A few days ago Drew started to develop a cough and stuffy nose, I didn't think much of it because he goes to an in home day care every morning while I work and there are so many germs there, I chalked it up to just a little cold and he didn't seem to mind. Then yesterday he woke up and sounded like he was struggling to breathe and his cough resembled that of a seal. It was the most awful sound I've ever heard come out of my child's mouth. You could tell he was in pain because he would cry every time he coughed and was struggling to get anything to come up when coughing.
We had an appointment at the clinic at 9am and after waiting an entire hour with a sick 1 year old (can you tell I am really thrilled about having to wait that long..) We were switched to see another doctor, our neighbor that took one listen to Drew's lungs and said " he most likely has Croup". Umm, excuse me what? That sounds like a bird... He then went on to explain that it's an inflammation of the upper airway, hence causing the seal like coughing. Drew was then given a shot of steroids in his throat, as in they shot the liquid in his mouth to help the inflammation of his airway. Antibiotics are not useful because Croup is a stinky little virus. So now we watch him, treat him with Tylenol for pain, have him inhale steam and cold air and take him back to the doctor if his breathing gets worse. The pediatrician did say that Croup usually lasts about 5-6 days, then the child improves greatly.
Last night Drew woke up screaming at midnight, which is odd, he's normally a 4am kind of dude. The child who never sleeps in our bed then slept on my chest until 6am. I thought there was no way on God's green earth he would sleep in between us, whenever I've done that in the past he thinks it's play time in our room. He crashed out and just wanted mommy and daddy snuggles. It eased my mind a bit having him right there so I could keep an eye on him, instead of having the monitor on full blast. Seeing my child sick is just heart wrenching, I wish there was something more I could do, I wish I could take it away. Thankfully it isn't supposed to last long.
If your child has had Croup, what worked the best for you?
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3 comments:
Hi Abby!
The boys get croup all the time, our newest trick we found that works is to steam up the bathroom and then let them sit in there for a 10 minutes (we read books) and then wrap him up in a blanket and open your freezer and let him breath in that air-- it sounds crazy but it has saved us from a trip to the ER many times :)
Hang in there, also, if it seems to get worse not better, ask your dr for some steriods to help his little lungs.
-Sabrina
Henry got croup 4 times. It was awful. We took him to the ER in the middle of the night the first two times because it is just so scary. Once they gave him the steriod he got over it pretty quick. The other times we did just as they said, walk outside, steam in the shower, but it never worked fast enough for me!! Hannah just got it a month ago, so we just opted for the ER again for the steriod. It always is worse at night, so if you have the patience to wait until morning, do that. But I'm a wussy I guess....the good news is they grow out of it fast. Once their little airways grow, they don't get it anymore. They say they rarely get it past age of 3. Henry hasn't had it for a year now, so maybe even 2. Just make it through this winter and you should be fine!
Sounds so scary! Saying a little prayer he feels better soon and you all have a good night tonight. Hang in there!!!
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