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I posted before that baby Diva had a stuffy nose (she's 13 months) and many of you graciously replied with the advice I asked for. Then I updated you that it developed into bronchitis Sunday night, and she woke up wheezing Monday morning. Doc put her on antibios and said she should feel better by Tuesday afternoon. She didn't. Today, Wednesday, she woke up still wheezing. I changed throw up sheets around 5 times yesterday. Called the doc who thought I should bring her in again (see my very few $$$ flying out the window?). He checked her and found that it was starting to move down. She needed a breathing treatment. So, we did that. He then checked her again and, although there was some improvement, it wasn't enough. They were then going to get me a nebulizer machine so I can continue with home breathing treatments, going thru the insurance company (can you say pain and delay? They would deliver it to my home. I've gone that route before - no fun). A nurse, however, checked stock and they let me take the one we used home for a couple of days, but if it continues past Friday, I'll have to buy one (or rather, the ins. co. will - but I have no idea how much I will have to pay. Cross that later.). Little Diva hates it, but I sing lullabies and she relaxes. Took about 3 minutes the first time to get her to stop screaming, and second time only about a minute. It's scary having an oxygen mask put on. What's interesting is that she's almost as perky and mischievous as usual, especially picking on me while she's eating. I hope we actually get some sleep tonight. She so needs it. I hope she can breathe!! The vaporizor next to the bed, the Vicks, the Robitussin, nothing is doing the job. The doc wants to see her again on Friday. My copay is only $20, but gosh, it's adding up, with the OTC and prescription meds on top. I'm just thankful it's payweek so at least I can afford to get to the pharmacy without bouncing! Please send her your good thoughts. Hate to see a baby in distress. She's only thrown up once today, so I have my fingers crossed. Dr. said she's not dehydrated, though, (but he said I looked like I was), so I'm thankful. I was so tired I stopped at Starbucks on the way there, and then on the way back. The girl in drive thru kidded me for the double stop, and when she noticed baby was not responding to her well and I told her she was ill, she gave me my drink on her. That was so nice, as I'm trying not to use real cash, and of course, this is usually one of the first things to go.
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Oh my goodness! Welcome to my world--the world of wheezing babies, throwing up, and breathing treatements! That's so hard!!! I've found that my dd tolerates her nebs best if we're watching tv while doing them (she's 2-1/2). I don't let her watch TV often, so it's kind of a treat to snuggle with mommy while getting a neb. Also, I don't use the masks either, I have a neb set that I can just hold in front of her face and the mist blows in that way (one of the respiratory therapists at the hospital hooked me up with a bunch one time last year when Lily was in). It works like a charm! Do they have diva on Albuterol or Xoponex? (We use Xoponex and Pulmicort...no albuterol because it can increase the heart rate and cause some agitation). I don't know how much neb machines are, but I think you could probably get one from the pharmacy too, and charge it to insurance. The nice thing about having it is that you can use it anytime your kids get sick. It's similar to steam....and even just using saline in the neb cup can help to loosen up mucous. When Lily had homecare, she had a couple of nurses that would always neb their own kids when they would get sick like that.
The Starbucks girl sure was sweet too!! What a nice treat!!
I hope Baby Diva's feeling better soon, and that you're able to get some sleep!! HUGS!
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Thank you, Artie, for the good thoughts and for the wonderful info! Diva is on Albuterol, and of course, I hadn't had time to do my research, so I had no idea about it increasing heart rate. Now I'm a little worried because out of desperation tonight after another throwup and repeat wakings (crying in pain ones) I gave her Robitussin DM, which the Dr. said I should stop doing because it doesn't work. I just now gave it to her, which is 2 hrs. after the last treatment. She cried for about 15 seconds with the mask then settled right down, so thank God that isn't a fight, and yes, I used the TV, too - Baby Genius and Baby Einstein. No sound, since the machine is so loud. Just mommy's voice (hey, she doesn't know I'm off key yet, right?). So far she really doesn't seem any better, and I'm still using the vaporizer beside the bed. She keeps asking for the ceiling fan, so I turn that on when she seems uncomfortably warm, occasionally. I'm also using 2 vials rather than one. The doctor told me one, but he also told me to run it for 10 minutes, and one vial runs out in about 5-7 minutes. I have tons of vials in the prescription. She has been trying to sleep after the treatments, but I don't know if it's from the treatment or just the stress and the illness. Any other advice would be more than welcome, since this is the first time I've ever had this with my kids - me, yes, and I had it a lot as a kid, but I just hacked through it, which I would not wish on anyone. How often do you do treatments? Is it ongoing? Is this CF? I tried patting her harder on the back to loosen the phlegm, which I have read CF parents do, and read that it helps w/bronchitis, but I may be aggravating the problem. I don't know. She seems to be throwing up after nursing, not after a solid meal. But she wants to nurse for comfort, and I don't want her to become dehydrated, because she's only sipping water and juice. She prefers her human bottle.
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Originally Posted by desertmom
I hope we actually get some sleep tonight. She so needs it.
Sounds like you need some sleep too!! You poor lady. My kids have never been as sick as your little one. But I know I don't enjoy simple head colds. I hope she heals fast!! Try to take care of yourself as well!!
Originally Posted by desertmom
She seems to be throwing up after nursing, not after a solid meal. But she wants to nurse for comfort, and I don't want her to become dehydrated, because she's only sipping water and juice. She prefers her human bottle.
This is not making her worse!! Keep nursing as long as she wants!! That is probably why she is NOT dehydrated, which you don't want her to get!! Keep up the good work mommy!!
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Bless her little heart, and yours too! I've had asthma since I was 5 and can remember MANY a night when my Mom would lay me across her lap and pat and rub my back. The dr and told her it helps loosen it up. Funny thing is, to this day, I can't STAND to have my back rubbed. LOL
The nursing is not making her worse, but if she's like I was, when she lays down, it's harder to breathe, and with the congestion she probably has problems getting it to go down. Is she still in a crib or in a "big girl" bed? Is there a way you can put books or something under her mattress where her head will be to prop it up a bit? I slept that way for years. Shoot, I still sleep with two pillows.
You mentioned she's eating and perkier than she was, the breathing treatments might have steroid in them, I know ones I've had in the past have. Whenever I've been on steroids, I eat like a horse.
Luckily, I haven't been through this yet with Aidan, but just thought I might help from my personal experience.
Hope this helps and she gets better SOON and you get some rest!
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My oldest was disgnosed with asthma after several bouts of the wheezing and throw ups. We ended up at the hospital every 6 weeks for a while there. They finally put him on pulmicort and we haven't been to the er since April. He had RSV when he was 5 months old, and we got a nebulizer then. Blowing the smoke in is face was much easier than the mask. I know my dr told us not to do cold meds because that actually made things worse. It dries up the wrong stuff and makes it harder on the child. The hacking cough and struggle to breathe while wheezing causes the throw ups, and is usually our sign that we need to go to the ER. Everytime, his Pulse Ox is in the 80s and they won't let us leave until its over 94. Kids are resilient, parents run on adrenaline until they can crash...so call in reinforcements and allow yourself to crash! Otherwise, you;ll be the sick one!!!!
Good luck. It will get easier, just remember that you have to function too!!!!
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A friend here just has her 15 month old hospitalized. He has been wheezing for a few weeks...and nothing was working. They had tried everything you mentioned..well, they ended up doing a scope on him (had to be put to sleep to do this) on Tuesday morning...and they could see something in one lung! So, they put him back to sleep that afternoon, and went in and got it. It turned out to be a piece of popcorn kernel!! Something THAT small had made him wheeze that bad! It had actually embedded in his lung wall. You keep an eye on your little one..and stay on top of those drs! Hope she feels better soon.
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Your neb machine must be a really good one!! I still be careful about doing 2 vials of Albuterol though, because it can increase agitation and heartrate. It might actually keep her awake. Just make sure the cup is really empty. Sometimes you might have to shake or tap the cup a bit to make sure the med is gone. It will also blow out mist for a little while even after it seems empty.
My personal opinion on cough syrups is that, if you want to do one or two doses at night to help them sleep, then okay, but otherwise I'd hold off on the cough syrup too. As someone else mentioned, it dries up the secretions, which makes it harder to get them up, and I've heard that can even lead to pneumonia.
Yes, you can pat her on the back (it's called CPT's, which stand for Chest PhysioTherapy), which I can definitely say has helped Lily in the past. There are actually CPT cups people use to do this. You can also just sort of cup your hand over her back while you do it, and pat for 30-60 seconds over each lobe of the lung (upper left and right on the front and back, lower left and right on front and back, and the middle lobes--kind of under the arm pits). I don't do it really hard most of the time, but probably about as hard as you would burp her.
I would highly doubt Diva has CF. More likely some sort of Reactive Airway, which a lot of babies and kids have, and they outgrow it as they get older. Lily was born with a lot of medical issues, and actually had a tracheostomy for 18 months due to soft cartilage in her airway that made it very collapsible. She still has a certain degree of collapse in her lower trachea, but nothing that requires a trach to stint open anymore. We think she probably also has asthma, which is what causes a lot of her symptoms when she gets sick these days. I had weaned her off the nebs entirely, but she's got a bit of a cold now, so we're back on Pulmicort twice a day. I can increase that to 4 times a day, and have enough Xoponex to do nebs every 4-6 hours if necessary. (Pulmicort is a corticosteroid neb, so it reduces inflammation in the airway, while Albuterol and Xoponex are bronchodilators, so they open up the airway.)
As far as the coughing and throwing up, Lily coughs so hard sometimes, she spits up. I think nursing is great for Diva though. Keeping her hydrated will also help her to thin out those secretions so she can cough them up. I would just keep doing what you're doing, and hopefully she'll be feeling better soon (and not pass it onto anyone else!). Take care!!
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Wow, blessed, that IS scary! Artie, no, CF never crossed my mind with her because this is not chronic. It only started with the cold and bronchitis. Thank you for the info on how to do the patting accurately. No, if she started wheezing out of the blue, with no cold first, I would be more frightened. We've been using these treatments for 24 hours now and I don't see much improvement. We will be going back in for a recheck first thing Friday morning. The good news is she is not lethargic. She's bouncy, and her coloring is still good. Thank so much, everyone.
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Well, baby diva was still wheezing yesterday. The doctor (regular Dr. was out on Wed. when I took her in for wheezing, after reg. doc had put her on antibios on Monday) gave me a breathing treatment maching on Wednesday to use, then to return for follow up on Friday. On Friday A.M., I took her in and returned the machine. She was still wheezing. Regular Dr. was in and acknowledged that she was worse - Monday it was just rattling. He did an oxygen sat. test on her and that was good, so no alarms there. However, he needed me to continue the treatment, and the insurance co. requires that more than two days of rental requires purchase, so he signed off on a script to get a machine for me to keep at home. I found out when I picked it up there was a $15 copay - this stuff is adding up.. Anyway, he thinks she'll be better by Sunday. This morning, Saturday, she woke up not wheezing, but had coughed a few times during the night. However, once she was up, she started wheezing again. It sounds a little better. I just want my little baby feeling good again. Get this..I had told both doctors during the week I was using the warm mist vaporizer w/ the eucalyptus liquid. On Friday, I mentioned it again. He told me not to use it - it would worsen it, and to use a cool mist humidifier. Duh! Wish I'd known!