Aren't holiday family traditions great? Well, I have one that's draining the life out of me. I grew up with four other siblings who all had asthma. I was lucky enough not to catch that gene, but apparently I'm a carrier-according to the ER doctor I visited with in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Yes that's right. Here's our family tradition: getting extremely sick and hospitalized during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays. I remember my little sister, Dixie, being in the hospital during Thanksgiving with pneumonia. We couldn't have real Christmas trees because it made everyone get sick, but my mom craved that pine scent one year and got a tree anyway. I think Nikki took a turn in the hospital that time. Now to present day. Ian had RSV the week before Christmas last year and we spent the night at the hospital the day before we left on our Christmas cruise. Then, last night he wouldn't respond to our nebulizar after two treatments, so I called our pediatrician's emergency line and the triage nurse told me to take him to the emergency room. They gave him another treatment which finally stopped the wheezing, but the doctor could still hear rattling in his left lung. They did chest xrays, which showed that it wasn't pneumonia (THANK GOODNESS!) but he does have bronchitus. We got to come home-I think it was 2:30 am when we got back-and he's now on steroids and antibiotics. Tonight was not fun either. I haven't been 100% asleep all night because he's been throwing up and coughing-poor guy-and I have to give him the nebulizar every 3-4 hours. Meanwhile, somehow I'm supposed to wrap like a million presents, help with our church party Friday night, mail out Christmas letters (which I actually did get done), do last minute shopping, set up the bunk bed that's coming in tomorrow, normal day-to-day chores, try to keep calm and rested for the baby brewing in my belly, and attempt giving Ayden some attention-he's been having asthma trouble for the past week, but has improved a lot over the past three days-during all of this. So that's why I am currently naming myself Mrs. Grinch. I really could do without all of the extra holiday festivities right now. Mom, now that I'm getting the "mother" perspective of this tradition, I can see how hard it was on you. Thank you for taking such great care of us kids. I love you.
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Charlotte Raye: 7-months
12 years ago
6 comments:
Would you like some help with something today? I can come wrap presents or do some chores. Or let you take a nap if you need it. We can hop in the car and be there ASAP.
Lauren, you are too kind. Luckily, Josh gets home today around 1:30. I think we can make it until then.
Poor little guys. Its so hard to see kids suffer like that. I hope they get better soon. You need to take it easy. Hopefully you will get a break after Xmas.
Poor little bebes!! Not being able to breath is no fun at all!! Markus is so distraught that we can't have a real Christmas tree. I told him he can go ahead and get one if he would like me to be sick for the entire month of December. So.....we have a fakey.
I hope you manage everything and I hope the boys get better.
That's the pits! I remember 'E' being sick last year and in the hospital. At least you still managed to go on your cruise! Hopefully he'll feel better soon. What's making him throw up? Is it the medicine or him coughing so much? Poor little guy. Being sick is no fun- especially during the holidays.
Poor Ayden, give him a hug for me, I am sad for him, not a good place to be. You have to learn to let go, some things just are not that important to do right now. Taking care of yourself definitely is tops, then the babies. Which I was next door to run over and help you out.
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