Parenting and Asthma
This post is sponsored by Sanofi and Regeneron.
Ari was the BEST baby! In the beginning, she was relatively easygoing despite our go-go-go lifestyle, but, over time, we began to notice changes in her health. She was still under a year old when we took her to the ER for some breathing difficulties and for throwing up when she would cough. They sent us home with a nebulizer and a diagnosis, and that’s where her – and also our – journey with moderate asthma officially began.
My husband and I had never experienced the challenges that come with a moderate asthma diagnosis – it was overwhelming at first. But since then, we’ve experienced so much that’s taught us a lot along the way.
One memory that stands out was a trip to the lake when Ari was about three – we were swimming with friends and I noticed Ari was out of breath and having long coughing fits. After weeks of proactively monitoring her symptoms, we realized there was pollen sitting on top of the water. After this “a-ha” moment, we started being extra vigilant about her asthma management to combat her flare ups.
Over the years, we’ve also had to adapt Ari’s daily routine to ensure she can stay on top of her symptoms. When she started cheerleading, we worked with her coach to ensure she was always getting enough breaks in between drills to minimize the risk of her experiencing a flare up. We want her to be able to participate in more of the things she loves, while still making sure we, as her parents, are being proactive when we can. This includes helping her to recognize her symptoms on her own, so she knows when her moderate asthma has been triggered.
Being 9 years old, she is at an age where she can understand what it means when her lungs hurt. Ari will now say “I feel like I can’t get good air,” in recognition of her symptoms, allowing us to act more quickly.
Although Ari knows she has moderate asthma, she has never met someone who also shares her same diagnosis. But, this past summer, we traveled to NYC and changed that! In New York, we met other families living with moderate-to-severe asthma and connected with them on some of the similar obstacles that we’ve all faced along our journey.
We participated in a video shoot for LungZone, an educational program from Sanofi and Regeneron that sheds light on the “a-ha” moments that caretakers of kids living with moderate to-severe asthma experience – moments that have empowered all of us to get the tools and resources to help our kids achieve better asthma control. It was so nice to be surrounded by people with relatable experiences, and to hear advice on things that worked for them when managing their child’s diagnosis!
I felt so inspired by the conversations we had on set, and it made me reflect on how Ari was oblivious to the severity of her condition in early years. While I have distinct memories of Ari being hospitalized due to her troubled breathing, Ari is clueless. However, she was impressed that I had shared guidelines and education with her cheerleading coach about her moderate asthma diagnosis. She had no idea I did that! There’s a lot to know and as her mom, it’s important for me to proactively manage her moderate asthma so she can keep doing the things she loves!
My husband and I know that Ari’s experience living with moderate asthma can be a lifelong battle, and we are doing our best to make sure she has the best childhood possible.
Thanks to Sanofi and Regeneron for encouraging me to share our journey with moderate asthma. I hope other families will be inspired by our story!
If you or someone you care for has uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma, consider reading about DUPIXENT® (dupilumab). DUPIXENT® is an add-on medication for adults and children 6 years and older with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eosinophilic or oral steroid dependent asthma that can help improve lung function and help prevent severe asthma attacks.
DUPIXENT® blocks two of the key sources of inflammation in the lungs and can help those living with moderate-to-severe asthma breathe easier and fight their asthma symptoms every day. DUPIXENT® has been shown to help prevent severe asthma attacks and can reduce or eliminate the need for oral steroids, in some patients. The most common side effects in patients with asthma include injection site reactions, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), pain in the throat (oropharyngeal pain), and parasitic (helminth) infections. Ariana is not on DUPIXENT® as part of her treatment plan, but you can read more about people’s experience with this treatment here.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION & INDICATION
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®
Before using DUPIXENT, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
• have a parasitic (helminth) infection
• are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a “live vaccine” right before and during treatment with DUPIXENT.
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether DUPIXENT will harm your unborn baby.
o A pregnancy registry for women who take DUPIXENT during pregnancy collects information about the health of you and your baby. To enroll or get more information call 1-877-311- 8972 or go to https://mothertobaby.org/ongoing-study/dupixent/.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether DUPIXENT passes into your breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Especially tell your healthcare provider if you are taking oral, topical, or inhaled corticosteroid medicines or use an asthma medicine. Do not change or stop your corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine without talking to your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine to come back.
DUPIXENT can cause serious side effects, including:
• Allergic reactions. DUPIXENT can cause allergic reactions that can sometimes be severe. Stop using DUPIXENT and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: breathing problems or wheezing, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fast pulse, fever, hives, joint pain, general ill feeling, itching, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, nausea or vomiting, or cramps in your stomach-area.
• Inflammation of your blood vessels. Rarely, this can happen in people with asthma who receive DUPIXENT. This may happen in people who also take a steroid medicine by mouth that is being stopped or the dose is being lowered. It is not known whether this is caused by DUPIXENT. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of your arms or legs, or persistent fever.
• Joint aches and pain. Some people who use DUPIXENT have had trouble walking or moving due to their joint symptoms, and in some cases needed to be hospitalized. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or worsening joint symptoms. Your healthcare provider may stop DUPIXENT if you develop joint symptoms.
The most common side effects in patients with asthma include injection site reactions, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), pain in the throat (oropharyngeal pain), and parasitic (helminth) infections.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of DUPIXENT. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Use DUPIXENT exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It’s an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Your healthcare provider will decide if you or your caregiver can inject DUPIXENT. Do not try to prepare and inject DUPIXENT until you or your caregiver have been trained by your healthcare provider. In children 12 years of age and older, it’s recommended DUPIXENT be administered by or under supervision of an adult. In children 6 to less than 12 years of age, DUPIXENT should be given by a caregiver.
Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information.
INDICATION
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of moderate-to-severe eosinophilic or oral steroid dependent asthma in adults and children 6 years of age and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. DUPIXENT helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and can improve your breathing. DUPIXENT may also help reduce the amount of oral corticosteroids you need while preventing severe asthma attacks and improving your breathing. DUPIXENT is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with asthma under 6 years of age.
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