Now Take Three Deep Breaths: Asthma Can Be Controlled

We discovered his asthma when Eden was three.

The next three years were the worst ones. Eden had constant asthmatic flairs.

I found an Osteopath who advised a three-pronged approach: Inhaled asthma medication as needed; ongoing homeopathic treatment; daily dosages of EPA fish oil.

Three is said to be a lucky number. Eden is almost eight years old and while I didn't feel very lucky when I wrote this essay, I do now. Eden's asthma is better. Much, much better. He has few flairs, no daily medication and predictable and controllable allergic triggers. Just writing that "takes my breath away."

My son, Eden, was three years old before he revealed the limits of his lungs (read: allergic asthma.) It happened after what already seemed like a lifetime of severe food allergies. When the Big Kahuna - peanuts, milk, etc. - rode in on his blood work, our allergist warned me, "Keep an eye out for outdoor allergies." Uh, of course.

When Eden turned three, I felt ready to take a significant baby step - local travel. My husband and I wanted both kids to have a broader range of outdoor sensory experiences. (It's tricky traversing Central Park with Epi-pens, Benadryl, topical cream, ice packs and enough food to satisfy a hungry toddler who can't eat in restaurants.) So we rented an "off-season" house in South Hampton to unwind in nature's civilized bounty.

Over those months, weekends became the fulcrum to our weeks. The kids rode bikes and examined leaves while I sniffed the exhaust-free air with self congratulations. When the ice on the pool cover thawed two misguided ducks adapted our yard. It was our Walden Pond, a rich off season.

Read the rest on The Huffington Post...

In addition, a new website called Asthma Allergies Children Dot Com provides a helpful Parents Web Guide