I thought he was having allergies, but over the course of several days we landed ourselves in the emergency room at Legacy Salmon Creek. Man Cub had been sneezing, and coughing and his nose was running. The Monday after Easter, he had been acting weird that evening. His cough sounded labored and funny. I could of sworn I heard him wheezing. I bathed him and put him to bed upstairs. He was out.
An hour later, I went back to check on him. He was moaning and crying in his sleep. I touched his forehead and he was on fire. I stripped his PJs off, and watched him breathe. A minute felt like an hour watching his little skin stretch around his rib cage. I knew what I was looking at: retraction. He was laboring to breathe.
Years ago, the doctors had taught me what to look for with Bella. She is my one that has the breathing issues and the "special lungs" as she calls them. After helping her with all of her breathing issues, it takes a lot to freak me out...and let me tell you friends...Matthew had me freaked out!!!
As calmly as I could, I told Grace I was taking Matthew to the ER. I tried loading everything up, and carrying him, and trying to get my shoes on. Then his car seat was in the 3rd row of the van, making it difficult to watch him breathe. I felt like swearing in the frustration. We made to the ER, only to be handed a clipboard and asked to fill out the paperwork. Seriously you guys... I had not a free hand, but hey, sure...bring on the clipboard.
They called us back fairly quickly, as they have a pediatric ER. In my mind I was battling several things. One, I have a special needs toddler who WILL NOT orally take ANY medication. Two, I hate hospitals and I was battling my own anxiety. And three, there was no Mark coming to help. He had just gotten on the train to Pasco a few hours earlier. I had the emergency numbers to the dispatcher that could arrange for him to get off the train, but I swore I would only use that number if they admitted Matthew to the hospital.
The doctor was quick to see us, and order a bunch of tests, and a Tylenol suppository to help bring down Matthew's fever. You guys...he gags if he sees a medicine syringe coming at him. They tested him for the flu and RSV with a long q-tip. He hated that too. The respiratory therapist came down and administered a breathing treatment, which perked him up almost instantly. Finally, the radiologist came to our room and gave Matthew a chest x-ray.
The diagnosis came as bronchiolitis. Say what??? My fourth kid and I have never heard of that. It is not bronchitis. This was a viral illness that effects the bronchial tubes causing them to swell and making breathing difficult. Awesome. The chest x-ray showed the bronchiolitis. The doctor said they sometimes hospitalize children for this, but Matthew's case was more mild. The doctor wanted to give him oral steroids, but I again reminded them that he will throw them up. So poor baby had to get a steroid shot. Because he responded well to the breathing treatment, they sent him home with an inhaler to take for the next couple of weeks.
Matthew has been recovering well. He had a good follow up last Thursday. He continues to cough and his nose...oh my...I am still wiping it so.many.times. But we have weathered this storm.
I am hopeful this was a one time thing, and not something we will be battling every time he gets a cold. Even in emergencies, I found myself advocating for my special needs child. Sensory processing disorder is no joke. Oh how I wished he would just swallow the meds. I would have saved him from pain of needles. But then there is part of me that is thankful they can administer meds to him in a shot form because at least I know that he is getting the correct dosage. I am happy to report after a few times of crying throw taking his "haler" (inhaler), he will not allow me to give it to him with no crying. Bella, again, is an amazing teacher for him. She pretended to take hers, and Matthew, wanting to be just like his big sis, took his inhaler happily. Miss B to the rescue again!
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