Day 38 of 84 - Poor Pumpkin
My oldest has a childhood disease called Mastocytosis. (http://www.mastokids.org/articles/parentsbasics.php she has the UP version) It's a mast cell disease that she started showing symptoms of when she was two months old. It took us three months to diagnose her and the months of sickness and worrying didn't stop there. Her first 18 months of life were a constant roller coaster of tests, medicines, more tests, guesses, doctor's visits, and lots and lots of worrying on my part. She hasn't had a true flare since she was 2 1/2 years old, but she still shows us that she has it when she gets upset and her face gets all spotted and flushes red. Not to mention her immune system SUCKS!! Asthma goes hand in hand with Mastocytosis which she was diagnosed with at just two months old. Along with asthma comes respiratory issues and for her the common cold turned into weeks of nebulizer treatments and usually a round of steroids.
She's now 7 1/2 years old and while her masto is controlled, her asthma is getting worse and we are battling our first bout of pneumonia. With each of these respiratory infections she gets, all of the coughing pushes the gunk up and into her ears where it festers and creates ear infections. She's had two sets of tubes so far. We're staring our third set in the face as she is given more meds to get over the pneumonia and now two antibiotic shots a day for three days to help cure the ear infections. We've been down this road. The shots were horrible when she was a baby and even worse when she was two and could voice her pain and fear. Now?? Now it's downright painful for me as well as her. She had her first shots yesterday. My hubby said she did great and recovered quickly. But my poor, sensitive kiddo stressed about that next shot the rest of the school day, all night and this morning was a flat out mess when I saw her at school. She broke into tears saying she didn't want more shots and that she doesn't get why she has to have them when medicines don't work for her anyway.
My heart hurts... I can feel it heart breaking for her. I can't help her. My words can't console her. She's too darn smart for her own good and she's been through so much in so little time. I understand that there are parents out there with kids who are much sicker than she is and I have no idea how they endure it. I'm very lucky that once summer hits, my kiddo gets a break from the misery for a few short months. But the school year is miserable! I'm very lucky she is a naturally intelligent kid, so missing so many days of school does not set her back at all and she still excels in school and manages to stay on top of her homework. If she makes it to school tomorrow, which she should, this will be the first week she has been in school every day since two weeks before Christmas!!!!!
So, what's the plan of attack for my munchkin?? Two more shots today. *sigh* Two more shots tomorrow, which I will attempt to talk her doc out of if her ears are showing zero improvement (these shots haven't worked the other two times we did them - they just brought misery). Referral to ENT for tubes if the shots don't work. She has an appointment scheduled with pulmonology the end of next month and I am going to try to work in a few chiropractor visits as well. All of that coughing and misery... she's sore and I can only imagine how tight it all must be in her neck and back area. I know I feel much better after an adjustment when I've been sick. Plus, we will be snuggling, cuddling and showing her lots and lots of love while she continues to heal. I just hope that the tubes and the consult with the pulmonologist will help us find a path that helps her feel much better and STAY that way.
As for me... the stress makes me want to stress eat, but I haven't. I'm on board. I started session two of my swim lessons and I'm the only one in the class, so I get a lot of 1-on-1 critiquing. That also means I get a lot more laps in since I don't have to wait for anyone else in the class. This weekend will be one day of splurging a bit as we celebrate Hubby's birthday as a family. Then he will take the three girls to a Daddy Daughter Ball while the little guy and I go play at the arcade.
I'm thankful and blessed that I have two kids who are very healthy, one who's pretty healthy (my youngest has asthma too, so colds a pain in the butt, but she bounces back faster than her big sis), and one who only struggles temporarily. I just wish I could help her a bit more and prevent the tears. Oh, and on top of her doc appts, I've just been referred to ortho for shoulder/collarbone pain that's been pretty persistent for a few weeks with nothing helping it improve. Did I mention I'm REALLY sick of visiting people in the medical profession????? This too shall pass. Right??
She's now 7 1/2 years old and while her masto is controlled, her asthma is getting worse and we are battling our first bout of pneumonia. With each of these respiratory infections she gets, all of the coughing pushes the gunk up and into her ears where it festers and creates ear infections. She's had two sets of tubes so far. We're staring our third set in the face as she is given more meds to get over the pneumonia and now two antibiotic shots a day for three days to help cure the ear infections. We've been down this road. The shots were horrible when she was a baby and even worse when she was two and could voice her pain and fear. Now?? Now it's downright painful for me as well as her. She had her first shots yesterday. My hubby said she did great and recovered quickly. But my poor, sensitive kiddo stressed about that next shot the rest of the school day, all night and this morning was a flat out mess when I saw her at school. She broke into tears saying she didn't want more shots and that she doesn't get why she has to have them when medicines don't work for her anyway.
My heart hurts... I can feel it heart breaking for her. I can't help her. My words can't console her. She's too darn smart for her own good and she's been through so much in so little time. I understand that there are parents out there with kids who are much sicker than she is and I have no idea how they endure it. I'm very lucky that once summer hits, my kiddo gets a break from the misery for a few short months. But the school year is miserable! I'm very lucky she is a naturally intelligent kid, so missing so many days of school does not set her back at all and she still excels in school and manages to stay on top of her homework. If she makes it to school tomorrow, which she should, this will be the first week she has been in school every day since two weeks before Christmas!!!!!
So, what's the plan of attack for my munchkin?? Two more shots today. *sigh* Two more shots tomorrow, which I will attempt to talk her doc out of if her ears are showing zero improvement (these shots haven't worked the other two times we did them - they just brought misery). Referral to ENT for tubes if the shots don't work. She has an appointment scheduled with pulmonology the end of next month and I am going to try to work in a few chiropractor visits as well. All of that coughing and misery... she's sore and I can only imagine how tight it all must be in her neck and back area. I know I feel much better after an adjustment when I've been sick. Plus, we will be snuggling, cuddling and showing her lots and lots of love while she continues to heal. I just hope that the tubes and the consult with the pulmonologist will help us find a path that helps her feel much better and STAY that way.
As for me... the stress makes me want to stress eat, but I haven't. I'm on board. I started session two of my swim lessons and I'm the only one in the class, so I get a lot of 1-on-1 critiquing. That also means I get a lot more laps in since I don't have to wait for anyone else in the class. This weekend will be one day of splurging a bit as we celebrate Hubby's birthday as a family. Then he will take the three girls to a Daddy Daughter Ball while the little guy and I go play at the arcade.
I'm thankful and blessed that I have two kids who are very healthy, one who's pretty healthy (my youngest has asthma too, so colds a pain in the butt, but she bounces back faster than her big sis), and one who only struggles temporarily. I just wish I could help her a bit more and prevent the tears. Oh, and on top of her doc appts, I've just been referred to ortho for shoulder/collarbone pain that's been pretty persistent for a few weeks with nothing helping it improve. Did I mention I'm REALLY sick of visiting people in the medical profession????? This too shall pass. Right??
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