Little Trooper

Both boys had runny noses and coughs over the weekend, but Grayson has had the more severe symptoms. Though Gordy seems to be on the mend, he was bummed to have his first "sick day" from preschool today.

This morning I noticed Grayson's breathing was getting more labored and wheezy, so I called the pediatrician. We were advised to bring him in, and I'm glad I did. The doctor who saw him (our pediatrician was all booked) diagnosed him with a cold virus that's gotten into his respiratory system. She prescribed a nebulizer and levalbuterol to help open up his airways and improve his breathing.

Here's a photo of (not so happy) Grayson during his second dose this evening. The clinic provided a little "Bubbles the fish" breathing mask for him, which only made the whole ordeal slightly more appealing to Grayson. The worst part is that, much like the vacuum cleaner, the noise of the nebulizer scares him. His first dose was in the exam room at the clinic, and was he ever mad! The nurses helped me with the process there, and when they came at Grayson with the mask, big brother Gordon became Brother Bear! He furrowed his brow at them, pointed his little finger, and said, "Hey!" The noise, all the tubes, and Grayson's crying brought out the protective bodyguard in him -- which melted my heart; especially since they don't always get along so swimmingly. We all assured Gordy that no one would hurt Grayson; he just needed some medicine to make him better.... Gordy then settled into the corner behind my chair with a book and watched curiously.

Long story short -- we'll have to tackle this 5-10 minute nebulizer ritual with Grayson 3 to 4 times each day for at least the next 3 to 4 days. Argh. Hopefully it will all clear up by the weekend. We've already noticed that Grayson's breathing improves a lot after each dose, so that is reassuring. It's also helped to see that Grayson has not lost his appetite in the slightest. He polished off a big bowl of homemade chicken soup (and then had seconds) for lunch...and ate an entire plate full of Daddy's yummy spaghetti tonight. Aside from when he's hooked up to the nebulizer, his spirits are high as well -- so that's promising too.

God bless our little trooper.