Sick bubby...

For about the past two weeks Nolan has been sick. It all began with what seemed to just be a minor cold, nothing serious. Daddy took Nolan to the doctor and Nolan was put on C-Phen. I believe that is the cure all for infant illnesses. Anyways, Nolan started feeling better...no fevers, no coughing, nothing. Until one week ago (after a few days of feeling much better) I picked Nolan up from daycare and he suddenly started coughing, a terrible cough! I pretended that I didn't hear it and we went home. Later that night the cough returned and daddy and I just looked at each other in disbelief. Nolan got worse and worse each day. At first I thought it was his cold returning so we kept him on the C-Phen, that wasn't helping. Saturday I called the pedi and got him in that morning to see the doctor. Dr. Alicea (not his regular pedi) diagnosed him with bronchiolitis. I was sure it was just another word for a cold or something like bronchitis in adults. Apparently I was wrong. Bronchiolitis in infants is where their small airways are infected and constrict, therefore making them cough and wheeze. It also leads to pneumonia. (Bronchitis in adults is where the larger airways to the lungs are infected). Dr. Alicea said there are no meds for Nolan because this is a virus so we have to let it run it's course but gave us a nebulizer to hopefully help ease Nolan's breathing, especially at night when it is terrible (no...not while he is sleeping but just at night while awake). We started giving Nolan treatments that day which went fine, but they did not help a single bit. Dr. Alicea said to come back and see our normal pedi, Dr. Corp on Tuesday. On Monday we couldn't take anymore as the night before was the roughest for bubby. Before we even saw the doctor Nolan got weighed. He had lost almost half a pound in TWO days. Dr. Corp came in agreed it was bronchiolitis and said that we need to come back to see him on Saturday and if Nolan is the same or worse then a hospital stay would be needed. This breaks my heart... Dr. Corp told us that we need to keep Nolan home during the entire week not because he will get other children sick however the doctor is worried the daycare staff will not give breathing treatments and medicines on time and as prescribed. Dr. Corp gave us two different medications to try and continue the breathing treatments every four hours. One of the medications is an antibiotic, this is not going to do much because Nolan has a virus, so I guess it's just precautionary. The other medicine is to help Nolan sleep through coughing at night. So far, it has not done a damn thing. We were originally not giving Nolan treatments at night (he sleeps through the night and his breathing is normally best while he is sleeping). Dr. Corp told us that we need to wake up every four hours for breathing treatments and to just lay the mask over Nolan's face. Problem is that when the medicine gets low you have to be sitting up. So basically we are getting no sleep. We have the bassinet back into our room next to our bed to help with treatments. I definitely do not miss the first 6 weeks of Nolan's life where we were doing night time feedings. Sleep is so important when you have a baby...and work....and a house to take care of...and annoying animals that need to apparently eat as well. I just hope waking Nolan up in the middle of the night does not get him in the habit of waking up in the night. I'll keep my fingers crossed....

With this sickness the doctors have told us to watch for signs of dehydration which I guess is the main worry at this point. Nolan has started eating less (normally if Nolan is sick he is still always starving) and throws up virtually all of the formula he does drink. ::sigh::

Well last night was the worst. Normally bubby doesn't run much of a fever with this sickness. Last night his fever spiked and we RAN out the door to the hospital. Our doctor told us to go to the hospital if the fever hit 101 or more, which it did. On our way there we got a call from the on call nurse (I WANT TO TALK TO THE DOCTOR, NOT A NURSE THAT DOES NOT KNOW NOLAN!!!). The nurse said not to go to the hospital until Nolan's fever was over 105. Uhmmm...that seems REALLY high to me for a four month old. Any thoughts from parents out there? We went home and checked Nolan's temperature every hour, which SLOWLY went down. 

Today is Tuesday and still no change in Nolan's breathing, coughing, wheezing, fevers, etc... I am terrified that Saturday is going to come with no change...I don't even want to think about it. Yesterday the doctor said to Nolan, "on Saturday we'll see if you may need to go into the hospital or if you will get to see Christmas with out any incident". This really got me thinking. Christmas is coming up. Nolan's first Christmas...and not only that but I have SO many people I need to buy things for. With all of the extra doctor appointments and possible hospital visits I am worried I won't be able to afford everything I want to get for all of my friends and family. Sorry everyone! 

Through all of this Nolan is still the happiest baby. He has recently started smiling at anyone talking to him or even just passing by him. Through this sickness Nolan has kept that up. Bubby can be hacking up a lunch and when he is done will give you the biggest smile you've ever seen. 

I love you bubby....

Erin