Hi friends. My daughter has asthma and is really struggling right now

[JimmyJazz]

any good thoughts or prayers you could send this way would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. Love ya all.

[skooooo]

1. is she getting the treatment she needs?

[JimmyJazz]

11. she's on all sorts of meds, but they don't seem to be working

this is a tough time of year for us and she can't handle albuterol. Thanks for asking, though.

[XanaDUer]

2. You and she are in our thoughts!

:hi:

Hope she is okay.

[Lefta Dissenter]

3. I'm so sorry

How old is she? And what is her name?

Having been through serious health issues with both of my kids, I know how difficult it is. Give her some love from all of DU (that's more than 50,000 people worth of love!) and you make sure you take good care of yourself, too. :hug:

[JimmyJazz]

12. she's six, her name is Olivia

I love you guys :hug:

[Lefta Dissenter]

24. OLIVIA! I LOVE THAT NAME!

I'll bet she's just as beautiful as her name is.

Well, we'll be thinking of her tonight, and here are some dancing girls to cheer her up!

[JimmyJazz]

31. thank you so much

:cry:

[SoCalDem]

64. My friend's daughter had very bad asthma, and by the time she was in

High School, she had "outgrown it".. She is now 30 and has two kids WITHOUT asthma..

Jamie used to have to sleep in her parents' bedroom because her breathing was so bad.. They made many a midnight scramble to the ER with her..

I am hoping for the same for your little one :hug:

[Maestro]

4. My daugher has asthma as well

Do you give her treatments? During active episodes we give her Xopanex (I think that is the way you spell it) and simply for preventive measures we give her basically chidren's albuterol I think. I can't remember its name.

Also, she was so bad at one point the doctor ordered a steroid shot to help with allergic reaction that set off the asthma. Good vibes sent your way and your daughter's.

[JimmyJazz]

13. thanks for the good thoughts - she's on all those things plus

orapred and singulair and claritan. It sucks. She's just gotta struggle through this time of year!

[Maestro]

28. I forgot the singulair as well

An asthma attack can look like a cold, with fatigue, coughing, runny nose. I know how bad they can be. Is she coughing much at night? That is the worst for the both of you.

[JimmyJazz]

33. yes, she is coughing constantly. that's what is so hard - hearing her

struggle like that and the fatigue and pain in her body from all the coughing. It's tough to handle, but you have all been terrific. Me and my sister are crying from all the love. Tx bunches!!!! you have no idea.

[Tsiyu]

5. So sorry 101er

Is the air quality particularly poor where you are or is she having a viral or allergic episode?

Do you do the home neb treatments? There is nothing more frightening than watching a kid struggle to breathe.


Healthy, free-breathing thoughts go your way....O8)

[JimmyJazz]

16. The air quaility isn't poor, but we are in a heavy hay fever, rag weed

area. She has the coughing asthma which means she can literally cough for hours on end and it's heartbreaking. Thank you so much for your concern. It means a lot to me and my family.

Love all of you,

Donna

[Tsiyu]

50. Sounds weird but sometimes works

Turn on the AC ( Check the filters, you no doubt do) and get a big pot of water boiling. This cleans and moisturizes the air. Hope it's getting better.

[SoCalDem]

65. A trick that my friend used on her daughter.. It sounds silly,

but it helped..

She would soak a washcloth (no fabric softener used) in the hottest water she could stand, wring it almost dry, and have Jamie "breathe through it".. I know it sounds silly but it did work :shrug:

Jamie had the coughing fit kind of asthma too, and the more she coughed, the more she coughed.. The damp warm air seemed to halt the coughing.

[alittlelark]

6. Damn, my 11 year old nephew was hospitalized for 4 days w/ that

less than 2 weeks ago! Damn nasty stuff. My sister found a homeopath/herbalist who is working with her in Alb. Traditional medicine only works for crisis situations.

I wish your daughter well, and I would recommend looking into alternatives once this crisis has past.:hug:

[faithnotgreed]

17. definitely agree that alternative medicine can help

in so many situations i havent been to a traditional doctor since i cant remember theres such an explosion of illnesses across the spectrum and the only ones who benefit are the doctors and drug companies....

and yes, in crisis situations, traditional doctors are largely the way to go

[JimmyJazz]

18. good advice -we will look into it 0 any thing is better than this!

[qanda]

7. I can relate...

My husband and both my children have asthma. Your daughter will definitely be in my prayers. Hang in there!

[JimmyJazz]

19. thanks. it means more than you know

[CO Liberal]

8. Don't Know If You're Into Alternate Treatments....

...but Mrs.COLiberal and I are both Reiki Masters. We'll send positive energy to you and your daughter.

[JimmyJazz]

20. have mrs. co lib (or you) pm me some more info - she's my bud ya know!

[tibbir]

9. I hope your daughter gets relief as soon as possible.

I will hold her - and you - in my thoughts.

[roguevalley]

10. Hug her for me, honey. I have asthma too but lost the symptoms when I

moved to the dry air of Alaska. I eat a banana when I feel the effects and take potassium. I hope its as easy for her as it was for me. Hugs to you both.

[dave502d]

14. God be with Her and you.

[JimmyJazz]

43. thank you - I appreciate all prayers n/t

[huntsvilledem]

15. hey there, I'll pray for her..

I used to have asthma so I know how scary it can be

[JimmyJazz]

22. thanks everyone. I knew I would get the support I needed right here

you have know idea what this means to me! :cry:

I'll be back to posting silly pictures soon I hope.

[CO Liberal]

23. We Hope So, Too

The world can't have enough silly pictures.

Besides Sandie's waiting for another picture of Strummer!!! :-)

[JimmyJazz]

30. tell her I said hello and Take That -

It's really serious right now, but there's always time for a giggle or two.

[ogradda]

21. im sorry

i hear that's terrible.

[JimmyJazz]

25. it's difficult to watch your child struggle for air. I appreciate all the

wonderful messages everyone has sent. I encourage anyone who smokes to stop especially if they have children in their home. My husband and I didn't smoke, but our daughter still has this affliction. This is an epidemic in our country and it needs to be addressed more fully. What is happening to our environment that asthma is now reaching epidemic proporations? I think this will be my new platform!

Thanks so much for all the support, thoughts and prayers. You at DU are the best,

Donna

[CO Liberal]

32. Watch What Olivia is Eating, Too

Artificial ingredients, preservatives, and growth hormones can trigger asthmatic reactions.

Has Olivia been tested for allergies? Something as simple as a wheat allergy can cause breathing difficulties.

Here in Colorado, asthma has reached epidemic proportions - a combination of the altitude and the dusty conditions caused by our multi-year drought.

Go to your local health food store tomorrow or check Amazon.com for holostic alternatives to help her asthma. Many doctors are now going the holistic route as well, so you may be able to find one in your area.

[JimmyJazz]

34. we are sure it's related to seasonal allergies because she is only

affected between now and January, after that, she's home free. it starts with rag weed and ends when people take down their Christmas trees! We have looked into the food aspect, but can't seem to find any trigger. But, I do appreciate your input in that regard! You are absolutely correct that diet can affect asthma.

[yardwork]

26. I'm sorry - I am sending good thoughts for you and Olivia

It's terrible to see a child suffer. I hope she feels better soon.

My niece is named Olivia, and she is also about six years old.

[deadparrot]

27. I'm so sorry. Good thoughts and prayers coming your way.

Hope she feels better soon.

[getoffmytrain]

29. Good luck to you and your daugther.

I have a friend that had been plauged with bad asthma his whole life and he found some new inhaler of some sorts that has worked wonders for him. I hear they've made some good progress in treating asthma in the last few years. Hope your daughter is fine.

[JimmyJazz]

38. can't say I'm digging the avatar, but it is an improvement. Thanks

Jake, for the kind words. It means more to me than you know. I'll be back to showing you my ass in no time, but for now, I am just thankful for the support. Sorry I called you a freeper!

P.S. Don't they build barns in Austin?

[JimmyJazz]

60. delete -dupe

[Skittles]

35. so scary for a child

big Skittles cyberhug for Olivia (((((((((((((((((((((HUG)))))))))))))))))))))))

[Zuni]

36. I will say a prayer for her

Best of luck. I suffer from allergy related asthma myself.

[JimmyJazz]

40. thanks so much. I am so touched by everyone's response.

[JohnKleeb]

37. Hope she feels better

My brother has it too and he's been in the hospital because of it.

[JimmyJazz]

39. thanks love. Can I just tell everyone that within 30 minutes of

posting this message, my daughter has stopped coughing (she coughed non-stop for the previous 12 hours)? Thank you so much. I believe in the power of positive energy and prayer and everyone just proved that to be true. I can't thank you enough for this. Consider yourselves all hugged! And, tomorrow, it's back to the silly pictures!

Donna

[Reciprocity]

41. Sending heartfelt prayers, good vibes, positive energy, and karma your way

[JimmyJazz]

44. I'm not so sure about the karma, but the kitty sure is cute

thank you ever so much. I am so touched by everyone's kindness. I am in the right (or is it the left) place. :)

[Reciprocity]

48. DU is a big tent so I wanted to cover all bases.

Mad as a wet hen .

[JimmyJazz]

51. thanks - I needed the giggle. n/t

[Wapsie B]

42. I'm an asthmastic as well.

Grew up on a farm where I had a terrible reaction to freshly plowed soil. So I know what she's going through. There's got to be another inhaler that would work like Advair, Flovent, Serevent to name a few. I hope you can find something that helps her.

[JimmyJazz]

46. Thank you. I am not trying to kick my own post, I am just

so touched by everyone's response. My sister is sitting here watching DU in action for the first time and is most impressed. She can't wait to join in the family! :yourock:

[onebigbadwulf]

45. Well it depends on the kind of asthma

if it's exercise induced - i'd tell you to get her to lay down

if it's regular asthma get her up on her feet breathing in and out of a paper bag

[JimmyJazz]

47. it's seasonal allegy induced and coughs non-stop. Since I posted

this thread and people have held her in their thoughts and prayers, she has been resting comfortably. Thank you so much.

[murielm99]

49. I hope she continues to rest comfortably, and feels better

tomorrow.

You both will be in my thoughts are prayers.

[JimmyJazz]

54. thanks love , much obliged n/t

[faithnotgreed]

52. possibly stupid question:

i understand from the thread that youre talking about airborne allergens ... do you have a good air filter in the house or in her bedroom?

i agree with others who have mentioned herbalist/homeopath as an option, and also someone who asked about her diet.. those are legitimate points. but i was also wondering if an air filter would help (or if it has, if youve already tried it)

theres a great difference among air filters but its worth asking about.

im so glad olivia is resting comfortably rightnow. continued prayers for her (and for you!)

[JimmyJazz]

55. thanks and that is a good point. She is doing better this year than

last because her classroom does not have carpet. But, I will certainly look into a home air filter. It doesn't seem to be the problem because she isn't affected from Feb thru April (when we are still running the heater), but it is worth looking into. I so appreciate everyone's comments, prayers, concerns, etc. She has been sleeping soundly for over one hour and I know it is because so many are holding her up right now. Thank you.

[Th1onein]

53. I have looked a little bit at this disease...........

If you look at the research concerning this disease, you will find that the major players in it are extracellular glutathione and nitric oxide. It is a pretty simple disease to understand, once you understand the relationship between these two compounds, both intracellularly and extracellularlly.

It seems that the major player in terms of death in this disease is S-nitrosoglutathione, which is nothing more than the extracellular combination of nitric oxide and glutathione. It is my opinion, from studying the relationship of glutathione, both intracellularly and extracellularly, to the cell, that most asthma victims are the victims of one or the other compound.

Asthma, itself, and especially deadly asthma, is caused from a decrease of extracellular S-nitrosoglutathione. Assuming that the CFTR protein works well enough, the problem is probably an increase in extracellular (glutathione) GSH, which cleaves S-nitrosoglutathione, and which has been shown to cause closure of the airways.

If you wish to resolve this imbalance, you should use L-arginine, instead of the bronchodilators, which probably work via the adrenergic receptors, at best.

It is very simple: if there is an increase in GSH transport to the extracellular space, and GSH is the other half of the necessary compound to relax airways (S-nitrosoglutathione), and it also acts to cleave the compound that increases airway relaxation (GSNO), then provide the other conjugate, to use it up.

L-arginine does that for asmathics.

Very simple.

[JimmyJazz]

56. not so simple for the concerned parent. may I send you a pm ?

[Th1onein]

59. Yes, certainly you can do that....

The people that publish my research, though, have a website: www.sharktank.org. I wrote a paper on the effect of S-nitrosoglutathione in CF pathology. I think that it is included on that website.

It is pretty obvious that S-nitrosogluathione is the major player in terms of asthma. Once you understand that, you are not very far from understanding the disease, itself.

But, not to get carried away with the science........yes, go ahead, send me something privately.

I will watch for it.

Melanie

[GoddessOfGuinness]

57. Adding my good thoughts for Olivia...

Sending hugs :hug: and healing cybervibes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[JimmyJazz]

58. goddess

:yourock: I am touched beyond all words. thank you!

[LTR]

61. I know the feeling

I recently started suffering from mild asthma. Occasionally, I wheezed noticeably, and have had a few attacks. I was a smoker for about a decade or so, not sure if that led to it. I have cut down drastically, and hope to be off them completely soon.

Asthma can be very, very scary. I extend my best wishes.

[ogradda]

62. is she doing any better yet?

:hug:

[vinnievin777]

63. My prayers are with you and your daughter

Please keep us posted.
Vinnie

http://www.vinnievin.com

[Rhiannon12866]

I have asthma, too, and know how frightening this can be

You and your daughter are in my thoughts and prayers.:hug:

[Rhiannon12866]

66. I have asthma, too, and know how frightening this can be

You and your daughter are in my thoughts and prayers.:hug:

[ps1074]

67. Sending good vibes

eom

[MrScorpio]

68. You have all my prayers and hopes that your daughter recovers

Take care

[japple]

69. Sending positive waves

in your daughter's direction. I had severe asthma as a child and now, even 50 years later, remember struggling to catch a breath. Back then there was no good treatment for it. I remember how my dear mother (may she rest in peace) would vacuum my bedroom every day and wipe down everything with a damp cloth to remove dust. I also remember having to sleep sitting up because I couldn't breathe lying down. Thank god for Advair Diskus which I have been using for a couple of years now with very good results. I hope you can find something that works better than what she's using now. I'm also using Zyrtec to control the allergies and it has helped tremendously.

[JimmyJazz]

70. I tried to send you a private message, but you don't have enough

posts yet. I didn't really want to kick this thread, but I wanted to make sure I responded to everyone who wrote. I think I got most by private message this morning. If I missed someone, I apologize. everyone has been so wonderful. I went back and read all the posts this morning and feel so fortunate to have found DU.

I welcome all the advice people gave and, I know I sound like a broken record, but thank you again for all your concern, positive energy and prayers. :yourock:

Donna

P.s. put up some more posts so we can overload your inbox!

[bif]

71. My daughter used ventalin with a ventilator

And it worked wonders. Luckily she outgrew her asthma when she was about 4. It's scary when you see the poor things struggling for breath. I know what you're going through.

[JimmyJazz]

73. I've never heard of that. I will look into it.

We have to be very careful because Olivia had a psychotic episode when she used albuterol (talk about scary) and now she's on pulmacort and Xopenex, but neither really seem to provide much relief. I think the only reasons the Xopenex worked last night was because she was crying and inhaling deeply and because everyone was holding her up! Okay, now I'm crying again.

[bif]

75. Here's how it worked...

whgenever she was struggling to breath (It seemed like a cold would bring it on) we useed the ventilator. We'd put a few drops of the Ventalin in the machine and it would create a mist. We'd hold her and put the mask over her mouth and she'd breath it in for a couple minutes. It opens up the capilaries in the lungs and makes it a lot easier to breath. We were at the ER so often we finally got a script to buy the machine. And luckily the insurance covered it. I'm surprised you doctor didn't try this. I thought is was a pretty common treatment.

[Radius]

72. My Thoughts and Prayers

are with you. My wife suffered terribly from asthma when she was younger. She outgrew most of it but it is a lifelong illness.

Here is the list of the best respiratory hospitals in the world. If you have insurance these are great options. If not some have assistance programs.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/hosptl/rankings/specihqpulm.htm

I can personally vouch for Duke and J. Hopkins.

If you have insurance questions please feel free to privately send me a message. I sold and managed corporate plans while I was in college and am happy to help any way I can.

"All systems have rules, some you can bend..and others you can break"

[JimmyJazz]

74. I will certainly look into this. She cannot continue to struggle

like this. We are close to Johns Hopkins. As for the insurance, I suspect a battle will ensue. Yesterday, when I went to refill the Singulair, I found out I need prior approval from the insurance company to get it. It's infuriating - what does some insurance adjuster know that my daughter's doctor doesn't???

I'll be sure to send you pm. Thanks for the information.

Donna

[Reciprocity]

76. How is Olivia doing? n/t

[JimmyJazz]

78. Olivia slept well last night, but is still struggling this morning.

I kept her out of school today (she's with my mom). I'm hoping with one more day of consistent treatments (nebulizer, singulair, etc.) that she will improve enough to return to school tomorrow. I am so completely blown away by everyone's kindness and concern.

I love your screen name, BTW :)

[Reciprocity]

81. Lets get the prayer machine in gear folks.

Thanks for the kind words.

I love the name Olivia too. It means bringer of peace.

In mythology olives are an important symbol.

According to Ionian mythology, the father of the gods promised the land of Attica to the god or goddess who would give it the most original and useful gift. Athena, the goddess of Wisdom, won the land from Poseidon, by offering an olive tree, symbol of welfare and peace. This is why the city was called after the goddess and the sacred olive tree was carefully tended on the rock of Acropolis.

Homer featured olive oil and olive trees prominently. For instance, olive branches ensured that the souls of the dead successfully crossed the river Acheron to the underworld on Charon’s boat. For the same reasons, the Spartans buried their dead on a bed of olive twigs; those who attended the funeral wore crowns of olive branches to protect themselves from evil.

[barackmyworld]

77. I'm sorry...I've been through it

When I was about 7, I had horrible asthma so I had to breathe off of a medicated ventilator for 30 minutes a day, and I was hospitalized once. One bit of hope is that many children grow out of asthma, as I did.

[skygazer]

79. I'm so sorry

I feel so badly for children suffering with illness. It's so hard to see them in distress and not be able to help them more. I have mild asthma and that's difficult enough to deal with.

You are both in my thoughts. Oh, and I love the name Olivia, btw. It's one of my favorites. :hi:

[miss_kitty]

80. Wow 101er

I am sorry. My nieces and nephews all struggled with that and luckily grew out of it.

Something I have always found soothing and surprisingly helpful is hot water, lemon juice, and honey (I think the honey is medicinal) all organic of course.

You can both have some and it'll make her feel all bonded and calmer and stuff-I am not being very-i can't think of the word-it means 'good with words' glib sort of-Anyway-I'll keep a good thought for you guys ALL WINTER LONG!

:hi:

[Pithlet]

82. Sending good thoughts your way for your daughter.

I hope she feels well soon.

[JimmyJazz]

83. thank you dear, she is doing much better today. She is with

my mom today, but should be back in school tomorrow. I'm supposed to be working, but I've been busy responding to people's kind words to me and my daughter - okay, that and playing around in Mr. Scorpio's pool, but that's another thread. Thanks again, everyone. :)

You're the best,

Donna

[CO Liberal]

84. I'm Glad Olivia Is Doing Better Today, Donna

:-)