The asthma monster rises again...

     

     So the asthma monster reared its ugly head this past weekend. We heard the slight cough Thursday. Then knew something was up on Friday when big C came home from school and didn't feel well...and had the little throat clearing going on. Then sure enough woke up Saturday morning barking. Needless to say we got the nebulizer fired up and Zopenex loaded. And as a little ‘Momma hopes you feel better’ gesture I made him a sweet little treat….chocolate dipped marshmellows….dipped in red & pink sugars just because I love that boy. 

Thankfully that's all we've had to do this weekend....and we kept him inside and let him just rest and relax. And of course this morning before school he did a treatment, just to loosen him up a little. The cough is now loose, but his nose is runny...hopefully we're past the flare up. 

     But ya know I have never complained about his asthma. Mainly because we can control it. Not that that is easy at times, we have had times that we have done as many as 5 breathing treatments back to back to break an attack, the whole time almost in tears and scared with the pediatrician on the phone just listening and talking us through it and offering support until we could get in to see her 1st thing the following morning. We've sat on the toilet holding him while the shower makes enough steam that WE can't breathe....we've walked outside in the cold night air to try to break it (yes this has helped before!)....we've used the nasal bulb syringe and made him blow his nose over and over again just in case it's post nasal drip triggering it....we've slathered down in Vics.....we've tried it all.....and we've said prayers while trying them all. But....we did it and we always made it until the following morning....free of ER visits and stayed in the comfort of our own beds and usually rocking big C in the recliner so that he can breathe easier. And yes...even though he's 9 we still do it if that helps. Thank goodness me and Mr. Loud are both nurses, God knew we would need that knowledge to take care of big C. We've only had 1 hospital admission, and that was because the oral steroids just weren't cutting it and he was maxed out on the oral dose...so we spent 24 hours inpatient for IV steroids. But that wasn't all bad! He was 1 month short of being 4 years old and still had his bink (pacifier!) that we just couldn't take from him. But...he just couldn't breathe with that bink in his mouth and he chose breathing over that bink! So we told him that he shouldn't use it because he needed to breath out of his mouth...and so thanks to that asthma exacerbation he gave up the binky....and tear-free too might I add! Turns out even to a 4 year old breathing is more important than his binky was! You see...there is always a brighter side to a bad situation. Mr. Loud and I have always been thankful that big C's illness is only asthma. There are so many parents facing such terrible chronic and debilitating illness that they can't control and must spend countless days and nights in hospitals and watch their child suffer with no end in sight. For this we have always been thankful that God has always helped us take care of him, and wake up better the following morning. My hope is that big C grows out of his asthma, but if not then we’ll continue to keep inhalers in all vehicles, purses, backpacks, baseball bags,  grandparent’s house, and schools. We’ll take the nebulizer and a new box of Xopenex on every car trip and airplane that we go on. We’ll continue to rock in that rocking chair until we can no longer fit in it, and when that happens we’ll just get a bigger chair….and I’ll recite our favorite line from our favorite book……I’ll love you for forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be…..because as long as I’m living I’ll always be thankful that God made him just like he is! Now go love your babies…even the big ones….and thank God for making them just like they are.

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