Tuesday, January 12, 2010

And the pneumonia just keeps on comin'!

Update -

Sent Oz back to school yesterday. He'd been fine all weekend, and practically bouncing of the walls. He couldn't wait to get out!

When he came home, he immediately lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.

That is NOT like my Oz.

When I checked, he was running 100.8 and complaining of pain in his chest and a headache.

I put him to bed early, but he woke up shortly after crying hysterically - he was completely incomprehensible. Then he threw up all over my bed. Then he fell asleep again.

Next time he woke up, not an hour later, the screaming resumed. He was in pain, scared - I don't even know what. I started to warm up the car so I could take him to the ER.  But by the time I came back in, he was asleep again.

I'd spoken to the doctor twice by this time. She warned me that it could either be an effusion or a mucus plug. (eeeeuwwww.)

He made it through the night after that. He was laboring to breathe a bit, but his respiratory rate was OK.

This morning, we had to go back to the doctor, of course. And of course, we were sent for another chest X-ray.

The results? The Zithromax he'd been taking wasn't working. The pneumonia had actually gotten worse! WTF??!!!

So... while it may actually be a viral pneumonia, we're starting Omnicef tonight.

Wish us luck.  We're back to the pulmonologist next week.

6 comments:

Greg Baker said...

Aimee, sorry to hear your son is dealing with this, it is awful and sounds scary. I found a natural treatment for Asthma that has passed the test of clinical studies. It is Buteyko Breathing Method. It is standard treatment for Asthmatics in England but has not gotten that far here in the US yet.

It will help reduce the wheezing and attacks and at same time support the strengthening of his immune system to help with getting rid of colds and such.

It is something that you can sign up for a class and have a teacher teach it to you and your son. If you are in my area I could teach it or I can refer you to another teacher.

I had severe Asthma taking advair and lots or proventil. In a short time of practicing Buteyko I got rid of the symptoms and off the drugs. I was so happy to find this.

Well, please be welcome to contact me at info@buteykolearning.com

Aloha, Greg.

Kara Hadley said...

If you're willing to try some less conventional treatments, I've recently read that licorice helps fight bronchitis and upper respiratory infections by producing mucus which loosens phlegm. Sounds strange, but it might be worth a try. I know I'm going to.

Aimee said...

Thanks, Greg. I've read about Buteyko in the past, but will revisit.

Kara - I think I just read something about licorice...and will try it for myself! I've got a wicked sinus infection, and I don't stomach antibiotics well. Licorice is worth a shot. In the same article I read, they mentioned other herbal remedies for upper and lower respiratory infections but I can't remember what they were...wish I'd torn it out of the magazine!!

Thanks for the comments.

Kristy said...

Found your blog while searching for information on RSV in asthmatic children. My 3 year old son who was diagnosed with asthma when he was one was diagnosed last night at the ER with RSV. Despite the oral steroids, albuterol neb every 4 hours, and pulmicort neb twice a day his cough seems unchanged. He's had the cough for several days and my heart breaks when he goes into those coughing fits and vomits. I feel helpless in easing this wretched cough. Is it me or does it sometimes feel like doctors in the ER have no clue how to treat these viruses in children with asthma? His xrays are clear, but are RSV coughs this bad?

Hope your children are sleeping soundly this evening. Mine isn't. Here's to another night of back to back nebs.

Kristy M.
Pennsylvania

Aimee said...

Kristy - did they check his oxygen saturation in the ER? That's your critical metric. If he's below 94, he needs to be admitted to the hospital. (At least, that's been the magic # with our doctors.)

A few things I've learned...

1. Don't think twice about either paging your doctor or going back to the ER. Do what you have to do for your kid.

2. Unless those sats are super-low or your child's breaths are "30 in 30" (that's 30 breaths in 30 seconds - take a watch and time it) they probably won't admit him to the hospital.

Which I think SUCKS.

It's a to ask any parent - especially one who's doing this for the first time - to give their kids nebs every three hours around the clock and to look for signs of distress. We have enough responsibility looking after healthy kids...but sick kids like ours...it's too much!!! (They should at least send a nurse home, don't you think?)

Watch for the 30 in 30 and DO NOT HESITATE to page or head back to the ER.

Good luck and please keep me posted. Hugs to you!

Kara Hadley said...

Another interesting bit of unconventional asthma therapy--rooibos teas. For some reason there's something in rooibos teas (also known as red teas or african red teas) that helps alleviate asthma symptoms. I don't know if you could get your sons to drink it, but it couldn't hurt.