Asthma Bag by Design

Note: 24/05/15 Asthma Bag by Design – very true. To illustrate my thinking at the time the bags (which are really a system) went to market, this is an earlier blog posts. The post follows on from the first one, Introduction and Inspiration. Here is my story:

Why design an asthma bag? Because it was a necessity.

After using My Asthma Bag at home and school for only a few months, I could see how being organised helped with asthma management.  When my daughter visited friends or family, I could leave the bag with them and they had all the equipment and instructions they needed.  It made me feel more confident when leaving her with another adult.

We didn’t have to rush home from a birthday party or social event because Sophie needed her asthma medications anymore, because I took the bag with me each time I left the house.

Doctor visits became about how my daughter was feeling as well as what was “actually happening”.  By using the log books I was able to discuss with the Doctor how often medication were being given, and why.   This was something that was missed before.  Once I could show with certainty the information collected, it really helped the doctor to see what I was seeing, but was unable to convey.

My daughter was also assigned to a Pediatric Respiratory Specialist, who encouraged 6 monthly appointments, well or not.  Again, the changes made to my daughter’s asthma plan, came back to how medications where being given, and the facts of the log book.  He also picked up that I was trying to protect her from asthmatic events, so I changed my behaviour to support and encourage her to do more for herself.

After seeing my child’s health so drastically improve, I am now a firm believer in asthma action plans and log books.  So my advise to any parent would be to keep those two items available and use them.

The National Asthma Council advise:

Written asthma action plans are one of the most effective asthma interventions available. Use of a written asthma action plan:

• reduces absences from work or school
• reduces hospital admissions
• reduces emergency visits to general practice
• reduces reliever medication use
• improves lung function.

Asthma bag by design. The bags where made out of necessity, to help a young person gain some quality of life and I feel that has been achieved. As Plato, student of Socrates, Classical Greek Philosopher said – “Necessity, the mother of invention”.

Links:
Bello Alito My Asthma Bag