Living

For some reason, I have been coughing more this fall than I think I usually do (if only one could quantify the background cough!), but generally, my breathing has felt...

The quest to finding out who an asthma pioneer is not an easy feet. I  was recently was thinking about who discovered asthma and how did we get where we...

There are many triggers in our natural world for asthma and allergies, including pollen, mold, insect droppings and dust mites. But many of us today  also have sensitivities to not...

I LOVE the outdoors. I have since I was a little girl. I spent a lot of time outside playing sports for almost my entire childhood. When I became an...

I love to have a clean home, but struggle with the strong smell of commercial cleaners and the impact these chemicals have on our planet. I have had success with making...

One of the most frustrating things an asthmatic might be told is “it’s all in your head.” Nothing is more demeaning than being told your asthma isn't real or is...

Recently at an appointment, I was discussing my phenotype with my respirologist, and he mentioned my key tissues and, as usual, that my case is complex. For some reason, we...

For most of us, having inhalers is an integral part of our lives. Personally, I’ve had inhalers since 1980. If you’re a nerd like me, you’ve taken one apart. You’ve...

Halloween can be a fun time when you have children. Pumpkins, costumes, parties, decorations and trick-or-treating can bring the season to life. But they can also present potential health threats...

Recently, I attended a women's conference in a neighboring state. I was very excited to go, as women's conferences and retreats are one of my most favorite events to go...

Have allergic asthma like me? Then there’s a good probability you’re allergic to dust mites like me. Those little critters live among the dust in your home. And they so...

So, this is kind of a gross topic. But, when you have asthma, it’s good to know about asthma sputum. What you’re spitting up can say a lot about what’s...

I always find that when a clinical trial that I have participated in ends, that it is somewhat bittersweet. In some respects, I  don’t miss the many appointments, juggling my...

I have allergies and asthma. I had it horribly bad as a kid. Mom sat with me hundreds of times in doctor’s offices. Dad drove me to ERs so many...

As I’m getting back into the swing of things for Fall, I’ve been emailing parents of the kids I coach and texting with my adult Goalball players preparing for the...

I have a hypothesis about the long-term side effects of taking albuterol inhalers. I'm not going to use science here. I'm simply going to use my own history as proof. So...

Not quite literally, I mean. I didn’t literally walk straight into a hypodermic needle of dead flu virus and just happen to get injected! I had my regular 3-month appointment...

I am not new to the clinical trial experience and I am a huge advocate for patients getting involved in research. I think that patients are sometimes apprehensive to get...

Previously I explained how asthma is the result of an abnormal immune response. In this post, I aim to delve a little deeper into this subject to show you what...

Oh, boy was I guilty of this! Should we continue our career? Or stay home with the kids? Why can't I keep up on the piles of laundry, make sure...