worrying about daughter's asthma

Hi there

My 19-month-old daughter has been diagnosed with 'probable asthma' (I'm sure it is as she has allergies and there's a history of asthma on my husband's side of the family.) We've been admitted three times overnight including one particularly scary episode and have had several other occasions when she has needed lots of salbutomol and/or prednisolone. Ever since the last hospital admission I find it very hard not to panic when she gets colds and when she starts to get a bit short of breath. The asthma nurse told us to carry on as normal and not to stop doing things. I don't want to wrap her up in cotton wool but equally I know that when she starts to get coldy or starts coughing that it usually gets worse so am at a bit of a loss as to how to get that balance right.

Does anyone have any advice about how they deal with the anxiety and also how much you really should 'get on with it' versus always erring on the side of caution?

Look forward to any suggestions!

Worried Mum

Fiona

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hi fiona it is hard to get the rite balance to start with sometimes even now after all these years of my kids having asthma am i still doing the rite thing

gradually u get to know have a feel for it well thats how i am i get days where i think should i have really sent the kids to school this morning then have a phone call an hour later can u come and get so and so off i trot

also then after a attack should i send bk wait a day or 2 or wot

since i was diagnosed last year with being asthmatic i am starting to understand how the children are feeling

i dread this time of year the colds are already settling in we all had it on antib's etc

my chest is bad i have to go to the school to pick the kids up if one of kids is bad i have to pick the other one up from school yes i may go by car (if they wheezy/breathless)but i have to go

the older one was bad last weekend we didn't have to do anything so we stayed at home

basically i am trying to say u as the mother will know when to slow the pace down/keep going but its learning to have the confidence in yrself never ever feel (i know its hard) that u are doing the wrong thing

karen

mumof4

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Hi,

reading your ""post"" i realise I have just posted the same thing. I've talked to my health visitor about the stress I feel when my son is bad and she basically said that it is normal - which i suppose it is. I have found talking about it does help, but I'm afraid that basically I'm in the same boat - if that is of any comfort?

good luck

Anne

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Hi Fiona

I was really moved by your email simply because I too am in the same position. My daughter was diagnosed a couple of months ago when she was 18 months old. Whilst I expected it I find it upsetting that we have such a fabulous little girl but by shear misfortune our combined genes mean our children are more than likely going to be asthmatic.

I dread this winter after last year and wish we will not have another as hard as last year. So the way I'm looking at it is to think of the positives. 1. She has great treatment now 2. we know what we are dealing with 3. she's had the flu injection so hopefully she will not suffer as much this year with viruses 4. I've dealt with one winter without the treatment, so this year armed with the above I'll be stronger....etc etc.

I hope that helps you and good luck. Let me know how your daughter gets on.

Sarah

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thank you

Thank you for the nice replies - it does make it better knowing that other people have the same issues and manage to deal with them. I think trying to look for the positives is a good one to do and I will try to focus on that. The best one i came up with the last time my little girl was ill was that it made me appreciate even more than I did already how much I love her. Also I guess you do get better at trusting your judgement with more experience.

I will hopefully keep in touch with you online - even if friends and family are supportive I don't think anyone ever quite says the right thing or really understands if they haven't experienced it.

Take care

Fiona

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Hi Fiona,

we have a baby boy who was diagnosed with asthma after our last hospital stay in July (age 15 months).

I was more stressed before when the doctors (general pediatricians) were just ignoring our condition.

Now, since he has officially being diagnosed and properly treated by a specialist (he takes two medications every day), the boy has had very few symptoms and we all have being much happier. During the last visit we started to decrease the medications and we are very hopeful for the future.

Before, we had emergency room visits every two weeks (since April) a few hospitalizations and I just could not sleep during the night, holding my baby and praying he will start breading better and not wake up in the next two hours. It was an agony.

My advice, you cannot just ""keep going"", until the condition is treated appropriately. I was very stressed myself, looking for asthma triggers and finding them everywhere (food, dust, colds ...). Talk to your doctor! We realized, that before the diagnose was made, we were not advised properly how and when to use the rescue medication. We learned that having cold is fine, if we know what to do from the onset.

Please, do not feel bad that you worry about your daughter's asthma. Talk to friends and try to get to a good specialist.

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Hi Fiona

Please keep in touch and let me know how your little girl is getting on.

Its really reassuring knowing other people going through the same thing. I hope this winter is easier for you.

Take care

Sarah

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im the same

hi im going through the same thing right now with my daughter, she was diagnosed when she was 6mths old but didnt have her first attack until september 08 shes nearly 3 now, but she has just had another and is bk in hospital, its a never ending worry, im exhausted with her waking every night coughing and vomiting, every cough and sniffle makes me think shes going to have another attack. have you been refered to a specialist yet? im due to go in november so hopefully they will be able to help me more.