Hack

Ah, Sunday.  The rain is rapping on this new roof and we are stretching out into new walls, new floors, new space.  I’m so horribly not unpacked.  It’s my goal today to get some stuff situated.  Change is coming and I’m bracing for it in all the ways I know how and trying not to avoid, because I am good at avoiding (hence, the large number of boxes and misplaced furniture throughout my new space).

I’m listening to Bub hack like in the other room.  I noticed it intermittently Friday night and took the conservative approach (ahem, did nothing).  Saturday morning he seemed okay, still coughing a bit, and off to soccer we went.  Oh yeah, Rec Soccer.  It’s an experience that is for sure.  He likes to spin in circles on the field, however, will really get in there and go after the ball when he pays attention enough to know where it is.  His coughing was there, but not concerning enough to pull him or hop him up on meds.

Yesterday afternoon was Banana’s 12th birthday.  She’s the niece.  We hung out there most of the evening and since my sister has a cat, the boy was a bit worse for the wear by the time we left.  I still didn’t anything about it other than listen to his lungs for wheezing (none) but since he was no better this morning and was resembling a 70 year old, 3 pack a day smoker, I bit the bullet and pulled out the X*ponex (rescue inhaler). After the second dose two hours later, he wasn’t much better so I called the on-call ped.  Not my favorite thing to do (it pains me to inconvenience people).  Thankfully we had meds left over from last year so Bub had a date with the neb for some Albuter*l and 4 puffs of Fl*vent.  Steroids.  Ugh.  He was almost immediately better, though in an hour backsliding rapidly.  Another call, another neb, more puffs and he was better again.  So now we’re resigned to nebs every two hours until bed, more steroids before bed and calling in for a plan for the week tomorrow.

Usually this asthma stuff is not a big deal.  Bub has his rescue inhaler on an as needed basis and only once in a while do we get into a tricky spot like this.  He’s been running upwards of 3 miles with my sister and has done two 5K races this summer with stellar times.  What I realized today is that for the last 3 years, this time of year has been our witching hour.  3 years ago, pneumonia… last year, rough spell where we came very close to the ER and landed ourselves on a regimen of steroids for the winter… and now… here we are again.  Perhaps it’s the germy, weather changing, high allergen content air trifecta that does it.  I don’t know, but I don’t like it.

I guess just keep the C and D going for the rest of the winter and cross my fingers that we can avoid another winter of steroids.  Trouble with asthma is that it is seriously slim pickings for natural remedies.  Hmph.  Any ideas?