Hello Bree! It's great to hear from you. I've wondered how you and Nikki are doing. I am glad that you're enjoying the summer. Actually here in California it's cooling slightly as if fall is in the air. I find that delightful!

Hugs,

Emma

Hiya Bree. As always, it is so good to hear from You. Bree, I have Asthma too, and I have to use 3 different Inhaler's, at least twice a day, every day of the year. With it being summer here in The U.K. as well, it has been so nice to wear My summer dresses, or summer skirt's and top's or blouses. This is My second summer living as a Female. Bree, I understand what You mean about the weather having gone strange, and We had one afternoon, with 44 degrees Centigrade - 111 degrees Fahrenheit. That was in the Shade. Unheard of here. It was definitely a case of keeping Hydrated, and drinking plenty of Water. Bree, I Am glad that You and Nikki are enjoying the great outdoors this Summer. Bree, I hope that Your Asthma holds off, and that You and Nikki keep in Good Health. Bree and Nikki, Take Care, Big Hugs to You Both, And My Very Best Wishes, Love Stephanie. xxxxxxxx 

Hi everyone!  We're doing great, Nikki has responded to the Zoloft exceedingly well and continues with this therapy, although they bumped it down to monthly since he's doing so great.    And we had a wild summer packed full of all things fun.  (and i also managed not to explode and actually made the fireworks at the fourth of july this year!).  I have 8 more working days, then I"m outta the job from hell.  Nikki continues to look for a new job, but being back on an overall even keel has returned to his I like my job, just not my coworkers overall feeling about it and is doing fine.  I'm mad at the library for not hiring him, I think he would have loved working there!

Oh my gosh STeph, that is insane heat.  The worst we hit was 98 degrees Fahrenheit, which my phone tells me is 36.7 celcius.  I swear the pool is the reason we made it through this summer without hospitalization for heat stroke, the humidity has been weirdly insane for the lack of rain that fell this year.  I've spent summers here since I was 8, and lived here full time since I was 23, and only in the last three years as the lawn ever crunched when you walked on it.  Being so close to the great lakes it rained a LOT. 

My asthma is holding off great, summer makes me almost like a person with normally functioning lungs!    I love summer.  It's winter where things get...unpleasant.  Nikki job hunts in Florida too, since I actually loved it there and it's warm all year round, but unlikely that he'll actually find anything, jobs like people already in the area.  But a Bree's gotta dream, right? 

And don't worry about my hydration, you should see the giant water drinking thing I walk around with.  it holds a little over a liter, and I fill it up and suck on it.  Good for the diet and the hydration both, I"m always really full of water.  I joke it's why I float in the pool so well, neutral bouyancy with all the water inside!

Dear Bree and Steph,

Have asthma, too, as both of my parents were heavy smokers when I was growing up.

At first used an inhaler A.M. and P.M., plus an emergency inhaler when needed.  Gradually got off the daily inhalers by keeping my apartment immaculate and taking precautions such as having no carpets and no pets.

Tend to get an asthma attack when I encounter something I am allergic to, change in weather and coming down with a cold.

Did not care for my Ear, Nose, Throat doctor, so I work closely with my Family Practice/Internal Medicine doctor.

Try to avoid polypharmacy (taking too many different medications).

Everything is prevention!

Be well, my friends.

Your friend,

Monica

I chose a different route, I would rather deal with the inhaler than live without animals.  For me it's a quality of life issue.  And the more time I spend around them, the less reactive to them I get.  Unfortunately, that exposure benefit hasn't worked with cold temperatures.  I live in Ohio, I get exposed.  LOL  Life is a mixed bag, some things work out and some you have to deal with on it's terms. 

I'm pretty lucky though, the attacks are mostly mild, only had a few where it was 'you're not even getting triaged you're seeing a doctor in 30 seconds of getting to the er' and I'm not triggered by perfumes, cleaning products, and every pollen known to man like a friend of mine.  So I embrace my lucky and just quietly dread winter a bit.