Does Your Toddler Have Asthma.. How we found out
Asthma can be very stressful. My son was diagnosed with asthma when he was 17 months old. When he was born, my husband and I were informed that he would have strands of asthma due to the fact that my husband had asthma all his life. However we had not experienced any of the signs of asthma until October 2011. I went to work, it was a normal day for me, but Elijah was up when I was making my way out the door. I normally tried to leave when he was still asleep, just so he wouldn't have a fit about not being able to come with me. This particular morning he was up, saw me leave and started crying. My sister was watching him for me at the time. He wasn't in a daycare or homecare center.
I checked in with her via text during the day and called her around my lunch break. She told me that Elijah wasn't being his normal, extremely active self. He was really clingy to her, didn't have much energy, was whining all day and crying off and on. I thought it was very strange but assumed it was because he didn't want to be there, he wanted to be with me. When I got back to the house almost 11 hours later, Elijah was still very uncomfortable it seemed, and wasn't as excited as he normally is to see me when I get in. My mother suggested taking him to the hospital, but I decided to wait it out and see if he would come back to his normally active self.
20 or 30 minutes had passed and Lij, as I call him, was still very clingy, had no energy and had off and on low cries. I took him to the Emergency Room. As soon as I walked into the pediatrics section with Lij in my arm still crying, the nurse heard his cries and said, "miss he cant breath, come with me". I want to say that everything after that was a blur, but it wasn't. The world around me began to move in slow motion. They laid my baby down on the gurney in the ER pediatrics room. Asked me a bunch of questions, while I cried and tried my best to think of the most accurate answers.
Seeing all the needles and tubes and straps to keep a scared 1 year old still scared the crap out of me. I was living outside of my own body, watching myself from the side. I still had on my work clothes and couldn't tell you right from left if you asked me. I called my husband who was just getting off work and told him to meet me there. The visit to the ER turned into a 5 day stay in the ICU for Lij.
Lij is 4 now. From the time he was diagnosed, up until now we have had a few scares and I have been a hawk. Watching his every move. Staying up all night just to make sure he's breathing. Worrying myself sick. His most recent asthma check up, was great. So good that I didn't have to make a follow up appointment. Then last night we had a scare . I was up all night, watching him. Listening to him breathe. Giving him his pump, and then his nebulizer this morning. I was so sure that he had grown out of it. He's been doing so good, playing with his school mates and cousins. He recently ran half of a track at a track and field without any problem at all. Maybe its the weather change. This could be a little set back, but last night was extremely scary. He wants so badly to play and be active, as children his age should be, but I'm to scared to let him. Just as I was starting to loosen up, I'm pulling him all that much closer to me.
He'll be ok. Asthma is scary, but if you pay attention to the signs your child is showing that he may be having difficulty breathing, or his chest feels a little tight , you'll be ok. Make sure you have all the necessary appliances and medications prescribed. Bring water and a pump when ever you are leaving the house. Have a back up plan. Play it safe. Toddlers sometimes will continue to play even when they are feeling short of breath.
That was a scary introduction to asthma for me. But he is doing much better.
I checked in with her via text during the day and called her around my lunch break. She told me that Elijah wasn't being his normal, extremely active self. He was really clingy to her, didn't have much energy, was whining all day and crying off and on. I thought it was very strange but assumed it was because he didn't want to be there, he wanted to be with me. When I got back to the house almost 11 hours later, Elijah was still very uncomfortable it seemed, and wasn't as excited as he normally is to see me when I get in. My mother suggested taking him to the hospital, but I decided to wait it out and see if he would come back to his normally active self.
20 or 30 minutes had passed and Lij, as I call him, was still very clingy, had no energy and had off and on low cries. I took him to the Emergency Room. As soon as I walked into the pediatrics section with Lij in my arm still crying, the nurse heard his cries and said, "miss he cant breath, come with me". I want to say that everything after that was a blur, but it wasn't. The world around me began to move in slow motion. They laid my baby down on the gurney in the ER pediatrics room. Asked me a bunch of questions, while I cried and tried my best to think of the most accurate answers.
Seeing all the needles and tubes and straps to keep a scared 1 year old still scared the crap out of me. I was living outside of my own body, watching myself from the side. I still had on my work clothes and couldn't tell you right from left if you asked me. I called my husband who was just getting off work and told him to meet me there. The visit to the ER turned into a 5 day stay in the ICU for Lij.
Lij is 4 now. From the time he was diagnosed, up until now we have had a few scares and I have been a hawk. Watching his every move. Staying up all night just to make sure he's breathing. Worrying myself sick. His most recent asthma check up, was great. So good that I didn't have to make a follow up appointment. Then last night we had a scare . I was up all night, watching him. Listening to him breathe. Giving him his pump, and then his nebulizer this morning. I was so sure that he had grown out of it. He's been doing so good, playing with his school mates and cousins. He recently ran half of a track at a track and field without any problem at all. Maybe its the weather change. This could be a little set back, but last night was extremely scary. He wants so badly to play and be active, as children his age should be, but I'm to scared to let him. Just as I was starting to loosen up, I'm pulling him all that much closer to me.
He'll be ok. Asthma is scary, but if you pay attention to the signs your child is showing that he may be having difficulty breathing, or his chest feels a little tight , you'll be ok. Make sure you have all the necessary appliances and medications prescribed. Bring water and a pump when ever you are leaving the house. Have a back up plan. Play it safe. Toddlers sometimes will continue to play even when they are feeling short of breath.
That was a scary introduction to asthma for me. But he is doing much better.
 |
| My little athlete running |
Comments
Post a Comment