Arizona--moving

[Jeana]

Well, I have lived in Alaska for the last 11 years and this year my health has declined a lot. We have decided to move to Arizona, but I keep hearing negative things about lung health and Arizona and now am questioning it.
Here were my arguments in favor of Arizona:
1. The cold in Alaska tends to be really hard on me, so I was thinking heat might be just the thing for me.
2. I also have bad seasonal allergies--molds, grasses, trees, weeds... So my thought was that Arizona has less of these things.
3. And, in Alaska I get a lot less sunshine time, so very low vitamin D levels which inhibit my healing. Again Arizona could take care of this for me.
4. Dry Alaska to dry Arizona--no change (I went on a 10-day trip to Florida and was miserable because the moist climate made me constantly have sinus drippage and coughing. Even Benadryl couldn't dry me up. LOL)
5. More CF doctors to choose from in AZ--only 1 in Alaska.
6. Family in AZ, no family in Alaska.
What I have heard that concerns me: dust/wind bad for lungs, Valley Fever, other allergies
So, anyone have advice, info or opinions? Thanks! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[aggieswifey04]

Hey Jenna!!
I used to live in the "armpit of the US" -- YUMA, AZ!! It was HOT and yucky!!! My husband was stationed there and we ended up living in Tucson for about 6-7 mo while my daughter was in UMC for MRSA Pneumonia and MRSA Blood Sepsis and also where we found out she had CF! We were told that some CFrs can do really well in moist weather and may not do well in dry....or vice versa. It all depends on that specific person. My daughter wasnt in Yuma very long but we moved to San Diego, CA where it is usually moist and humid...those days she gets really gunky and coughs up more junk. So thats good. I dont think DRY would have done much for her. But again, thats her.
In Arizona, you definitely have the sand storms (no matter what part of AZ you live in) and weeds are usually a high thing along with Trees...Have you taken a trip to AZ? If not, you should and stay there for a good 10-14 days to see how you acclimate to the weather! If it works out, then move!! If thats what you are wanting anyhow!! If you wanna ask me more -- email me --- Aggieswifey04@gmail.com

Bec

 

[kayers3]

Hi! I moved from FL to AZ and am now moving back to FL again to be with family. As far as allergies, it all depends on the person. There are just different allergens in the desert, but they are still there. I live in Phoenix, and the air quality is often very poor. I don't know what part you are looking to move to, but in the "big city" there are often days where they recommend people with respiratory problems stay indoors as much as possible. Again, probably different for different parts of the state. If you are looking at more southern AZ, the summer can be very brutal. Overall the heat is better for me than the cold, but we've already had many days breaking the 100s in May alone. July it often gets to the upper teens.

I will say the drs and CF clinic here have been great! I have been very pleased with my healthcare here. Also, they have been able to refer me out to specialists that see a lot of their CF patients. (ex. I developed CFRD, and they have a dr they work with and send to conferences so she is very knowledgeable about how diabetes in CF is different than typical diabetes. Also her staff knows to bring me back to a private room immediately).

You can PM me if you have any questions I can answer.

 

[Marshyl]

I spent about 3 weeks in Tucson, Arizona a couple years ago during the summer visiting my uncle. I live in the Dallas- Fort Worth metroplex. In my opinion, the dry air actually did me some good as I felt better and rarely coughed. I didn't have my vest with me, which might have made another big difference, but there was a definite improvement for me while I was there.

 

[petitesouris]

Hi, I'm not on here much, but I had to respond to this. I didn't live in Arizona, but in New Mexico. I'd imagine they are similar. There are some things you should be aware of before you move there. Depending on where you live, the elevation may affect your lungs. You'll probably want to get oximetry testing done, unless you live in Phoenix or somewhere close to sea level.

You would think the dry air might help, but it didn't help me at all. Really, you want to add moisture to your lungs to keep the mucous fluid and loose and cough-out-able. The dry air just dries out your secretions and makes it hard to cough stuff up.

There is also a thing called "desert lung" out there that is an airborne fungus. If you get it, it's symptoms mimic a lot of CF exacerbation symptoms. Flu-like symptoms, increased cough, fever, etc. It has no correlation with CF, but if you have it, your CF will probably get worse, too.

Finally, the heat is murder. Make sure you have refrigerated air, not a swamp cooler (if you don't know what that is, you will soon).

For me, I was sick in NM almost constantly. I would go on antibiotics at least every three months, and the effects would only last a couple weeks before I got hit with another infection. Since I've moved to the midwest, I've gone for months with no flare-ups. At this point, I am inclined to blame the desert climate for my problems, since I haven't altered anything else about my lifestyle.

Message me if you have questions.

 

[petitesouris]

Also, I didn't have allergies UNTIL I moved to the southwest. Allergies tend to be really bad there, so if you are moving to improve that aspect, I would re-think it.

 

[dbtoo]

Moved from Phoenix to Tampa. Prefer Tampa! (Although, I don't go to the CF clinic, neither place, so I can't comment on either with regards to that.)

 

[ehtansky21]

Arizona is my home town, but we live in Hawaii now...let me see if I can answer some of your questions...

Allergies.....Arizona used to be known as the place to go for people with allergies. As far as I know, that is not so anymore. So many plants have been brought to Arizona from all over the US, that you can't escape many allergies. I am allergic to many of the different grasses and trees there.

Humidity....it is very dry there. If you do well with dryness, you will do well in that regards. I did find with my boys, that a slightly higher amount of humidity is better for them.

Not sure how Vitamin D would be during the summer time. As you usually spend very little time outdoors. You will basically race from the air conditioned house to the car (in that short of time, you will most likely be already sweating) and to your destination

Doctors...I am not aware that you really have many choices. There is a facility in Tucson and one in Phoenix. Don't quote me on that though. We only go back there once a year for CF clinic and only see the docs for children.

Family....that is definitely a positive. That is the one and only reason why we are trying to move back there!!!

ask away if you have anymore questions!!!

blessings,
missa

 

[mmmtat]

I'm in Arizona right now. I've been here for two years, and I can't say great things about it.

I have developed asthma, and my allergies have been crazy. I have added singulair (on top of zyrtec) and asmanex to my med list (along with other things for other issues).

I do enjoy the care team (in Phoenix), but I haven't had to be hospitalized yet, and as an adult, I prefer Children's centers....it makes me a little nervous that they want me to be hospitalized at an "adult" hospital, instead of at the Children's clinic (where I have my clinic visits).

Also, as far as Vit D, my level has been stuck at 19 since I've been here. Apparently it's supposed to be like 75 or something? I don't wear sunscreen, and tend to be outside more than most, even in the summer. I just don't seem to be absorbing it I guess. I'm now on 10,000 units a day.

I dislike heat, so you may do much better here. I am praying that my husand gets orders to Alaska in a few years lol.

Goodluck with the transition!

 

[mmmtat]

Oh and a side note, for instance there has been an "advisory" since Monday that people with respiratory illness shouldn't go outside because of ozone. I haven't personally been one to listen to these warnings, but like I said, I have a terrible time with asthma here.

 

[all4Eden]

Hello from Yuma AZ. Temp? 91 at 11:16 PM! It peak today at 115 I heard. Our child is turning 10 in June. Born in Yuma too. Diagnosed with CF at 6 months.
Heat? You can try and get used to it. The locals say that if you can survive the 1st year, you can do ok for the rest of your life. Is not bad. Actually it help you get closer to God, because when you die you don't want to go to a place hotter than Yuma.
Yuma is a 125 feet above sea level. Tucson 2500 feet. Flagstaff, I beleive at 6500-7000 feet. Phoenix is a city. Mostly composed of Californian expatriates and they brought their smog with them. If you are moving to AZ? You should do a little Recon and check the area out first to see if you like it. Our favorite City? Tucson. Very Family oriented, lots of activities to keep you busy. Good weather pattern and the cost of living is low compared to the rest of the state. Yuma is 2nd.
We have 2 CF teams in AZ. One in Phoenix and the other one in Tucson. We have seeing both. We decided Tucson because they pretty much know Eden since birth, they are like family to us and viceversa. When she stays at the hospital she goes to University Medical Center. Staff are very professional and friendly. Most of them are graduates from UA. You can tell the difference between a non UA graduate and a UA alumni. The non UA graduate are snobish, arrogant and with their actions they are asking me to jack slap them upside their heads. Honest!
Allergies and other breathing problems. Most of the previous comments are right. By doing our own homework this is what we found. Back in 1900's, doctors recommended patients to move to a low humidity and dry area so they can breath better. But, what they discover is that you'll get used to the local environment and your problems will flare up again. Base on studies done in Australia mainly and Europe, moving to the coast near the ocean is the best place to be. But, California is insanly expensive and the cost of living is horrible. If you can afford to pay half a million dollars for a porta potie? Go for it. We are keeping Eden as physicaly active as we can to counter all those flare ups. Martial Arts, running and swimming. We live near the Marine Base and they have a salt water pool. Our children do not complain about the heat, the adults do. Yesterday, it was over 110 easy around 3:00 pm and my kids wanted to go bike riding. Off course we say no, but what will happen if we say yes. Yes, they'll go bike riding.
I wish you the best and wisdom on your decision....Respectfully, Mel, Vanessa, Eden, Paul Anthony...

 

[SIcklyhatED]

Hey there, I've been in Tucson for 19 years <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> As far as allergies, being a native Tucsonan I have little to no problems with them. Only when the palo verde bloom do most people have issues, but I rarely do. One issue for people moving into the area: Valley Fever. It's much more common to get it if you're non-native. On humidity (or lack there of): when I was a kid, in the wintertime we'd use a humidifier because I'd get horrible, horrible stuffed noses. Also, using a swamp cooler will put moisture back into the air. Long summers=more activity, so that's good. You could go hiking every weekend for almost the entire year, which is great. As far as doctors go: I had a great specialist doctor, but sadly am having to transfer to the CF clinic now. They used to be awful, but have improved a lot. They finally got their noses out of the textbooks. I've hear good things about the Phoenix guys though. There'a a beach 4 and a half hours away (in Mexico, YES, it's SAFE. Ignore the news. I'm actually there ATM). So if you need a salty air fix that should do it (plus the water is waaaaaarm). I say do NOT move to Flagstaff because it's hella expensive and a college town (hence, why it's expensive). Flagstaff gets some of the most snow in the country, which does not sounds like fun to deal with...

 

[mmmtat]

Sickly -
In a totally friendly way I am chuckling to myself. I love Flag, I wish the base was there, we spend every possible weekend there! The air is so nice.
I can only hike from Nov-March (the cool months)
and I can't go to Mexico (military isn't allowed unless they have a colonel approve it- too much hassle!)
Your version of AZ sounds nice though!

 

[Madsmith]

Jeana,

I moved from New England to Tucson for about 4 years. I thought the heat and dry air would be helpful, but as it turned out, this was not a good place for me to live. More than simply the heat and dryness was the perpetually dusty air. You'll notice that people have these little carpet things on their dashboard of their cars so that the layer of dirt that covers absolutely everything was not so obvious. I believe the dirty, dusty air was a serious issue for me; coupled with the heat and dryness, I often felt inflamed. This also occurred to a greater degree when I lived in south central Washington, and also when simply visiting places like Missoula (where the cold inversion keeps all the wood burning stove smoke in the air). I also lived in Flagstaff for a year where the dust levels were fine, but the wood smoke was somewhat of an issue (as was the elevation). Another real concern depending on where you live is Valley Fever (an infection from spores of the fungus Coccidioides immitis). This fungus is in the soil, and there's nothing you can do to avoid it, and up to 70% of people living in areas with this fungus contract it. There are tests and treatments, but it can cause lung scarring if you are chronically infected.

I've been living in Florida for about 7 years now, and the humidity suits me so much better, though this too might not be ideal (though I feel fine in the humidity). I absolutely loved Tucson and the desert, but I could never move back. I've often wondered if this was just in my head, but I was just in ABQ for a week, and the dry air was terrible on my lungs, I couldn't wait to get back to the swamp.

I hate to be negative, but if you have other options, I'd consider them.

Matt

 

[chantelfox]

Hi Jeana,

So I just saw your post. It's funny, because I did the opposite move a year ago. I lived in AZ for 24 years and decided to move back to Alaska (where I lived the first 5 years of my life). So I thought I'd chime in:

1. Heat can be just as bad due to the fact that it messes with our electrolites with all the sweating you'll do and 7 months out of the year AZ is HOTTTT.
2. AZ has a HORRIBLE allergy season. Ask anyone who lives there.
3. I have to chuckle at this one (the vitamin D issue). When I moved to AK after 24 years in AZ I was immediately tested for vitamin D as a routine check. My vitamin D levels were near zero. With the heat and sunshine so intense (and the fact that skin cancer is a huge issue there), I avoided the sun as much as possible. Now that I'm on a high dose vitamin D pill, my levels are higher than when I lived in AZ.
4. AZ and AK (except coastal AK) are dry. So you'll not have much change there.
5. Although there are technically more CF docs in AZ...I would STRONGLY recommend the CF docs in Tucson over the Phoenix ones. I went the CF center in Phoenix for about 10 years and decided to try the Tucson CF center docs and they in my opinion are FAR better in every aspect.
6. This one is the only real deciding factor that might make me think AZ would be a better choice for you. It's hard not having family around for support.
Best of luck in whichever place you decide to live!!