Keeping Up With The Joneses

Annaliese and I returned home last night from another visit at the hospital. She started struggling to breathe again Friday, and by afternoon, it was apparent that she needed to be seen. The inhaler we have wasn't working for longer than 15 minutes and she was in rough shape. We went to our pediatrician's office, where we found that her O2 level was only abotu 82-84%. She was given a nebulizer treatment, but she continued with her rapid, shallow breathing, so we were sent to the ER. They did a couple more neb. treatments, then decided to admit her. It as a long night, and at one point I was so wired, I went for a walk on the labor and delivery unit, where two of my friends were working. As I walked that floor, I heard the cry of a very new baby (as in a couple of minutes new!)...what a reminder of how precious life is!
After talking to the doctors, we think Annaliese has Reactive Airway Disease, not necessarily asthma. Something (usually a change in the weather) triggers it, and bam!, she can't breathe. We were sent home with 4 prescriptions, plus the Miralax she's on for her belly issues. I finally had to make a chart today to manage all 5...it's confusing! We'll follow up with her pediatrician Tuesday or Wednesday and see where we go from here. Most likely, she'll be on an inhaler daily, long-term. We had hoped to avoid that, but if she continues to have these episodes, she'll end up with lungs that look like a patient with emphysema by the time she's a young adult...very scary.
Thanks for continuing to pray for her...it's been a rough year for her!