Poor B-Boy, he's still sick.. but improving!

Last week, I just couldn't sit by any longer. B-Boy was not getting better. In fact, he sounded worse.

If you remember, a few weeks ago, B-Boy was diagnosed with a mild Croup. Well, either he got something in addition to that, or the Croup is worse. On Monday, one of his teachers called me saying his cough sounded really bad, and she was concerned.

So back to the doctor we went. Only I couldn't see our regular one, so we saw another in the practice. I was told his ears were clear, and that his chest sounded clear too. His chest didn't sound that good to me, but OK... at least I knew it was not an ear infection.

Fast forward to Tuesday evening. I returned from Williamsburg, snuggled up to B-Boy, and his breathing sounded really bad. His cough was wetter sounding and he just looked miserable. He wasn't eating like normal, after about 4 ounces, he would stop. (He normally eats 7 ounces at a time.) He would cough himself awake several times at night, so in the morning he would be exhausted.

So, on Wednesday, I called back to Healthcare and asked for an appointment with our regular doctor. At 1:30, B-Boy and I went to see her. We basically heard the same thing... ears clear, chest ok. She was hesitant to put him on an antibotic, but if he didn't get better, she would. She suggested he not go back to daycare. Sigh.

So off I went to notify his daycare that he was going home, what the diagnosis (or lack thereof) was, and to tell my boss that I needed to go home. One of his teachers was really upset that they did nothing, since his chest and cough sounded just like another boy in the room, who is on an antibiotic and breathing treatment. To hear her so upset, broke my heart, and also made the little voice in the back of my head say "see, you aren't crazy... do something!"

So I did. My OB's wife is a pediatrician. I had researched her when trying to decide on B-Boy's care. I looked up her number and called, thinking that if they had availability, we would go. They did, and we did a half an hour later.

The pediatrician, Dr. Z, was wonderful. She tested his oxygen levels by clipping something to his big toe, and took blood.She heard a rasp in his chest, and said his white blood count was elevated, indicating he is fighting off some kind of infection. She perscribed some antibiotics, and suggested he do a breathing treatment. Afterward, they tested his oxygen again. Since it was improved, and he sounded better, she sent us home with a loaner machine and told us to come back on Friday.

He has improved greatly since then. His breathing is better, his cough reduced, and he is back to eating normally. YAY! Baby boy is smiling again, and seems more his old self.

Now if there was just something we could do for this teething thing... Dr. Z showed me he has 2 teeth coming up on the bottom!

B-Boy has the Croup :(

B-Boy was up for two nights coughing, and having trouble breathing. His nose was clogged and his chest sounded raspy...

God love Neb, he was up with B-Boy every time he woke up. At 3 am, he woke me really worried about B-Boy's breathing. We tried a steamy shower, the suction thingie for the nose, and more. Not much worked. He did sleep a little, but not much. Which meant Neb did not sleep much either.

Me? I think the chemical released from generating breast milk is knocking me out cold. I slept through until Neb woke me. Seriously.

I took B-Boy to the doctor on Friday, just to be sure. They weighed him... he is 19 pounds 11 ounces. Yikes! He also was diagnosed with the Croup... a yucky virus that causes a bad cough. The good news is that the worse is behind us, the first two nights are the worst. He will be ok, but we need to keep an eye on him.

Funny part was, a song I sang in the Washboard Band in college, kept playing in my head. Why? There is a verse about Croup in there. The song was called "The Twelve Days after Christmas", which was a funny slant on what happened to all the gifts from the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"... when the relationship goes sour. The tune is different, but you can get the gist... I include the lyrics below for your amusement. The Croup comes in to the gifts on day three.

The Twelve Days After Christmas by Frederick Silver

The first day after Christmas, my true love and I had a fight.
And so I chopped the pear tree down and burned it just for spite.
Then, with a single cartridge, I shot that blasted partridge,
That my true love, my true love gave to me.


The second day after Christmas, I pulled on the old rubber gloves
And very gently wrung the necks of both the turtle doves,
My true love, my true love, my true love gave to me.


The third day after Christmas, my mother caught the croup;
I had to use the three French hens to make some chicken soup.

The four calling birds were a big mistake,
For their language was obsence .
The five gold rings were completely fake
And they turned my fingers green.


The sixth day after Christmas, the six laying geese wouldn't lay:
I gave the whole darn gaggle to the ASPCA.


On the seventh day what a mess I found:
All seven of the swimming swans had drowned,
My true love, my true love, my true love gave to me.


The eighth day after Christmas, before they could suspect,
I bundled up the . . .
     Eight maids a-milking,
     Nine pipers piping,
     Ten ladies dancing,
     Eleven lords a-leaping,
     Twelve drummers drumming

    (spoken) Well, actually I kept one of the drummers(girls)
                  Well, actually I kept one of the maids a-milking(boys)


And sent them back collect.
I wrote my true love, "We are through, love"
And I said in so many words,
"Furthermore your Christmas gifts were for the birds!"
(echo of "four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree.")


Ah, memories. I hope the Croup passes quickly. Perhaps I should go get some Chicken Soup?