Asthma?!
We are back from our LONG weekend of way too much driving. We did have some fun, but all the travel was very hard on the kids, which means it was also very hard on us.
Over the weekend Sammy started with a cough, and passed it on, as usual, to his little brother. Zachy has been sleeping well, but upon rising he starts up with some pretty nasty coughing spells. This morning he was wheezing as well, so after administering a breathing treatment, I whisked him off to the doctor.
Asthma.
How can this be? Zachy already suffers from a severe heart condition. Do his lungs have to get involved, too?
Of course, the diagnosis is made solely on the frequency and severity of observed symptoms, and there are varying degrees of the disease. We had been through this once before when Joseph was about 15 months old. He started seeing a pediatric pulmonologist after several bouts of pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and even pertussis. She diagnosed him with reactive airway disease, a somewhat "transitory" form of asthma that would either worsen or that he would someday outgrow. He was put on preventative medication, and within a year his symptoms subsided.
For now, the doctor is prescribing nebulized treatments and an oral steroid to help open Zachy's airways. If he continues to have episodes, the treatment will get more aggressive. It is my hope and prayer that this new condition will be one that Zachy outgrows.
On the brighter side, our miracle boy will turn ONE YEAR old on December 2! This is a BIG DEAL, as we can now put the most critical months of his life behind us. We are planning a celebration, and YOU ARE ALL INVITED! Mark your calendars for the afternoon of Sunday, December 6, and look for more details as the date approaches.
Please keep Carlee and Samantha in your prayers. These sweet fellow heart friends have recently contracted the H1N1 virus.
Over the weekend Sammy started with a cough, and passed it on, as usual, to his little brother. Zachy has been sleeping well, but upon rising he starts up with some pretty nasty coughing spells. This morning he was wheezing as well, so after administering a breathing treatment, I whisked him off to the doctor.
Asthma.
How can this be? Zachy already suffers from a severe heart condition. Do his lungs have to get involved, too?
Of course, the diagnosis is made solely on the frequency and severity of observed symptoms, and there are varying degrees of the disease. We had been through this once before when Joseph was about 15 months old. He started seeing a pediatric pulmonologist after several bouts of pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and even pertussis. She diagnosed him with reactive airway disease, a somewhat "transitory" form of asthma that would either worsen or that he would someday outgrow. He was put on preventative medication, and within a year his symptoms subsided.
For now, the doctor is prescribing nebulized treatments and an oral steroid to help open Zachy's airways. If he continues to have episodes, the treatment will get more aggressive. It is my hope and prayer that this new condition will be one that Zachy outgrows.
On the brighter side, our miracle boy will turn ONE YEAR old on December 2! This is a BIG DEAL, as we can now put the most critical months of his life behind us. We are planning a celebration, and YOU ARE ALL INVITED! Mark your calendars for the afternoon of Sunday, December 6, and look for more details as the date approaches.
Please keep Carlee and Samantha in your prayers. These sweet fellow heart friends have recently contracted the H1N1 virus.
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