A night with croup

Friday night- I was lying in bed, finishing up the episode of Survivor, thinking how nice it was going to be to get to bed before 10:30. Then, Jackson wakes up coughing and then screaming from his crib. His cough was horrible, like nothing I've heard before! He kept gagging, gasping for air, wheezing, and it was frightening. Even if we could have gotten Jackson back to sleep, I was afraid he'd eventually be unable to breathe! Derek so calmly packed a bag and got everything ready so we could head out to Children's Mercy.

Funny kid. He never really acts sick. The other kids in the waiting room were sitting on their mommies laps, clearly not feeling well. Jackson, however, is running around, climbing on furniture, sniffing the reception desk, and having a grand old time because he is never up at this hour.

Midnight: get called into triage, they poke and prod the kid (makes him very mad!) then lead us back to a room. Doctor comes in, more poking and prodding (still making Jackson very mad!). Diagnosis: Croup. Treatment: oral steroid and a breathing treatmet of racemic epinephrine.

Jackson was so annoyed by the thing wrapped 

around his toe to monitor his oxygen

12:30am: Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Jackson passes the time, trying to escape

...and by playing peek-a-boo

Bet you can't find him!

1:00am: The three minute breathing treatment felt like an eternity with an screaming child on my lap. Even when you know it is going to help in the long run, it is always horrible to have to hold him down when it makes the so upset. His coughing clears up almost immediately. Now we were to wait two hours so they could monitor Jackson (most of the time if the croup was to come back, it would be within that time frame).

 

trying to cheer him up with the array of toys that

they have on hand! (yes, they ALL make noise)

1:15am: The oral steroid is next. Jackson signed "more, more" when it was all gone. We got him juice. I went to go find a vending machine. While I was excited to find $1.25 already waiting in the machine for me, Jackson was literally screaming the whole time I was gone. Apparently, he didn't care about the free Coke.

Clearly the steroids were yummy. He wanted more!

1:30am: The nurse comes in to check to see why Jackson was so upset. Then she decides she wants to hook Jackson up to a monitor so she can check on him from the nurse's station. Why does hooking up a overtired, cranky, sick 15 month old (who never holds still!) up to a machine sound a good idea?!? I totally understand the need to do it, but it was very inconvenient. We got him all hooked up and put a little gown on him to cover up the wires. The nurse brought in a Baby Einstein movie to keep him occupied. While Jackson did watch the show (three times) I couldn't help but wonder why on earth anyone would pay money for their kids to watch that crap. No wonder they offered a refund to people who bought their dvds. It did finally put Jackson to sleep.

2:00am: Jackson finally falls asleep. But only in my arms. I sit in the recliner and fall asleep on and off as well. I didn't realize how tired I was!

3:00am: The doctor comes in to check on Jackson and says that he is good to go. We sign a few papers and get Jackson out of the hospital gown and into his PJs. He didn't even wake up.

3:30am: We are home and all in bed!

7:00am: Jackson wakes up! Seriously! Does he not even realize that he was up half the night!?!? Someone needs to teach this kid about sleeping in. Poor daddy heads out to work.

He has a cough for the next day or two, but it is much better than the croup. Glad we caught it quickly and that the treatments worked. I hated seeing him so miserable!!