Living with Food Allergies, 2013 and on

[CMdeux]

Annnnnnnnnnd the morning after-- DD has an asthma flare that we can neither explain nor really get a grip on.   

Unsure if it is at all related.  Will have to wait and see if it is impending onset of illness.  {sigh}

This stuff is never simple or uncomplicated, is it??

[PurpleCat]

No, it's not.  I'm sorry.  You know my DD's story.  I hope and pray your DD has a different outcome.  Any eczema?

[CMdeux]

She says no-- but I'm suspicious since she was clawing at her legs last night.   

[becca]

How about the air quality from the fires?  Could that be a factor? 

[CMdeux]

I suspect not-so-awesome air quality and emotional distress (unrelated to challenge).

Albuterol moved things about 5-10% in the right direction, but her peak flow numbers were bad this morning.  70-75% of good days.

[TabiCat]

oh no 

[PurpleCat]

How is she today?  Been thinking about her and you all night!

[CMdeux]

Albuterol not really moving things-- wish that we still had a nebby for stuff like this-- DD says it's "low" and she can't pull the puffs down to where they would help.

Peak flows still in the low 70% range.

One particularly unwelcome possibility is that we've traded up for a cat allergy.     This is the problem with kids like her-- you just have to think that wishing for a particular allergy-related outcome is like wishing on the monkey's paw.  I hate this stuff.   

[PurpleCat]

I apologize if these are dumb questions.......but....

When she takes her inhaler is she standing up tall?  That makes a huge difference for DD, especially when she is compromised.  It also helps DD expel more air before she takes in the med.

Is she using a spacer?  That is something else that helps my DD get the medicine "low down".

So sorry, that is horribly uncomfortable and scary for your DD.

[Macabre]

Oh wow about cat.

[CMdeux]

Yes, she's using really good technique-- including the method of doing one puff, then waiting 5 minutes or so for the next one (to open airways in order to get more meds where they're needed).

She's functioning just fine-- she is fairly functional (unless you push with intense activity) down to about 60% or so-- she just tires easily and looks a bit on the pale side.

[Janelle205]

Junky or just tight?  If she's got junky lungs, I highly recommend positional coughing to help clear it out.

Wish you had a neb too - I don't know what I would do without mine.  I was going to recommend a place that I have got them from online before, but then I realized that, oh yeah, you'd have to have meds to go in it.  Not everyone has 50 odd boxes of albuterol and atrovent stockpiled just in case.

[CMdeux]

I can't really tell-- she thinks "just tight" and it's not clear what role (if any) emotional distress/anxiety is playing here-- some, though, I'd put money on it.

[Janelle205]

This is going to sound ridiculous, but I have some vocal cord dysfunction issues that can contribute to the tight feeling when I'm anxious.  Counting backwards from 20 slowly generally helps to loosen that up, if she is having any trouble getting air in.

[CMdeux]

It's definitely lower-- and it improves when she's out of the house and away from her cat. 

Stress level should improve dramatically in about 30 hours, though.  Until then I think we'll sit tight and not try to overthink too much.  She can run indefinitely on 75%.  It just doesn't leave much margin.  KWIM?