Noah's Breathing Treatment

I have taken a leave from work for the entire week because Noah's daycare provider is sick with flu and pneumonia. I guess it's a good thing for me so I can do my blogging and visit my blog friends during these days I'm at home. Better take advantage of it. :)But, on the other hand, I really need to stay home because my darling baby is sick with cough. He has been coughing terribly, but not like the nasty croup that he had several weeks ago. He's wheezing and his breathing seems tight. Of course, night time is worse for cough. The doctor had to see him yesterday and he decided to put him on a breathing treatment. He let us bring home the nebulizer which would help him breathe easier. How it works is you place the medicine, Albuterol, in a nebulizer cup which is attached to the machine through a plastic tube. As soon as you turn it on, the air passes through the tube and the cup which forms into a mist. The child breathes the mist using a mask or a mouthpiece. As for Noah, he doesn't have to use the mask nor put the mouthpiece into his mouth. He just needs to breathe in the mist that comes out of the mouthpiece which then goes through his lungs for more relaxed breathing. At the same time, he is also taking Azithromycin once a day for bacterial infection. Oh, poor baby. I pray that this would just be temporary and not something he has to live with the rest of his life. :(

Noah sick with EAR INFECTION and CROUP

Yesterday, I brought Noah to a doctor. He has a fever and cough since Thursday night. As usual, I took a day-off from work because I wanted to monitor Noah's condition closely. To prevent his fever from shooting up further, I have been giving him a lukewarm bath, letting him drink water, juice or milk more often than he used to, and giving him Tylenol every 4 to 5 hours. Good thing that we have some ice pops in the freezer that he could suck on although he's not really crazy about it. Yesterday, I called our family doctor because it seemed like his fever and cough were not getting any better. He referred us to After-Hours Pediatrics which is a few miles from our house. I thought finding the clinic was a piece of cake. Oh my, I got lost. I went all around the area and thank God, I saw the sign, which is colored pale yellow with slanted, thin lettering. Honestly, it wasn't that visible even with my eyeglasses on. Despite the "adventure", I must say that the doctor and the staff were friendly and accommodating. Noah, sad to say, was diagnosed with EAR INFECTION AND CROUP. He received a dose of Decadron which will help him with his cough and inflammation for a few days. He was also prescribed Amoxicillin, 1 tsp, 2x a day for 10 days. Croup is an infection that causes swelling below the larynx. It is usually caused by a virus. His cough definitely sounds horrible. It is hoarse and resonant. He does have a difficult time breathing especially at night. He makes a raspy sound whenever he inhales. They call this "stridor". His cough gets worse while laying down and sleeping. He cries loud after he coughs, and sometimes throw up. Last night, he didn't want to be put down to bed. He only wanted to be carried by Mommy. It seems that he is hurting inside. I feel the pain and it hurts me twice, or even a lot more. Poor baby. :( Before going home, the doctor provided me a sheet with tips to alleviate my baby's condition.

1. Remain calm and try to keep your child as calm as possible.
2. Cool air may help stop the coughing and ease the loud breathing. If it is cold outside, wrap your child in a warm blanket and sit outside for a few minutes. During the summer, you may open the freezer door and allow your child to breathe the cool air.
3. If your child is able, having him eat or drink something cold like popsicle may help.
4. Moist air is helpful. You may want to use a cool mist vaporizer in your child's room during the course of the illness. Clean the machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Having a sick child is never fun especially when your husband is away and pregnant at that. Hope my baby gets well soon.