Just a thought

A few weeks ago I signed up to get Google Alerts about research being done on asthma. I've noticed that most of the links go to newspapers and journals from other countries. Do other countries put more of an emphasis on researching asthma than we do -- and why might that be?

MLK Service Day

This week has been non-stop for me so I haven't gotten a chance to write about my MLK Service Day experience until now.

I volunteered through Greater DC Cares, and this event was my 3rd experience volunteering with them (The other 2 being Servathon last May and 9/11 Day of Service.) This project sent me to Springhill Lake Elementary School in Greenbelt, MD. They invited the community to volunteer, so in total there would be between 75-100 people at the project. The school needed some sprucing up, and projects included painting stripes around the cafeteria as well as a mural, painting hallways and doorways, painting bathrooms as well as yardwork on campus grounds. I headed up a group of 30 or so people in decorating the cafeteria. We also painted a mural on one of the walls of fruits and vegetables.

I lived 5 minutes from Greenbelt during my years at Maryland, so I enjoyed getting out of DC for the morning and helping out another place I identify with. The City Councilman from Greenbelt also came out, which created a real sense of community at the event.

I didn't get to see how the rest of the projects turned out but I was very satisfied with how the cafeteria looked when my group was done with it.. There were even a few students walking around the school, and I could tell they liked what they saw as well.

This was the first time I've participated in a project of this size. In my other 2 experiences, I was a project manager in charge of a group of 25 people working on 1 or 2 things. It was awesome to see such a large group of people get together and work with other Project Managers and Leaders towards the same goal.

I wish I had photos but I forgot to bring my camera :( If I get a hold of some I'll be sure to post them.

Get involved!: http://www.dc-cares.org/

Style to benefit others

Shoedazzle has been one of my favorite websites for a while. For only $39.95 a month, you get to pick a pair of shoes from 5 choices picked out for you by the site's stylists. When I first joined in October, they gave every member an extra selection - a beautiful pink pump - and a portion of the sales of that shoe would go towards breast cancer research.
For American Heart Month in Feburary, they are doing something similar. They will be offering a SUPER HOT red shoe, and for each one purchased, 10% goes to WomenHeart.

Check out the shoe and learn more HERE

A quick fix is not always best

Not too long ago I learned the importance of taking preventative asthma medications when I ended up in the ER on Christmas Eve as the result of an asthma attack. THIS release based on a UK study helps to further that point. Using preventative medications, while they may take longer to show the desired effects, are the best way to combat asthma. Relief inhalers, which offer almost immediate relief, can actually make asthma worse since with frequent use they can become less effective.

While living at home back in high school, I tried out a few preventative medications and had very positive results. Once I moved away for college, I ended up stopping these medications because I thought my asthma was under control. As I am now learning, it is becoming increasingly more important for me to get back and stay on these medications if I want to live a life less effected by asthma.

In the coming weeks I plan on FINALLY doing the research I should have done a while ago on the different types of medications out there and figure out which one or ones will work best for me. I'll keep y'all updated

Because I need more text message reminders..

I came across this article from a newspaper in Oklahoma today (must be a slow news day for them) which talks about the benefits of using text messages to remind patients of appointments and to take their medications. The idea was put in place by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, but I think a service like this would be helpful to a lot of adults. I know that I personally can be very irresponsible and forget to take my medication everyday if I have to, so this would be beneficial to me. With my Blackberry attached to me almost 24/7, I am never one to miss or not respond to a text. While this is a program that could get very expensive for some people, I do think that if it could work out somehow, it would have it's merrits.


Check out the article HERE.

New Years Resolution...

Heyyy!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holidays. With the new year approaching, talk of resolutions becomes common. For me it's always the usual lose weight, be more active, find a new job - however this year it has taken on a new importance.

Whenever I went home for the holidays I would feel under the weather -- I would often write this off as my allergies to the cats we had or that there were people smoking in the house. It never bother me too much but this time when I came home I asked that people smoke outside from now on to see if that made a difference. Turns out that wasn't one of the only triggers because when we went out to Christmas Eve dinner, the combination of the smoking, a fireplace, a live Christmas tree and a dog all sent me into an asthma attack so bad I had to go to the ER.

While there, one of the first things me and my mom talked about was if there were any other medications I was taking for my asthma. Latley I'd only been using an inhaler, even though in the past I've taken preventative medications like Advair and Singulair. I'd taken these back when I was having a lot more trouble with my asthma, but recently, since I'd only needed the inhaler once every few days, I had stopped taking them.

What I learned is that even though my asthma isn't bothering me, taking medications other than the inhaler could have prevented my Christmas Eve asthma attack.

And with that, I have promised myself that in the new year I am going to go to an allergist to be sure of what allergies I have, and also a pulmonologist so he can assess my asthma and put me on the proper medications to make sure I never have an attack that's so bad that I end up in the hospital again.

Looking forward to Spring...

Springtime is probably my favorite time of year in DC -- despite the horrible allergies -- mostly because of the Cherry Blossom festival. One of the festival events I've always wanted to take part in is the 5K they hold every year. (There is also a 10-mile race but I'm not skilled enough for that one yet!) The event is so popular, last year registration was full within a few hours of opening. This year, they changed the system. Those who wanted to participate had to put their name into a lottery. Yesterday I received the news that I was accepted into the race.

Looks like come April I'll have to stock up on Claritin!


For more info: http://www.cherryblossom.org/5krunwalk.htm