We decided around 11 to run a couple errands, but when I asked Caedmon to go potty and get ready to go, he refused to cooperate. At first we thought he was just being defiant, but then I realized that he truly was not feeling well. I asked him if he'd rather go out for a little while or stay home and lay on the couch watching movies. He asked for the movies...which is rare for my little boy who wants to be on the go. So Caedmon and I turned on a movie while Andy ran to Blockbuster in search of The Lion King.
While Andy was gone, I noticed that Caedmon seemed incredibly uncomfortable. He kept fidgeting and changing positions on the couch. He would suddenly scream and say, "My tummy hurts," or "My head hurts". I didn't really know what to think. Was he going to throw up? Is he coming down with something serious?
I noticed that his breathing seemed slightly labored. It was very subtle. He wasn't gasping for air or even breathing through his mouth. But I could see his chest rising and falling which I've never noticed before. He was also coughing every 10-30 seconds, not a croupy cough, but just a constant cough with a bit of rattling around in there.
I had a feeling in my gut (Thank you, Holy Spirit) that we needed to take him to the doctor to get him checked out before the weekend. Now, I am the Queen of taking a "healthy" kid to the doctor and the doctor takes our $25 and says "All clear" so I was second guessing myself. But I called our doctor anyways. The receptionist said they were all booked up but she would message the doctors to see if someone could work us in. I waited about an hour (by this time is was 1:15 on Friday afternoon) and then called them back. I was quite proud of myself, because I'm normally not very assertive. But I guess when it comes to my boy, I can make things happen. This is how the conversation went:
Me: I called an hour ago saying I need to see someone about my son. If you can't fit me in I need another option b/c we need to see someone today.
Receptionist: OK, I'll message the doctors and someone will call you back.
Me: No. We've already done that. I need to talk to someone now.
Receptionist: OK, I'll send it as an urgent message and they'll call you back soon.
Me: Within 15 minutes.
Receptionist: Yes.
The nurse called me right back and got said, "Can you be here in 30 minutes?" I said, "Yes, we'll leave right now."
The whole way there I was 2nd guessing myself. Caedmon looked and was acting pretty normal. Just a regular cold. When the doctor saw us, I could tell that was exactly what she was thinking, too. That's okay. A wasted $25 co-pay is worth my peace-of-mind. But when she listened to his lungs she said, "Wow! He is really wheezing. Not just a little bit. It's a good thing you brought him in!" In an instant I felt totally vindicated and like maybe I'm not a paranoid first time mom! His oxygen level was at 95% and they said 92% requires hospitalization.
They started Caedmon on a breathing treatment and gave him a shot of steroids. (Not too excited about Caedmon on steroids. That's taking "Caedmon" to a Whole Notha' Level!)We also took home two inhalers. The doctor said both of the medications make the kids' hearts beat fast so they feel fidgety and hyper. Nice.
It's not been too bad, but I can definitely see it's effect. Yesterday I didn't put Caedmon in BayKids at church because I thought he might be contagious with his cold. However, we did walk over for a couple minutes to pass out the Valentine's that he made. We had been there for all of two minutes when Caedmon found some maracas and started beating a helpless little girl! We left soon after.
So, one word of advice to moms...pay attention to your kids' breathing, especially if they are getting a cold. This had never happened to Caedmon before, but I knew to look out for it because it happens to my nephew. Just something to keep in mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment