After my last post, I had hoped to be able to blog about restful sleep and leisure time. Apparently there is no rest for the weary. Last night was one of the longest of my LIFE. So, here's the breakdown:
2:00am: Kaden comes into my bed, coughing ferosciously, and gasping for air between crying and coughing. I cannot get him to calm down. I blow in his face to get him to stop for a second so I can talk to him. I'm only slightly panicked.
2:02am: I quickly grab his asthma meds, and start his breathing treatment. I take his temp: 102.3. I look for Children's Tylenol, but less than a teaspoonful left in the bottle. I scoop it out as best I can and give it to him.
2:15am: Take off his breathing mask, we both drift back to sleep.
3:15am: Barking cough, shallow breathing.
3:30am: Breathing turns to weezing and speeds up. I run to the fridge where I keep an asthma pamphlet. It reads: "SEEK EMERGENCY HELP IF: 1. Lips turn blue 2. Skin between ribs is sucked in 3. Breathing speeds up or slows down."
3:40am: Panic. Wishing my husband were home.
4:00am: Call doctor's office, hoping they have after-hours help. I leave a message with an answering service.
4:15am: Nurse calls me. Takes my information. I break down and start crying like a lunatic. She listens to Kaden's breathing and coughing over the phone while he sleeps. Has me turn on the lights and look at his lips and ribs again. I am more panicked as I tell her it's hard to tell if his ribs are sucked in because he's so skinny and they stick out normally. She says it sounds like the croupe. Advises me to double up on Albuterol and run a hot shower and stay in the steamy bathroom with him for 20 mins, then Albuterol again.
4:30am: Kaden wakes up and says "What are you doing?!"
4:31am: Albuterol. Kaden starts crying. I prop him up with pillows and start the shower.
5:00am: I get Kaden's pillow, a cup of water, my cell phone and Kaden, and head to the steamy bathroom. Kaden says it's too dark, so I turn on the lights.
5:05-5:15am: I sit on the toilet holding Kaden, who is shivering from his fever.
5:15am: He gives me "the look" and I ask him if he's going to throw up. "Yes."
5:15-5:20am: Throwing up mucus and dry heaving. His tiny little 3 year old body is convulsing as he dry heaves. He doesn't even cry.
5:20-5:30am: It becomes increasingly difficult to hold him as we are both soaked from sweat, and he keep slipping. He jerks violently in his sleep after he drifts back.
5:30-5:40am: Last round of Albuterol. I say "I'm so sorry, baby." He says, "It's okay, mama." I cry a little.
5:45am: I take his temp: 103.
5:45am: Nurse calls back, listens to him breathe--says he sounds good. I tell her about his temp, she says give him more meds at 6am. I scrounge through the house and find a couple of chewables. She says make a doctor's appointment later that morning. I thank her for her help.
6:00am: Kaden chugs some water, takes the Tylenol, falls back to sleep, breathing close to normal.
6:15am: I call my hubby. He's at the airport. I tell him my woes. He says he thinks he's going to miss his flight. I'm too tired to care.
6:30am: Finally back to bed.
6:45am: Allen comes to my bed. Fidgets. Keeps kicking me. I use some pleasant words and tell him to go to sleep!
7am: Zack texts me that he made his flight after all. Woo-hoo! Now leave me alone so I can sleep!
8am: Call and make doctor's appointment.
9-10:30am: Get boys up and ready, breathing treatment and steamy shower again. Get myself ready, rush to doctor's office.
10:50am: Doctor says Kaden has the croupe...do Albuterol and steamy showers to help with asthma and cough. Shocker.
11:50am: Pick up Zack at the airport.
Rest of the day: Lunch, naptime, family time, and now it's time for some... REST FOR THIS WEARY MOM! :)
Goodnight to all!
