When I am ill and by myself, I try to always have my portable phone and the garage door opener close by. I do this in case I have serious trouble like a heart attack or something worse and need to call 911. This way, they can get into the house without having to break the door down and I won’t have to move around any more than necessary.

Richard Thomsen, Tyler, TX

A free booklet on how to improve indoor air quality is now available by calling (800) 388-3458. You can also e-mail booklet requests with your name and mailing address to 3mfiltrete@3mservice. montagenet.com. The guide has dozens of practical tips to help reduce levels of pet dander, smoke and other asthma and allergy triggers at home.

My doctor suggested that I use Pulmocare, a nutritional supplement specially designed for people with COPD. According to company information, “It is high in fat and low in carbohydrate because fat produces less carbon dioxide than carbohydrate. Having less carbon dioxide to exhale may make breathing easier. Talk to your physician to see if Pulmocare is right for you. Pulmocare is a medical food to be used under medical supervision.”

Pulmocare comes in vanilla, strawberry and chocolate flavors. I buy it by the case (24 cans) which gets heavy for me to carry out of the store to the car and then into my house. So I now order directly from the company by calling 1-800-986-8502, 8AM-5PM Central Time or online at http://www.ensurehealthconnection.com/html/b09.html. You may also mail your order to Ensure Home Delivery, P.O. Box 29139, Shawnee Mission, KS 66201. The Pulmocare is delivered with no added cost for tax or shipping. Again, you should check with your physician before you purchase Pulmocare.

Katherine Sturm - Tallahassee, FL

Many readers are hunting for Horehound Candy. Madeline Bonnema of Mount Pleasant, TX wrote to tell us she got hers from Claeys Candy (1-800-348-2239). Madeline bought a case (36-6 ounce packages) for $29. Dorothy Gromala of Lindenhurst, IL also found the candy at her local Walgreens – one 6 oz package cost $1.19. We found them at The Vermont Country Store “made from real horehound herb and are a soothing sore throat lozenge.” It comes in a 1 lb. bag. for $6.95 plus $4.95 shipping. You may call 1-802-362-8460 or visit them at www.vermontcountry store.com

Horehound has been a traditional cough remedy, although the FDA ruled horehound ineffective against coughs and banned it as an over-the-counter cough remedy. Many believe horehound also helps raise secretions.

If you would like to try horehound tea, pour a cup of boiling water over one teaspoon of dried horehound leaves and steep for ten minutes. You can also mix up your own batch at home. Boil 2 cups light brown sugar; 1/2 cup strong horehound tea with 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar until a small amount becomes brittle or crisp when tested in cold water. Pour mixture into a buttered plate. When almost cold, cut in squares. Seeds for growing horehound may be purchased from seed companies.

I’d like to share a remedy that my doctor gives me for coughs that hang on after an infection. I think it is a folk medicine in some eastern country. Anyway, it works magically for me; and I am a person who has coughed, beginning with whooping cough when I was a child.

The recipe is: 16 ounces of whole milk, 1 tbsp. butter and 1 teaspoon tumeric. Simmer for 45 minutes, strain, & serve a few tablespoons at a time. May be kept in the refrigerator and taken warm or cold.

This is a very unpleasant concoction; my doctor warned me that I might not be able to stomach it. She told me her mother had given it to her when she was a child, and that she always dreaded it. She was right! I can taste it for days afterwards, but a few doses quiets me down. At present I have severe COPD, including chronic bronchitis; and I had not known for years what it was like to be completely free of a cough until this remedy.”

It is worth repeating that soap relieves leg cramps. We don’t know how or why, but many, many people have written in to say it works. Some people wake with cramps and rub a bar of soap over the cramp for relief. Some put soap chips or small bars in between the mattress pad and bottom sheet to prevent the cramps.

My husband has found one more soap tip for leg cramps! We wash his ‘ted hose,’ give it one clear rinse and then rinse again in soapy water. After drying, he puts them on and swears he has a good night’s sleep.

Jean Tudder, Millersville, MD

I have always had chronic bronchitis and sinus problems and am severely affected by mold, smoke, dust and bug bites. I recently learned my allergic reactions to medications were being caused by the caffeine in coffee. When caffeine stayed in my system, I unknowingly blamed the mediation that was supposed to help and stopped taking it. This was costly and stressful. I changed to decaf.

I got a lot of headaches at night and had problems breathing, especially if the house was extra warm. Our bedroom was open to our carpeted bathroom. I found the toilet and sink were both leaking. The carpet pad and floor boards had soaked up the water and mold spores and bacteria bounced into the air whenever anyone walked there. We replaced the carpeting with tiles after fixing the leak and floor. What a change to my evening rest and breathing!

I liked the idea in your last issue about the rice bags made with socks. I make small square pillow cases, about 12” x 12” from cotton and fill them about 3/4s full of flax seed. They can be put in the microwave for 2 to 4 minutes and applied to the face for sinus relief, the ear for aches, the chest for helping relieve mucus, which all helps breathing. You can rest on them snuggled under the back of your waist for relaxation to relieve the stress that goes along with heavy coughing. Place one at the foot of the bed for a warmer or to relieve foot or leg cramps. You may also keep one in the freezer to relieve headaches or bruises.

If you know someone that sews, have them make you some squares, leaving one end open to fill, or putting the flax seed in the sock will work too. I have used it for over a year and it keeps on going. Flax is found anywhere you get bird seed, it is actually cotton seed. Over the years, I have given over 300 away to my friends and church members. It is a fun past time and keeps me busy. I have gotten so many ideas from you I felt it was about time I shared!

Maureen Pirrello, Whitingham, VT

My biggest concern is contacting germs when shopping, handling money and reading to children in the library or classroom. In order to minimize the danger of germs, I carry a small bottle of dry hand formula which is a “hand sanitizer.” Most drug centers and markets carry different brand names. Parell is the brand name of the one I use. Parell is also useful to conserve energy when I don’t want to wash my hands in a public restroom. I feel this has been a real help to me when I am in public places.

Janie Severns, Coarsegold, CA

Jeannette Schupp of Lemon Grove, CA typed up a list of all her medications and made 5 copies of it for doctors and paramedics. Lucy Cahill of Phoenix, AZ adds a few extra things to her sheet, like her physician’s name, hospital, her husband’s and neighbors’ names and phone numbers. She copied her driver’s license and all insurance cards. Lucy has pets in the house and wrote instructions as to where they should be left, how to lock the doors and even where to leave the heat or air conditioning set at. She hasn’t needed the sheet in several years but she is ready!

When I work around the house using nails and hammer, I also use a 2 feet wide and 12 to 18 inches high box. I keep the box up against the job I am doing. When I am working on a window or shelf in the house or outside on the first level and I drop an item, it will usually fall into the box. This way, if something falls, I just bend a little to pick it up. I can take item out of box, instead of bending way down or getting on the floor or ground to retrieve an item. It works for me many times. I hope this will help other people.

Bob Harrison, Enfield, CT

I learned a great tip from my sister who has arthritis. Having Alpha-One emphysema, it has been very helpful to me while shopping, etc. Instead of carrying my heavy purse, I put my car key, money, credit card or whatever is absolutely necessary in the pocket of my shorts or jeans. Next, I use a small safety pin or decorative pin to keep from losing any of the valuables. Don’t forget to lock your purse in the trunk - this will ensure you have your keys!

Elvina Nomansen - Sioux Falls, SD

I am able to conserve energy by shaving sitting down with my cordless electric shaver and a mirror on a stand. My children gave me a set of walkie-talkies that are small, compact and have a 2 mile range. We use them while I wait in the car when my wife goes into stores, also if she is doing yard work and I am inside. We have found they work when she goes to a nearby mall and I stay home - they are a great investment!

Norman Hamilton - Oak Lawn, IL

There are three ways I try to wage war on that germy kitchen sponge. I either run it through the dishwasher, microwave it for one minute or I fill a container with a tight-fitting lid with hot soapy water and add one capful of Clorox. I store the sponge there when not in use.

Sarah Hansel - Emmaus, PA

A friend of mine, formerly in hospital work, helped me out with my pursed lip breathing. He suggested. “Imagine that you are blowing a ribbon to the farthest corner of the room This gives you a visual look on your breathing and helps sustain a good long exhalation.”

Jack Devaney - Palm Springs, CA