Enter: The Nebulizer

Oh, what a miserable weekend. On Friday night and all day Saturday Kasen was sniffling with a runny nose just slightly more runny than usual, but I didn't think anything of it. By evening we went to the market, picked up some groceries, and at checkout (as usual) Kasen asked for one of the pieces of chocolate. We gave him one piece, and he happily devoured it. Then he started to cough. I thought it was from the chocolate, but by evening I realized that he was definitely coughing not because of food but because he was coming down with something.

Passed out in his chair!

That night we went to bed early, but little did I know it was the beginning of a VERRRY long night for both Kasen and myself. He woke every 1.5 to 2 hours crying/screaming bloody murder. He was having trouble breathing because his nose was blocked and he was also coughing - a horrible, reverberating phlegmmy cough. He'd ask for me to pick him up, and we'd go out into the living room where he would fall back asleep with his back to my chest - slightly upright. I'd then bring him back into his bed again, only to have him wake up 2 hours later - we'd repeat the cycle yet again. We both didn't wake up until 10am on Sunday morning. Yes. 10AM! You and I both know neither of us ever sleep in that late, as normal waking hours is normally 7am for the both of us (sometimes earlier for me in the event I want to get an early start to do the laundry or do the dishes.)

Mommy and a Sick Kasen at 2:30am 

All day Sunday Kasen was inconsolable. I couldn't put him down because he wouldn't let me. I put my game face on. It was then that that morning that the Nebulizer was going to be unboxed. The Nebulizer, the savior! If you had a baby/toddler/child who has battled some version of viral croup or bronchiolitis then you will be very aware of what the Nebulizer can do. It is nothing short of a miracle. We swear by it. It has helped us get through a few bouts of respiratory illnesses and for the most part, kept us sane. Initially we had to fight with him, and as he got older he totally got that it made him feel better.

He seemed to forget what it could do again. D'oh!

I took it out of its square box and removed the NaCl (saline solution) liquid pink capsules and the albuterol from its little brown bottle (if you didn't know better you would have thought it was an expensive, exclusive anti-aging serum!) and his eyes widened with horror.

Behold: The Nebulizer!

NO MOMMY! NO NEBULIZER!!!!! NO NO NO NO NO!!!

But my game face was on. I rinsed the fish face mask and parts under warm water. Mixed the solution. Plugged it in. Turned it on. And whirrrrrr it went.

I said to Kasen,"I promise you will feel better when I give this to you!" Screaming, crying, big fat tears leaked out his huge eyes.

He struggled at first. Then he inhaled deeply. You could see the relief registering on his face. His body relaxed. He alas, gave into the magic that is the NEBULIZER.

:(* My poor baby!

Boooo :(*

He had his ups and downs on Sunday and while he still had trouble breathing, he had short periods where he was somewhat normal then periods where he was feeling downright horrible. When he napped he couldn't sleep for long periods because of his troubled breathing. We had to administer the Nebs (I know, we're on nickname basis now!) more often than I liked (because he kept asking for it), and not knowing what the side effects were I gave him smaller doses more frequently. How could I refuse when he sweetly says "Yebulizah, mommy!"

As it turns out, my giving him smaller dosages had less of the effect that was needed and I really should have just given the full dosages that would have lasted longer. Oops!

I called in sick from work on Monday to take him to see his very awesome pediatrician, Dr. Pronchick at Newton-Wellesley Pediatrics. I love her. I think Kasen is starting to, too. She's sweet, knowledgeable, and just overall well, awesome. Anyway, being the neurotic mom I am I wanted to rule out any respiratory issues or complications like pneumonia. Turned out that what we did with the nebs has resulted in his breathing already getting better and oxygen levels increasing. Phew. Thank you Nebs, for saving the day again! This time around though to kick it up a notch and get extra medicine after the airways are open from the albuterol Dr. Pronchick added an inhaled oral steriod, budesonide twice a day, at morning and at night. Let's hope he kicks this one fast.

How I knew he was getting better? First of all, he was so hyper. His appetite came back - he woke me up last night around 10:30pm because he was "hungry and wanted to eat rice." Ugh. So he devoured a whole bowl of rice plus seaweed while we watched Tinkerbell trailers together. Nice mother/son bonding, right? Wrong. I was getting sick. So was Ken. So while Kasen was on the mend, we were just getting under the weather! Lovely how that works.

Well thank you again, Nebulizer. I'd want to say I hope to never see you again or at least not see you soon, but you did save the day quite a number of times already.