It is also called laryngotracheobronchitis. That makes him sound like a dinosaur, so I'll use Croup.
Tuesday evening, I picked up baby from daycare after a phone call from the director about him being "a little fussy" and probably having a sore throat. I thought to myself, "How can you tell if a 6-month old has a sore throat, anyway?" I soon figured it out.
I got him home and took his temperature. 101.0. Uh oh. Then he started coughing, and it sounded like a sharp, cutting cough, almost like a bark. Also, after he coughed, he would look at me like "Oh my god why did that HURT?!?!" So THAT'S how to can tell if baby has a sore throat.
I called my mom to see if it sounded like something bad, and she said to call the doctor, just to be safe. I called the doctor, and while explaining his symptoms, baby coughed into the phone.
Dr: "Ahh, yes, that's what we call a 'coupy' cough. You should bring him in right now."
So we gathered our things calmly and headed to the bus stop . . . "wait, that doesn't sound like you, Mollie," you must be thinking.
Ok, I'll be honest -- I scooped him up, took 5 seconds to decide that I really didn't need the diaper bag since we were headed to the pediatrician, who I already knew had diapers if we needed, and RAN to the bus stop. I think I managed to get shoes on my feet and a hat on the baby, and it's a good thing that our insurance doesn't require a co-pay, since I had no cash. I was convinced he was dying and that we had MINUTES to get the doctor.
Anyway, we got there in about 30 seconds (no, it was more like 11 minutes, but still). He took a listen and was relieved to hear that it was not bronchitis, that the swelling was limited to the larynx and the trachea. He explained that the reason he wanted us in so quickly was because in little babies, Croup can turn bad VERY quickly, especially if it has moved down into the lungs. He gave us instructions for what to do if it got worse overnight, what to listen for and what to do.
I set up the humidifier in front of the rocking chair and got cozy for the night; baby has issues going to bed by himself when he's HEALTHY, so it's a nightmare when he's sick. We eventually were able to move into the bedroom, and while he coughed a lot and his fever spiked again around midnight, the night wasn't too bad.
I worked from home the next day, which wasn't too bad since he slept a lot that day.
Chris stayed home with him Thursday, and I stayed home again Friday. By then he was mostly feeling fine, but the cough was still persistent and kept him from being pleasant, especially when trying to sleep.
However, by Friday the strain of working remotely was getting to me.
The sweetest part? When I brought him to school on Monday, all the teachers were SO happy to see him, and they told me how much they had missed him and how worried they had been! AWWW!!!
Ok, I'll be honest -- I scooped him up, took 5 seconds to decide that I really didn't need the diaper bag since we were headed to the pediatrician, who I already knew had diapers if we needed, and RAN to the bus stop. I think I managed to get shoes on my feet and a hat on the baby, and it's a good thing that our insurance doesn't require a co-pay, since I had no cash. I was convinced he was dying and that we had MINUTES to get the doctor.
Anyway, we got there in about 30 seconds (no, it was more like 11 minutes, but still). He took a listen and was relieved to hear that it was not bronchitis, that the swelling was limited to the larynx and the trachea. He explained that the reason he wanted us in so quickly was because in little babies, Croup can turn bad VERY quickly, especially if it has moved down into the lungs. He gave us instructions for what to do if it got worse overnight, what to listen for and what to do.
I set up the humidifier in front of the rocking chair and got cozy for the night; baby has issues going to bed by himself when he's HEALTHY, so it's a nightmare when he's sick. We eventually were able to move into the bedroom, and while he coughed a lot and his fever spiked again around midnight, the night wasn't too bad.
I worked from home the next day, which wasn't too bad since he slept a lot that day.
Chris stayed home with him Thursday, and I stayed home again Friday. By then he was mostly feeling fine, but the cough was still persistent and kept him from being pleasant, especially when trying to sleep.
"I work from home too!"
However, by Friday the strain of working remotely was getting to me.
"Seriously, you're taking my picture? I know he's super cute, but this is the first he's slept all day and I have to get this report out and the server keeps crashing. Seriously, you want me to smile? Fine, I'm smiling. Take the damn picture already."
The sweetest part? When I brought him to school on Monday, all the teachers were SO happy to see him, and they told me how much they had missed him and how worried they had been! AWWW!!!
I cracked up at "I work from home too!"
ReplyDeleteAnd, I'm glad Rowan is doing better. :)
Aww poor Rowan! Glad he's better. I remember my sister getting croup when she was a toddler...I remember my dad would steam up the bathroom and then sleep in there with her on a giant beanbag (oh the eighties). Humidifiers are probably a lot more efficient.
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