Why Michigan is Really Cool, Reason #5: Good Hospitals
Sigh. Yes, alas, we found out that Michigan also is very cool because the Emergency Room care is very good.
Dang croup.
I keep wishing that each croup bout is our last. Poor Soren really should be on the verge of outgrowing it. But, I guess, he's not quite there yet.
When we arrived in Michigan he was coming down with a cold. A very minor cold. Just a little sniffly, no coughing. He was playing normally and had lots of energy.
But then Sunday night at 3 a.m. he called me crying because he couldn't breath. Yuck. I took him outside because that is the one one thing that does seem to help sometime. But as soon as we stepped outside it was clear that it wasn't cool enough to make a difference. I took him up to the shower and started running the hot water - that is what everyone says will work, but it never has worked for us.
Our activity was enough to wake up Grandma who came to help. Even before the steam filled the shower it was obvious that a trip to the ER was in order. Sigh. Croup sucks. It really just does. I hate it. And it is definitely worse now that he is older. It scares him not to breath and he keeps saying "I can't breath, mama, I can't breath." Breaks my heart into tiny little pieces.
Grandpa and Grandma drove us there. Luckily it was a slow night in the ER and when they heard my dear gasping boy people came out of the woodwork running to help. They gave him a dose of oral steroids and then an inhaler of epinephrine. The epinephrine comes out in a fog via a mask and the mask scared the daylights out of him. He fought with us as we put the mask on his face. That sucked too. A lot. When he was a baby I just held the hose to his face, but now that he's old enough to wear a mask it is the preferred method because he can breath in so much more of the fog. Well, it is the preferred method for everyone except Soren. Sigh.
But the fog works. And quickly. Within 15 minutes of our arrival he was breathing much better. They held us in the ER for two hours to give the steroids time to take over the long term healing and to be sure they could see what happened when the epinephrine wore off. So we watched Thomas the Tank Engine videos (see Michigan ER's really are great!)
I really hope that someday I can look back on this photo and say that it shows the final time Soren needed to go to the ER for croup. (This, by the way, is a photo of us on our way out of the ER...hence the smile. And, yes, we are both wearing our pajamas.)
Dang croup.
I keep wishing that each croup bout is our last. Poor Soren really should be on the verge of outgrowing it. But, I guess, he's not quite there yet.
When we arrived in Michigan he was coming down with a cold. A very minor cold. Just a little sniffly, no coughing. He was playing normally and had lots of energy.
But then Sunday night at 3 a.m. he called me crying because he couldn't breath. Yuck. I took him outside because that is the one one thing that does seem to help sometime. But as soon as we stepped outside it was clear that it wasn't cool enough to make a difference. I took him up to the shower and started running the hot water - that is what everyone says will work, but it never has worked for us.
Our activity was enough to wake up Grandma who came to help. Even before the steam filled the shower it was obvious that a trip to the ER was in order. Sigh. Croup sucks. It really just does. I hate it. And it is definitely worse now that he is older. It scares him not to breath and he keeps saying "I can't breath, mama, I can't breath." Breaks my heart into tiny little pieces.
Grandpa and Grandma drove us there. Luckily it was a slow night in the ER and when they heard my dear gasping boy people came out of the woodwork running to help. They gave him a dose of oral steroids and then an inhaler of epinephrine. The epinephrine comes out in a fog via a mask and the mask scared the daylights out of him. He fought with us as we put the mask on his face. That sucked too. A lot. When he was a baby I just held the hose to his face, but now that he's old enough to wear a mask it is the preferred method because he can breath in so much more of the fog. Well, it is the preferred method for everyone except Soren. Sigh.
But the fog works. And quickly. Within 15 minutes of our arrival he was breathing much better. They held us in the ER for two hours to give the steroids time to take over the long term healing and to be sure they could see what happened when the epinephrine wore off. So we watched Thomas the Tank Engine videos (see Michigan ER's really are great!)
I really hope that someday I can look back on this photo and say that it shows the final time Soren needed to go to the ER for croup. (This, by the way, is a photo of us on our way out of the ER...hence the smile. And, yes, we are both wearing our pajamas.)
Poor Soren! And poor Amy! At least you were in good hands.
ReplyDeleteHere's an odd offer for you. During one of our ER trips for Lorelei's asthma, we scored a cute rhino mask with a purple horn for the breathing treatments that helped her a lot. She has since moved on to a new mask from the last doctor's visit so I would happy to send it to you. Perhaps just something for Soren to "practice" with or play with, though I sincerely hope this will be the final trip to the ER for you for croup.
ReplyDeleteUgh. I'm so sorry. That "heart breaking into tiny pieces" is spot on!
ReplyDeleteAt least you didn't let it ruin your Michigan trip. I got to read all the great things, so the ER just seems like a road bump. I, too, hope he doesn't have a croup attack again.
Ugghhh..the ER stinks...croup stinks. I truly hope this is the last of it for you guys. I kind of feel like I can relate with Jameson's asthma...it can be so scary when they can't breathe...and for J it has gotten worse as he's gotten older too (though they said it should get better) and scarier for him now that he kind of undertands what's going on. And don't get me started on the masks!
ReplyDeleteGlad he felt better quickly and was able to enjoy the rest of your trip.
Oh and I'm super impressed you had your camera with you at the ER and that you look so fantastic after a long night in the ER!!!
Poor Soren! You guys could write a book about hospitals around the world. Hopefully this will be the last.
ReplyDeleteI too am impressed that you brought your camera along.