Sam's breathing treatment

I know, I know. I've been slacking off on the blog lately. I've been busy, and I need to upload some pictures, so that makes me procrastinate...

Bill was out of town on very short notice Monday-Wednesday of this week. It was spring break, it was cold (cuz it's Michigan!), we were dog-sitting, and I came down with a cold. Good times. All 3 boys successfully caught the cold from me. Tuesday night, I put the boys in bed with no problems. They all seemed fairly healthy at that point. Around 10:45, I let Puka outside one last time, then put her in her kennel for the night. As I headed into my bedroom, I thought I heard her whining. I paused, because I wanted to make sure she wasn't going to start barking. Then I realized what I heard wasn't the dog, but it was coming from Sam and TJ's room. The noise quickly got louder.

Sam was having some sort of breathing episode. The healthy child who had gone to sleep two hours earlier, was now wheezing every time he inhaled and coughing a horrible, seal-sounding bark with each exhale. He woke up in sheer panic and burst into tears. A crying child who can't breathe is even worse than a calm child who can't breathe. He kept choking out, "Pound me on the back, Mama! I can't breathe!" I scooped him and brought him onto my bed so he wouldn't wake up TJ. I kept trying to get him to calm down so that I could leave him long enough to grab his nebulizer. I cannot tell you how grateful I was to have that nebulizer. We certainly would have been heading for the Emergency Room if it weren't for that little device.

I finally got Sam to calm down long enough for me to grab and assemble the nebulizer. Sam held that thing tightly over his mouth and breathed in every drop of albuterol. I was still feeling slightly panicky, so I called my mom, just to review his symptoms with her. At that point, I was still trying to determine if he had croup, or if this was an asthma attack, or if this was just Sam catching a cold. By the time he finished the treatment, Sam was calm. I gave him a dose of the strongest cough medicine we have, put Vicks on his chest, and then reassured him that the medicine would help him sleep. Sam's response? "I KNOW that, Mom". At that point, I smiled. My Sam was back.

I tucked him in bed and fussed around, propping him up with extra pillows. Sam's comment? "Umm...MOM! You can GO now!" Yes Sir! He went back to sleep almost immediately while I dug out a humidifier (which I had just cleaned and put away for the summer). I wasn't taking any chances.

Wednesday he seemed okay, Thursday he was wheezing like crazy. That child does not have healthy lungs. I can handle injuries, vomit, you name it. But when he can't breathe, it scares me. I told Bill not to be gone the next time that happens. No...I'm tough. I can handle it! (at least, that's what I am telling myself)