Luke Takes a Trip to the Hospital

Our family had a bit of a scare with Luke this past week. Last Sunday Luke came down with a sudden cough and woke up the next morning with some breathing difficulties. He was just not acting normal, had a slight fever and was grunting with every breath. We took him into the doctor and they immediately checked his oxygen levels. Needless to say they were pretty low. They gave him an albuterol treatment with the oxygen mask that you see below. So by now, I am a little freaked out! After a couple of these albuterol treatments and a listen to his crackly lungs, they sent him downstairs for a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia. He was such a trooper, agreeing to everything (that's one of the reasons we knew he wasn't himself :)). He even managed to say good bye to everyone in the waiting room in radiology as we left to go back upstairs. The x-ray wasn't very clear but didn't seem to show any pneumonia however our doctor wasn't convinced that this wasn't the cause of his breathing problems. She thought it might also be bronchiolitis. His oxygen levels still weren't up to where they needed to be so the doctor felt we needed to go to the hospital for him to stay overnight. She was going to have him go by ambulance but then decided we could take him if we went straight there. Okay, now I'm a lot freaked out and trying not to loose it. Mark was the calm one, trying to reassure me that everything was going to be okay. Well they did a bunch of tests at the hospital and continued to give him these albuterol treatments to help open up his lungs. All the tests came back okay so that was good. Of course I was going a little crazy wanting to know what was making my little boy have trouble breathing! He definitely had a virus but the question whether these asthma like symptoms were a one time thing or if he actually has asthma. They don't really diagnose asthma until he has had this reaction a few times to allergies, viruses or exercise. We spent one night in the hospital taking shifts. Thank goodness for family and friends that helped with our other 2 boys! They released him from the hospital the next day and to make a long story a little less long....that night he was coughing non stop and having even more difficulty breathing than the day before. Mark rushed him to the emergency room at about 2am and he stayed in the hospital another 2 nights so they could monitor him and give him some more treatments. This time they sent us home with our own nebulizer so we could give him the albuterol treatments on our own.

Our "little old man" making his way to the playroom.

Here he is having his albuterol treatment at home. We had to do this about every six hours for the first few days which was great given that it makes his heart race and can seem like he's on 'speed' :). Just what we need....a two year old amped up! Now he only needs it if he has breathing difficulties again. We're hoping it was a one time thing and not an indication of on-going asthma. Luke is back to his normal happy rambanctious self. It definitely gives you a different perspective on things. We are so grateful that are children are healthy. While in the hospital I just kept thinking about those parents that have chronically ill children and find themselves in the hospital all the time - my heart went out to them. We are very blessed and I am especially thankful to have the priesthood in our home! .....Also thankful for doctors and medical insurance :)

Here he is taking his "smokey medicine" as he calls it.