Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Rough Night

Preface: The big kid has had a nose full of green gook since November -- despite February's adenoidectomy. Generally we've learned to live with it, and the wet, "junky" cough that accompanies it. But sometimes, like over the last week, it gets pretty bad.

Last night: We've been letting B stay up til 9 since daylight savings time started, since he doesn't like to go to bed while it's light out. I should have put him to bed earlier yesterday, since he seemed a bit overtired and "snakey" - but I didn't.

When I told him it was bed time, he got all teary and said, "But my tummy hurts!" I asked him to show me where it hurt.

He pointed to his chest.

Uh-oh.

So, one Singulair, one puff of Flovent, two puffs of Albuterol, a teaspoon of Dimetapp and two sniffs of saline later, he's off to bed.

Not an hour later, I hear whimpering, so I head upstairs. B's crying. I went to give him a hug and realized he was still sleeping.

Uh-oh again. It's a night terror. God, I hate these things.

And it's a bad one. He's hysterical, screaming and sobbing like an infant. Dad has to take the baby downstairs because he's starting to freak out (that's Dad AND the baby).

Problem is, he's crying and screaming so hard, he's triggered an asthma attack. He's coughing til he gags, and by the time it's all over, he's got petechiae all over his face.

I page the pediatrician, natch, and she tells me to bring him in in the morning -- and to give him another shot of albuterol.

So, I head upstairs, MDI/spacer in hand, and give him another dose. Which arouses him and starts off another night terror. Yea.

When it's all over, he's calms down and goes back to sleep, but he spends the night breathing at 40 resps/minute, and he's moaning a lot in his sleep.

I can't complain too much -- he hasn't had an attack in AGES. We've had a great winter. But I hardly slept last night because I was so worried.

And I can't help but wonder if lowering his Flovent was a baaaaaad move.

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