Fires again!






I've been watching all of the stories on the news about the fires in California and Oregon. It's so hard to see the home owners on the news after their houses have burned. It shows families going back to what was their house, only to find ashes there now.

We live two states away, and our skies are filled with smoke from the fires.

Smoke and asthma are NOT a good mix. In fact, when I was watching the stories on the news, my first thought was "How can those people be there around all that smoke!?" I can't see how any of the reporters, government officials, home owners and fire fighters can stand it. It made me wonder if any of them have asthma?

The smoke is bad enough where I live, how can they stand being in the same area where the fire is burning? I have been having problems with my asthma and my throat is burning and my eyes are running. 

 I work in an office, so the air here is filtered. I also have air cleaners and a filter system on my air conditioning at home. And luckily, I have a button in my car where I can re-circulate the air, so it doesn't pull in smoke from outside. But I still don't feel well at all.

I shouldn't complain - when Son #2 was around 10 years old, he almost died from the smoke from a forest fire in our valley. He had been outside playing, and I didn't notice how far the smoke had spread. The fire was about 15 miles away, but the smoke filled the whole valley. 

(You would think kids would be smart enough to come inside when it's that smokey, but hey - that might interrupt any fun they are having hanging out with friends!)

By the time he came inside, he was really struggling to breathe. We used the nebulizer and gave him a breathing treatment, but he just got worse. He ended up in the Emergency Department, and they quickly admitted him to the Pediatrics ward of our hospital. He was in ICU, and they had the "crash cart" outside his room. (I found out later that they parked the cart there in case he stopped breathing so they could resuscitate him.)  

 I have learned SO much since then! We didn't know much about asthma, and what could make asthma worse. Smoke is high up there on the list for us. 

If you are having problems breathing, and aren't sure if you should treat it at home, or go to the emergency room, Nemours has a great webpage that may help.

As for me, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for rain. These fires are horrible! 

 


Comments

  1. Got my feedling tube in, im currently in the hospital for a tune up, before my feeding tube i hadnt eaten for 4 days. I need a pancreas transplant and im on the waiting list. Luckily we dont get many fires here in houston, we are so close to the ocean and its very humid here

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    Replies
    1. Oh sheesh! Do you ever catch a break? I hope all goes well! HUGS!!

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