My Trip to Washington, D.C.

As many of you know, last week was a very important time for the Five Moms as we traveled to the nation’s capitol to raise awareness of OTC cough medicine abuse for National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. We have all been working very hard to spread our message and last week was our chance to make an impact on Capitol Hill. It was a busy and exhausting couple of days for us!

Shortly after we all arrived in D.C. we had dinner with our old friends from CHPA and friends from the blogging community: Caroline of Morningside Mom, Jenn of Mommy Needs Coffee, and Janice of 5 Minutes for Mom! It was fun reconnecting with the other Five Moms and officially welcoming new mom Misty Fetko in person. Everyone took a moment to discuss their personal connection to the Stop Medicine Abuse campaign and heard the individual stories from the moms and bloggers. Just when we thought everyone had spoken, CHPA informed us that there was one more person who had just arrived, and in walked Dr. Drew Pinsky, better known as Dr. Drew from his syndicated radio show “Loveline” and VH1 series “Celebrity Rehab” and “Sober House!” CHPA had invited Dr. Drew to help us promote Stop Medicine Abuse and National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. We were all very excited to say the least. And let me tell you, the sincere, kind, and professional man you see on television and hear on the radio is exactly who you get when you meet Dr. Drew in person.

The next day Dr. Drew, the moms, bloggers, and I went to Capitol Hill to talk about legislation to help prevent the abuse of OTC cough medicine among teens. I was fortunate enough to meet with staff from the offices of Texas Senator Kay Hutchison; Kansas Senator Pat Roberts; and Texas Congressperson Ciro Rodriguez, my representative from San Antonio. While certainly a little nervous, with the support of the other moms, our blogger friends, and Dr. Drew, I was more anxious than ever to share my passion and support for our campaign. I must say, it felt pretty amazing to have the attention of such important individuals in Washington!

We got so much accomplished in just one day. We raised awareness around the D.C. area for our cause, we spoke to legislators about the issue of OTC cough medicine abuse, and we answered questions and shared our stories with anyone who would listen. Needless to say, on my plane ride home to Texas that evening, I went to sleep with a smile on my face exhausted from the day’s activities, proud of our campaign and those who helped make that day possible, and excited for what the future may hold for the Five Moms and Stop Medicine Abuse.

Read Dr. Drew’s personal message about OTC cough medicine abuse (also available En Español) and sign up to receive Dr. Drew’s personal video updates about the Stop Medicine Abuse campaign.