Josh didn't have the flu, but he did have a bad cold. Which not only triggered his asthma but also kept his temp hovering at 101-102 degrees till yesterday. So he's been sick and pretty miserable since his fever is exhausting him but his cough keeps waking him up when he tries to sleep. I finally took both kids to the doctor on Wednesday and found out he also has an ear infection, so now he's on two asthma drugs plus antibiotics.
He's been missing school for the past week and is falling behind, which is a bummer considering up till now he's been getting straight A's and had a perfect attendance record. And yesterday he was upset because he missed a field trip that he was really looking forward to. He's also missed two baseball games, three practices, and Awana. But he's fever-free now, so he's back in school today and hopefully on the mend.
In the meantime, however, he managed to pass his cold on to Daniel. Josh's asthma showed up when he was exactly Daniel's age, so we are watching Danny carefully for any signs that we "get" to use the nebulizer for both kids. So far, so good on the asthma front. I guess we'll see for sure once this cold winds down and only the cough remains.
But although asthma has not yet reared it's ugly head with Danny, he does have croup. Croup is creepy and crappy and cruel. (Woo hoo! Alliteration!) Anyway, the difference between croup and asthma is that croup causes swelling in the windpipe and larynx while asthma causes swelling in the lungs. Both cause breathing difficulties and coughs, so I'm praying he never gets both at the same time.
It's hard to describe what a croupy cough sounds like. Some people describe it as a bark, which can be kinda canine but leans more toward seal than dog. Danny's is slightly sealish. But the weird thing about a croupy cough is how LOUD it is. It's the creepiest thing to have a 20 month old baby suddenly whale out this cough that sounds like it's coming from some huge guy. It's even creepier coming out of the dark in the middle of the night. Daniel has scared himself awake with it a few times.
The mean thing about croup is that the inflammation can suddenly worsen and make it very hard to breathe. That's scary for anyone, but I'm sure it's especially terrifying in a baby who doesn't understand what's going on. It scares me when it happens to him, because he sounds so awful and there's not a whole lot I can do to help him. Makes me remember when he was tiny and had all those breathing and heart rate issues. I'm thankful now because at least we know what he has and I know how to treat it.
No one around here is getting much sleep. Josh's asthma cough sounds out from one side and gets echoed by Daniel's croupy cough from another side. The two of them are loud enough to wake each other up, even in separate rooms! Daniel has a fever, too, so he needs his sleep.
I'm really thankful that Josh is getting better and I'm praying Daniel will get better soon too. And no asthma for Daniel, please!
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