ER

This weekend brought us a parenting first - a middle of the night trip to the Emergency Room.  Nolan complained throughout the day on Saturday of a drippy nose and slightly sore throat, but it seemed like nothing to be overly concerned about.  I gave him some cold meds and sent him to bed without much fanfare.  At 11:30 or so, he woke up and was barely able to breathe.  He was gasping for air with terrible striders with each breath.  Eric had just gotten home from a business trip that evening (Thank God), so he stayed home with Livi while I loaded our sick, gasping boy into the van.  The drive to the hospital was terrifying.  He wasn't really able to talk because he couldn't get enough air moving and of course, that scared the both of us.  I couldn't see him well in the dark and all I could hear were these terrible sounds coming as he struggling to move air behind me.  When we got there, I hoisted my 71 pound son up onto my shoulder and sprinted into the ER.  When we got there his heart rate was extremely elevated (pulse was 169) and they got him back right away.  The respiratory therapist administered a breathing treatment of epinephrine, which helped to open his airway.  Within about 20 minutes his breathing became much more regular, but the poor little guy had gotten so much air in his tummy from hyperventilating that he vomited all over.  The medical staff sent him to x-ray and ran a panel of tests before they made their diagnosis of croup.  He's had croup several times since he started school last year, but it has never presented so suddenly or with those dangerous striders.  We stayed in the ER for several hours for observation to ensure that his breathing was under control and came home with a big dose of steroids on board.

His croup improved rather quickly with the steroids, but a few days later when we went in for a recheck the poor little buddy had a sinus and ear infection!  And because when it rains it pours, Olivia was in Urgent Care for an ear infection and bronchitis the following Saturday.  Thankfully courses of steroids and antibiotics helped my poor kiddos get back on track because hearing Nolan breathe like that was one of the scariest experiences of my life!