About a year ago, Aaron was diagnosed with asthma. I knew he had asthma from when he was less than a year old but the peadiatric pulminologist (our day to day pead, who we no longer use) told me that, no, they can only diagnose asthma from 3 years old.
Anyway! Once Aaron was on the right medication (two times a day every day) his asthma was under control. We havent had a single attack in over a year. Until Sunday.
Well Saturday night. Aaron started coughing in the middle of the night, we nebbed him and gave him cough mixture and he eventually fell asleep again. On Sunday morning though he woke up coughing and didnt stop. Paul took him to our GP who consults on Sundays and he gave us Pulmicort and antibiotics. We nebbed him with the new beds and after an hour or so it hadnt helped so I called our (new) pead, also a pulminologist and Aarons asthma dr, and spoke to his partner who was on call. He suggested a double dose of Combivent and 10ml of cortisone. Half an hour after giving him those meds there was still no change.
Poor Aaron, he literally could not take one single breath without coughing.
I put him in the car and took him to the hospital where our pead has rooms and called the on call pead again to tell him we were coming.
The nurses in the pead ward were amazing. Friendly and helpful and kind. The dr arrived and admitted us. He put in a drip (not sure who was more traumatised, Aaron or me!) and gave him an adrenaline nebuliser and put him on oxygen.
Within 10 minutes he had stopped coughing!
Turns out he had a croup attack which caused an asthma attack. Poor child couldn’t breathe in or out!
We settled ourselves into our room, a private room as there were only 4 or 5 kids in the whole ward. Aaron was a little hyped up due to the adrenalin and the cortisone they gave him but he was so good. He charmed all the nurses and the dr and was an absolute angel.
3 adrenalin nebulisers, 4 doses of cortisone and 1 night of broken sleep and by yesterday morning we were allowed to come home.
This was the first time either of the kids has been hospitalised and was pretty traumatic. Im so very grateful for the dr and nurses that made the whole event so easy and comfortable to deal with.
Heres hoping we never have to do that again!
Congratulations on surviving it…and so well.
I had such a big fear my of first born ever going to the hospital, but when it eventually happened it was just another thing to deal with. She’s been a few times with lung infections. The hospital where we go have a strict policy that when they put it the drip the Mom’s or Dad’s are sent to fill in forms at reception. They don’t allow parents when they’re putting it in.
We had two difficult trips. One when I was quite far along pregnant with my second, and found the sleeping chair very uncomfortable, and then just after second was born. I was alone with a toddler and 1 month old baby, and toddler was booked in at hospital. Then when I got to the childrens ward they told me I’m not allowed to take the baby in. I couldn’t leave either one alone. Phoned husband and he said he can’t leave the office. Ended up getting grandparents to drive through from Pta to Joburg.
After tonsils came out no more hospital visits (touch wood)
I have asthma and spent many nights in hospital growing up so I can sympathise. I’d like to say that I’m “cured” but unfortunately that’s not the case. I am “better” though and don’t have as many hospital trips or attacks.
Oh we had the very same terrifying combination with C almost two years ago. It is incredibly scary. Is he on Singulair?
Shame man… We’ve been very lucky in that the only hospital we’ve ever had with James was for grommets (x3) and tonsils. Never for him being sick.
Glad you had such great treatment at the hospital!
X
This type of thing can make any parent nervous.
Glad it all got sorted at the hospital.
Why do emergencies tend to happen over a weekend, especially a Sunday?