Have you heard of RSV? According to the CDC:
“Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. In fact, RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States. It is also a significant cause of respiratory illness in older adults.”
https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html
RSV tends to attack my kiddos when they are babies. So far, both LB and LK have spent time in the hospital as infants with it. They’ve needed oxygen support, IV hydration, and antibiotics. For LB, every time she gets a cold, it moves into her lungs. Since she has asthma, this causes major flare ups. Her oxygen levels drop, but she does not show these lowered levels as clearly as one might expect. Typically, when a child’s oxygen drops, you will notice a bluish tinge around their lips, their skin is pale, and they may show signs of retractions, where the nostrils flare and the skin around the collarbone sucks in as they struggle to breathe. LB does not show any of these signs. Recently, we went to the doctor to get a renewed prescription for her inhaler to keep at school. While we were there, we discovered that her oxygen was low, she received a steroid treatment (dexamethasone) and the doc told us to come back the next day. So we went back the following morning, expecting a quick check up as the steroid worked. Lo and behold, her oxygen levels were worse, she was immediately put on a breathing treatment and then oxygen, and we were rushed off to the ER to be admitted to the local children’s hospital for 2 days. Things can change in the blink of an eye!
LK has had reflux since birth. She has always had to sleep propped up to help, and for a long time she was on Nexium to soothe the reflux. Her GI had us stop giving it to her about 6 months ago since she seemed to be doing so much better. However, unfortunately, lately we have been seeing an increase in her reflux symptoms. Every night, she screams and cries, rolls around and holds her stomach, and is just miserable. Add this to her recent eye surgery (and subsequent eye drops) and it has made for some rough nights.
So today, LB is home from school with a severe cold, aggravated asthma, and hooked up to the nebulizer as often as every 4 hours. LK is home from school with….well, she’s 2, so she doesn’t actually go to school. LN is off to school, but I’m keeping a close eye on him. He’s not sick (yet) but it’s coming, I can feel it. LE is asleep upstairs, so I’ll take it! And my beautiful little petri dishes have diseased me and shared their awesome germs. So I’ve got a cold as well. Just another day!
Now…..where’d my coffee go???