ER

Yes, unfortunately we had to take Lucas to the ER last night. He has had several colds (feels like a few a month) and most of them at some point turn into a croupy cough, which we are getting pretty used to. When Peter took him to daycare yesterday he was totally fine not even a runny nose. But at some point during the day he started getting a cough. He coughed so hard during his nap time that he woke up to throw up...poor buddy.

By the time I had gotten home from work he was really hoarse and coughing very frequently and he definitely was not himself. Peter gave him a steamy shower and I gave him some motrin to help with the inflammation and we got him to bed. About an hour after he went down, I went in because he was coughing so much. When I got in his room he was sitting up gasping for air, when I picked him up he puked all over me and his room. He was really struggling to breathe. I was so scared I almost called the ambulance (not like me). I got him in the steamy shower again to get him clean and most importantly to help his airway. In the shower he was still coughing a lot and working pretty hard. At this time we loaded Claire in her car seat and we were ready to go just in case.

When I got him out of the shower and warmed up, he literally passed out in our bed. We were watching him very closely and he seemed to be working pretty hard to breathe. After a bit he started retracting and using his accessory muscles and he couldn't settle down to fully fall asleep. It was time to go. He was not only having a horrible barking cough but he had inspiratory stridor and that I am not ok with.

Being that I am an ER nurse I see parents bring there kids in so often for simple things that really could wait until morning. I told myself I would never be a mom to bring a sleeping child to be seen in the ER, but by the time we got to the ER Lucas was sound asleep in his car seat...I was that mom.

I ran in to ask one of our docs what he thought and he told me to get him in there because it would probably get worse as the night went on and he told me not to second guess myself. I am so glad I did take him because when we got there he started having a horrible coughing spell and was sort of dusky and lethargic. UGH. He got a nebulized racemic epinepherine treatment, steroids, and some cough medicine and within thirty minutes he literally had flipped a 180. He started telling everyone that we are going to disneyland soon and how we are headed to the beach in a few days. Thank the Lord.

On the way to the ER Peter and I both saw an amazing shooting star right in front of us. Amazing! I felt a little bit calmer after that. We got home really late but we all got a bit of sleep. Lucas is still coughing a lot and keeps throwing up his steroids (I don't blame him it is disgusting). But hopefully, all fingers crossed, tonight is much better.