By Deanne Canieso, AANMA Patient Advocate

The debate over the debt ceiling was more than a cursory discussion for many Americans.  It was the source of frustration as negotiations, back-handed and forward-moving, were measured against a looming deadline. The issue compelled lively discussion among members of Congress and transfixed political and healthcare pundits with a sense of urgency knowing that if the debt ceiling was not raised, America would be unable to pay its bills and go into default. We were once again reminded not only of the limits of our economy, but of Congress’ challenges. Read the rest of this entry »

“No one gave me a crystal ball when my child was born. No one said: ‘One day, your child will be diagnosed with asthma.’ If they had, I could have prepared – read a book, taken a class. Instead, I found myself at the doctor’s office hearing the word asthma – and not knowing what to do next.” Read the rest of this entry »

Click here for the “My Asthma and Allergy Journey” blog!

“No one gave me a crystal ball when my child was born. No one said: ‘One day, your child will be diagnosed with asthma.’ If they had, I could have prepared – read a book, taken a class. Instead, I found myself at the doctor’s office hearing the word asthma – and not knowing what to do next.”

That’s how Kathleen Elder felt when the doctor diagnosed her son William with asthma and she came to AANMA for help. Read the rest of this entry »

Click here for AANMA’s Take A Weekly Breather blog!

AANMA is thriving in the wonderful world of Web 2.0. Join us on Facebook and Twitter and our Take A Weekly Breather blog, written by AANMA Founder and President Nancy Sander. AANMA’s official blog is a hotbed of up-to-the-minute news and real-life stories, with a warm and friendly tone.  Read the rest of this entry »

AANMA members Caleb and Debbie Lucien of Pignon, Haiti, send the following relief efforts update (click to read the letter from Caleb). Last week, AANMA sent EpiPen auto-injectable epinephrine to Haiti. We’re working with Forest and Monaghan to send AeroChamber holding chambers in every size available, and we’re hoping to secure medications for respiratory patients. You’ll see a list of urgent needs in the letter from Caleb, but remember, he’s only asking for the very basics. Read the rest of this entry »

Within hours of learning about the earthquake in Haiti, we began efforts to reach two of our AANMA members, Caleb and Debbie Lucien, who live in Pignon, Haiti – about 90 miles from Port-au-Prince. Caleb and Debbie know about asthma firsthand from when their children were very young, and still Read the rest of this entry »

The flu is decidedly not the only terrible bug going around this season. Call it the crud if you will, but whatever this unnamed thing is – it’s terrible. Many of us who haven’t so much as wheezed or sneezed in ages are now coughing and hacking or giving breathing Read the rest of this entry »

Garlic recipe: Boil whole heads of garlic for 8-10 minutes until fork tender. Slice in half. With half cloves facing down, fry in cast-iron pan with olive oil, salt and pepper til crisp, about 5 Read the rest of this entry »

The Energizer Bunny can’t compete with Sandra Fusco-Walker, AANMA’s Director of Patient Advocacy. She never stops! For those of you following the story, Sandra’s been working on changing state laws to allow students with asthma and Read the rest of this entry »

Making a list, checking it twice… No, I’m not talking about Santa Claus–I’m writing to YOU! Holidays get so filled with frivolity that we often neglect important routines such as checking expiration dates on medication until Read the rest of this entry »