That is the sound of our home as we settle down for the night. The coughing is Brad, the spluttering is Naomi.
Our little blossom started with a chesty cough early last week. A trip to the pharmacist yielded a bottle of Demazin and hopes that it would soon be cleared up. A nightmare week followed. More coughing and spluttering, and terrible broken nights where Naomi would wake up, wide awake, and stay up for hours at a time... Finally, on Saturday night, she started with a constant wheeze when breathing so we went off to the 24-hour medical centre in town. She has been diagnosed with bronchiolitis - an inflammation of the small airways that is restricting her breathing. It is also apparently a likely pre-cursor to asthma in later life. What the?!?! There is no asthma in our direct family history??
So we now have to struggle to give her ventolin through a "spacer" device (mask that attaches to a regular 'puffer' device), 4 times a day. If there is no improvement by Thursday, it is back to the doctor to step up treatment to "the next level" (am I the only person who thinks that has a scary ring to it?).
The doctor also advised that a side effect of Demazin is insomnia and hyperactivity in children!! Stopped the Demazin and have had 3 good nights of sleeping -- so don't always believe the "could make your child drowsy" label!!
And to cap it off, Brad has the 'flu, complete with inflamed throat. He is on antibiotics and struggling along at work, because he is so back-logged from taking the week off after our wedding that apparently "time off is not an option". Why do men not understand that a day or 2 off to get healthy now, can avoid weeks of feeling low??
Has anyone else had experience with baby respiratory problems?
1 year ago
5 comments:
oh your poor baby! i personally have asthma; i developed it when i was an adult though. i have a ventolin at home and have used it many, many times. don't be scared if the dr. has to use different treatment. sometimes it takes trying several different types to finally get the type that works; that's been my experience!
That really stinks that you have sick ones at home. My second one ended up with pneumonia and RSV, it was really scary. She's done the breathing treatments and it really helps. It can make them hyper afterwards though! Soph is now five and we haven't had any problems for a couple of years. I'll send a prayer your way for good health.
Yah, I'd know a bit about babies and breathing ;)
Asthma is on the increase (I could do a little rant, but I won't right now.) With Christopher as a little one it was far easier to buy a nebuliser (cost refunded by private health) and give him ventolin "bubbles" while reading a story and having a cuddle. We didn't use the mask at first, just held it near his face until he was used to the noise.
The nebuliser is a good investment if you have kids prone to croup or bronchiolitis, as you can just vaporise water in it, which greatly helps with breathing. Or you can take them into the bathroom, close it up and run hot water through the shower until the steam settles them down.
Sister dear, call me if you want to ask anything, Christopher's asthmatic and Josh was my bronchialitis baby. I'll help as much as I can!
And don't freak out yet. Asthma is almost impossible to diagnose in infants, and is frequently outgrown. It's not remotely as scary as it used to be when Brett was a child being rushed off to hospital.
Love, Emma.
how's it going over there? any better?
Well, we are now on a cortisone steroid treatment for 2 days - to 'kick start' the small improvement that the doctor has noted from the ventolin. Then another review early next week. The blessing is that Naomi hasn't been bothered by the coughing or chesty rattle - she certainly hasn't slowed down at all, and is as bright-eyed and alert as ever! Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers - they mean a lot to us.
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