REALLY DESPERATE to relocate. (Evansville, Middlebury: health insurance, house, job market)

[bluebelt1234]

I visited my family Indiana in December and last July and my asthma symptoms improved significantly. In December I was using my inhaler like twice a week and July not at all. Here in Arizona, it is a totally different story. I am using the highest dose of Advair, nebulizer, a rescue inhaler several times a day, Nasonex, Allegra, Singulair, and will soon be taking Xolair injections. Oh and I have been on short doses of prednisone here in Arizona. Thank God, I haven't gained weight yet but it makes me moody and causes my skin to break out. I am having severe asthma attacks daily, sometimes more than once a day. About an hour ago, I actually collapsed as I was trying to set up my nebulizer. In Indiana I had only very mild attacks. I am struggling to survive in Arizona.

I really, really want to move because I know if I stay in Arizona much longer that I will be facing a hospitalization or worse....death. I am a teacher and I know the job market for teachers in Indiana is horrible. I was wondering if anyone knows if it is considered acceptable to just send resumes and applications to schools without a posted position opening. I do have experience teaching ESL students but I don't think my endorsement will transfer to Indiana. I am also using the address of a family member that lives in Indiana because I am well desperate for a job with insurance. I will also consider jobs outside of teaching that pay what I am making now if anyone has suggestions. Teachers in AZ make about 6,000 dollars less than teachers in Indiana just so everyone knows. I am even considering going back to school or even subbing just to get out of Arizona, but I need the health insurance.

[domergurl]

Wow ... I usually hear THE OPPOSITE about Indiana.

Most times, you need to sub in order to get a full time gig in a school system. You can go to Indiana's DOE site in the thread about where you find information about Indiana.

[martinaw]

Ditto Domergurl. I would avoid the Ohio Valley! I guess maybe asthma isn't as affected by allergens in the air? We have horrible humidity and allergens down here in S Indiana.

[Candy T]

Originally Posted by bluebelt1234

I visited my family Indiana in December and last July and my asthma symptoms improved significantly.

I'm surprised, too! I would choose the desert over Indiana allergy-wise. I have asthma but not as bad as you. Have you been tested to find out what it is you are sensitive to? Do you know what triggers it?

[lmbh721]

Originally Posted by bluebelt1234

I visited my family Indiana in December and last July and my asthma symptoms improved significantly. In December I was using my inhaler like twice a week and July not at all. Here in Arizona, it is a totally different story. I am using the highest dose of Advair, nebulizer, a rescue inhaler several times a day, Nasonex, Allegra, Singulair, and will soon be taking Xolair injections. Oh and I have been on short doses of prednisone here in Arizona. Thank God, I haven't gained weight yet but it makes me moody and causes my skin to break out. I am having severe asthma attacks daily, sometimes more than once a day. About an hour ago, I actually collapsed as I was trying to set up my nebulizer. In Indiana I had only very mild attacks. I am struggling to survive in Arizona.

I really, really want to move because I know if I stay in Arizona much longer that I will be facing a hospitalization or worse....death. I am a teacher and I know the job market for teachers in Indiana is horrible. I was wondering if anyone knows if it is considered acceptable to just send resumes and applications to schools without a posted position opening. I do have experience teaching ESL students but I don't think my endorsement will transfer to Indiana. I am also using the address of a family member that lives in Indiana because I am well desperate for a job with insurance. I will also consider jobs outside of teaching that pay what I am making now if anyone has suggestions. Teachers in AZ make about 6,000 dollars less than teachers in Indiana just so everyone knows. I am even considering going back to school or even subbing just to get out of Arizona, but I need the health insurance.

I can relate, since moving to Vegas my asthma and other respiratory probelms have gotten 100% worse, which has included a couple of hospitalizations. We are relocating to the Middlebury(ish), IN area and can't wait. The air quality in the desert is horrible and allergens are worse than any other place I've lived, including MI, TX, MD and now NV. I believe the increase in humidity will help certain respiratory problems also. I suspect my prescription costs will decrease by at least $500. per month! Yeehaw!
Good Luck bluebelt!

[cleoT]

While living in NE TX, my son was diagnosed with Asthma (he was three at the time). He was on various meds, then last August we moved back home to Evansville, of all places, and his asthma, believe it or not (I'm still finding it hard to believe) is a little better. Now, we haven't gone through a full summer, but he's been up here during the summer without any problems. I know it seems backwards, and I'm not sure why he'd be better up here.

[domergurl]

Maybe being in Indiana in December, when the air is much dryer, made a difference? The one thing I'd suggest if you do want to move here, with your allergies, have an allergist ready to see you. The humidity and pollen in the summertime can wreak havoc on allergy sufferers.

[Candy T]

Originally Posted by domergurl

Maybe being in Indiana in December, when the air is much dryer, made a difference? The one thing I'd suggest if you do want to move here, with your allergies, have an allergist ready to see you. The humidity and pollen in the summertime can wreak havoc on allergy sufferers.

I believe she said she was here in July as well. I am really surprised by the comments about the desert. Something must have changed, and I am wondering if it the "new" problem of smog? I developed asthma at age 3 when my parents moved to Inglewood, California. The doctor told my parents to move to the desert, which we did (we moved to the California desert near the Arizona border). Anyway, my asthma cleared up. The only time I had a problem was in the spring after it rained because of all the plants blooming, so that was just a bit of hayfever.

Years later, after moving to Indiana (where my husband grew up), I began having asthma again. We figured out that my problem is mold and mildew. My mom said if we had known that when I was 3 we could have moved out of the little damp house we were living in to a sunnier location in Inglewood.

However, I am also sensitive to industrial pollution (smog, exhaust, smoke from the steel mills --- we're in NW Indiana). I become suddenly very ill if I breathe these noxious fumes, so I stay inside in the air conditioning. Is this what is happening in the desert? I visited the area where I grew up in 2005 and noticed the desert had a haze. I never noticed a brown haze in the horizon in all the years I lived there (from 1955 to 1963).

[sweetana3]

In many of the cities in the desert areas, humans have imported many plants and grasses which are not native to the desert. In addition, the smog from cars may not blow away like it often does across the plains and places like Indy.

Also, check Alaska. I know it is cold but few allergens. It is dry in the winter and has very low humidity in the summer.

[diggitydot]

It all depends on what triggers the breathing problems for each person. If it's pollens, the dessert is usually less likely to set it off since there are fewer blooms/grasses. If it's dust and smog, a dessert city with an air inversion will be torturous during the only times of year that you can comfortably get outside.

We moved to IN from AZ this last summer. The Phoenix valley has a winter air inversion that holds the dust and smog close to the ground. So if there isn't much rain, it hangs around for weeks and causes even mild asthma sufferers some fairly major issues. My husband had some nasty asthma attacks during the 4 years we lived in AZ, but has had none since we've been in IN.