this time. She warned me that it could either be an effusion or a mucus plug. (eeeeuwwww.)

He made it through the night after that. He was laboring to breathe a bit, but his respiratory rate was OK.

This morning, we had to go back to the doctor, of course. And of course, we were sent for another chest X-ray.

The results? The Zithromax he'd been taking wasn't working. The pneumonia had actually gotten worse! WTF??!!!

So... while it may actually be a viral pneumonia, we're starting Omnicef tonight.

Wish us luck.  We're back to the pulmonologist next week.

And still MORE pneumonia

Yes, really.

Oz was diagnosed today, after a chest Xray.

Last night was one of those hellish nights (we've all been there) where we were sitting up doing back-to-back nebs at 1:00AM.  Poor guy couldn't stop coughing.  And he's been running a fever (lower-grade) since Tuesday AM.

After barely sleeping, I can't tell you how much fun it was to run Oz around the hospital (where our pulmonologist's office is) and then down to X-ray, with ornery Ig in tow. Blecccch.

Xray showed a mild pneumonia, and since his sats were at 100 and he sounded pretty clear, we don't need oral steroids.

Anyway, we're starting antibiotics tonight. Hopefully, we'll have more sleep, less coughing, and healthier boys in the very near future.

I am in hell.

I have to vent like a big ol' whiner right now.

Today has been so miserable...there aren't even words.

Two sick boys: a four year old with a bad temper and a five year old with a bad attitude. Both feeling unwell enough to really highlight the worst of their personalities.

I've had Ig screaming and whining and carrying on all day. The whining and crying is enough to make me run  screaming into the freezing cold night.

And Oz, "Mr. Cool", just monopolizing the TV and complaining every time I let Ig watch Thomas the Tank Engine.

All this while I'm trying to hash out digital marketing strategies and analyze Google AdWords campaign reports. On a deadline.

I don't know whether to scream, cry, run or take a bubble bath.

The sad part is, Oz really is sick today. I feel bad for him (although he doesn't make it easy sometimes) and I want to take care of him. But Ig is making almost impossible! He's so jealous - I can't get near Oz without him  reacting. And then Oz reacts to THAT, and all hell breaks loose all over again.

I know they're sick, and I'm doing my best to take care of them....but I'm allowed to rant every now and then, right?

Pneumonia - Not Again!

Well, I was all set to send Ig back to preschool today, but he had a brutal fit of coughing last night. Here I was thinking that this would be my albuterol-free child...

I can handle a few coughs, but this was BAD. It sounded like he had croup for half of it, and the other half was this loud, wet-sounding cough-cough-WHEEZE, cough-cough-WHEEZE we'd been hearing a few days back. I wasn't sure if he needed albuterol or Dimetapp, but I figured since albuterol would actually help him breathe, while Dimetapp is purely prophylactic, I'd try the albuterol first. And it worked. The poor little dude went back to sleep after that.

I was on the fence about sending him back to school. If it were just daycare, I would definitely keep him home. But Ig is PDD-NOS (high-functioning autistic) and in a special preschool program in the morning where he gets speech therapy and OT. I hate for him to miss it! But I know how the school nurse gets when you give her that kind of responsibility. If I called her and said, "He had pneumonia last week, but is still coughing. If he breaks into a fit of spasmodic, coughing or sounds like he has croup, can you please call me?" she would tell me to keep him home. After all, the woman's got 500 other kids to worry about.

Anyway, my choice was made for me: This morning, Oz woke up coughing and running 101.  He was coughing yesterday, so I did start him on the albuterol MDI, but we definitely breaking out the neb today, kids.

I wasn't worried about pneumonia - I didn't think pneumonia could be spread AS pneumonia. I thought it was like strep, which doesn't always strike the throat - we've seen it fester as an infected hangnail!

But, horrifyingly, I was mistaken. I asked my dad - a pharmacist who almost died from antibiotic-resistant pneumonia as a teen. Dad said, "Theoretically, it is contagious. I got a lot of nurses sick in the hospital."

Great.

I confirmed Dad's assessment on KidsHealth.org:

The bacteria and viruses that cause pneumonia can be contagious. But once your son is taking the proper antibiotics for his bacterial infection, there is a minimal risk of passing the organism on. Check with the doctor about your son’s specific case.

Ugh. Guess we're going back to the doctor today...

I'll keep you posted.

Quick Note: Ig's Pneumonia

Just a quick update: Ig developed pneumonia the day we left Canada for home. (We go to Canada for the holidays every year - in-laws are in Ontario.)

He's fine - didn't even need any nebs. Never mind that his fever hit 104.8 on New Year's Day!

Isn't it ironic? The kid who spent his first day of life in respiratory distress in the NICU is the kid with the strongest lungs! Fever started Thursday, and he'll be back in preschool tomorrow.

For the record, I believe this is pneumonia #6 for the mama.

One flare; one mystery symptom

Just wanted to update y'all -

Oz had a minor flare last Tuesday and Wednesday - nothing we couldn't manage with a little DuoNeb. I was a little nervous that he might miss his Thanksgiving play...but he was through the flare by Wednesday afternoon.

I don't think we're 100% out of the woods...there was a lot of sniffling today, all of a sudden. But I don't see a trip to the ER in the near future, either.

Ig's going to the doctor tomorrow. He's had these very red eyes since Friday. No discharge or crust or anything....just bloodshot eyes. How weird is that?

I've heard him cough a handful of times, and he may be a tiny bit congested, but the eyes are just odd.

Called the pediatrician today, and she suggested we give him some antihistamine, but I don't think it helped at all. She did ask if he was urinating, and I *think* he is...but truth be told, now that he's potty trained, I'm not sure how often he goes. He's not like Oz, who at 5.5, still announces each and every trip to the potty to the entire household.

So...maybe he isn't urinating as frequently. Anyone know what this might be a symptom of? It's so hard with Ig. With his communication skills so impaired, I don't even know if he *feels* sick.

Having a Moment (Autism, not Asthma)

I'm having a rough time.

I know my posts are generally asthma-related, but I actually have two boys who are on the autism spectrum, too.

#1 son, B, has Aspergers Syndrome. He's totally mainstreamed in school and, if anything, his particularly brand of autism makes him better-behaved than average kids. I think he honestly believes the world will burst into a fiery ball if he breaks a single rule. He definitely has anxieties and feels the stress of everyday life more than most, but he's a great kid.

Oz, son #2 is a completely typical 5 year old - smart, gorgeous, snarky. He's great.

#3 son, Ig, who will be 4 in December, was recently diagnosed PDD-NOS - that is "Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified." The "NOS" part typically means there's no delay in speech development.

Although Aspergers is frequently catagorized as a PDD-NOS diagnosis, I can tell you that Ig and B are unbelievably dissimilar. Where B and I were having full conversations (about snakes, usually) by the time he was three and a half, Ig can't carry a conversation at all. He has the vocabulary. What he lacks are the semantic and pragmatic language skills. He just doesn't "get" conversation at all.

A little clarification on that "semantic pragmatic language disorder":

Semantic-Pragmatic Disordered children have many more problems than just speaking and understanding words, so it is called a communication disorder rather than a language disorder. We think that the difficulty for children with S.P.D. may be in the way they process information. Children with S.P.D. find it more difficult to extract the central meaning or the saliency of an event. They tend to focus on detail instead; for example the sort of child who finds the duck hidden in the picture but fails to grasp the situation or story in the picture or the child who points out the spot on your face before saying 'hello'. "

So, vocabulary is there, language skills aren't. But there are so many more problems than that.

Every day is a struggle for Ig. I don't think he understands that there is a world around him that functions independently of him and without regard for what he wants or needs. This includes time, which has no meaning for him. If he wants something, he wants it now, and there's no explaining that he has to wait for it, or that the zoo is closed, or that we have to leave for school right this instant.

It's hard enough that he doesn't get these things in the first place, but then you can't even discuss them to attempt to reason with him. Conversation is impossible, although I do believe he understands quite a bit more than we give him credit for.

And when he doesn't get what he wants, he tantrums. These used be typical toddler tantrums - screaming, crying, kicking, hitting. Now they're just small, random acts of violence - hitting or biting one of his brothers, throwing a toy, kicking the dishwasher, whipping me in the back of the legs with his security blanket. If we put him "time out" for one of these offenses....THEN we get to see a good, old fashioned temper tantrum.

You can understand then, maybe, why I've kind of given up. In the past, I was the mom who removed her child from the restaurant at the first wail. My kids go to time out for talking back. They don't get dessert if they don't finish dinner. I'm an old fashioned parent in so many ways. But Ig has just worn me down. I let him get away with murder because it's easier. It's SO much less work.

I realize that I can't do that, and today I resolved to stop doing that. And I know it's going to get worse before it gets better. It always does.

Ugh. I love this kid so much, and I know that he needs me so much more than my other guys do right now. Seriously, I don't think anyone's ever loved me or trusted me the way he does! But he's so tough. He can be so sweet one minute, and trying to punch me the next. He's completely unpredictable.

The most frustrating thing? I can't afford to see the behavioral therapist as much as I need to. We've made so much progress with him, but insurance doesn't cover the visits. (NJ mandated insurance coverage for autism-related therapies back in August, but it doesn't take effect until February.) I would have the guy move in with us if I could! And we live pretty comfortably - we're not millionaires or anything - but the therapies really do cost THAT much.

I'm ranting (whining?) now...too tired to make sense. I just feel so alone with this. No one in my world understands how tough it is to live with this guy, but really - after nearly four years, I've only just started to feel like he's not running the household. And I'm scared of what the future holds for him. Will he ever be able to make friends? Will he find ways other than violence to relieve his frustration? Will he have to go to special schools? Can we afford all the therapy it will take to help him lead a happy, satisfying life?

Will anyone be able to see the glimpses of the smart, beautiful, loving little boy I see?

To Med, or not to Med?

Hi, all!

I'm happy to say, things have been quiet around here (apart from autism-related behavioral stuff, that is) - no one's coughing right now. Ig even made it through a nasty side infection without a single neb! But alas, it's flu season, so I'm cautious with my optimism.

This just came in via comments, and I thought I should address it, since it's definitely an evergreen topic.

Great blog! I found you by wandering around looking for a comparison of albuterol and xopenex. My DD (5) had a cough and a fever for four days so I took her to see the Ped, who promptly prescribed albuterol inhaler and antibiotics.

I freaked out (my kids have never had prescription meds for anything ever before) and decided NOT to follow Ped's suggestion, hoping that Ped was just CYA and DD could kick it on her own.

Well, fast forward three days and DD is weezing. Now, I'm reconsidering but a friend suggested Xopenex instead. *throws hands up* When I read your blog and the experience of the other parents, I get so frustrated because it seems like once you start, there's no getting off the moving sidewalk of meds. However, DD is miserable and I just want her to get better. *sigh*

First of all, WOW - I can't believe your kids have never been on prescription meds before. That's awesome!

But...y'know what? I think you should consider listening to your pediatrician and starting them. Respiratory illnesses (especially during this particularly creepy flu season) can become very serious, and albuterol - or Xopenex - will help your child breathe more easily.

While they may make her hyper, please remember that your child is probably having difficulty breathing if she's wheezing and coughing. For young kids - heck, even for US! - this is a scary situation. Fast-acting inhalers like albuterol and Xopenex will help her feel better right away. (And if you delay starting the meds, you end up having to put her on Orapred. Horrible!)

I totally get the idea of not completely trusting your docs, believe me - there's tons of research that shows that doctors will prescribe antibiotics and other meds because they think patients expect them. (A direct result of DTC advertising, but that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish...) My peds know that I often won't fill certain prescriptions they write for my kids (like antibiotics for minor illnesses that may be viral). At least not right away.

But with respiratory stuff, I don't take chances. There's too much room for something to go horribly wrong. I've taken my kids to the ER far too many times to risk it.

In a perfect world, you'll have pediatricians that you trust with your kids lives - literally. But if you question a respiratory diagnosis, find a pediatric pulmonologist or an asthma and allergy specialist.

In this case, please don't wait. If you're questioning the diagnosis, see that specialist ASAP.

And granted, I'm not a doctor or a medical professional or any kind, but as the mother of three asthmatic kids, I hope you'll start the nebs while you consider your options. There are no known long-term side effects to albuterol or Xopenex, and they'll literally help your daughter breathe easier.

Best of luck to you and your little girl. Please feel free to email me or continue our conversation via comments. And apologies if I sound sanctimonious at all - I don't mean to!

BTW, definitely check out the Mothers of Asthmatics site. It's a GREAT resource.

Are your kids getting the flu shot?

I haven't decided yet.

B can't get it, since he's allergic to eggs. (The vaccine is "grown" in eggs, so egg-allergic patients cannot be vaccinated.)

I'm not a fan of the vaccine, as many of you know. And here's why:

• In past years, quality has been an issue. Remember Chiron and the tainted vaccine in 2004? And then more problems in 2006.
• It's predictive, which means it may or many not actually work to prevent the flu. The two years my kids got the flu, the strain was not covered by the vaccine. (One year they'd been vaccinated, one year they hadn't.)
• It typically contains thimerosal a preservative derived from mercury. There are thimerosal-free shots out there if you ask for them, but don't expect your insurance to cover these.

Nonetheless, I probably will vaccinate, if only because I'll be forced to. And now that my kids are older (and two are already on the spectrum anyway), thimerosal isn't quite as scary, although I don't like the idea of ANY mercury being injected into humans - especially not my kids. Whoever thought that was a good idea?

And yes, I know it's smart to vaccinate your kids against the flu, especially when they're asthmatic. But I have lots of reasons to distrust big pharma, so I'm wary. I do solemnly swear, however, to religiously clean my house, wash my kids hands, keep them home when they are sick, and encourage them to cough into their elbows.

Are you vaccinating? Share your thoughts on why or why not.