Today we took a road trip to Primary Childrens Medical Center in SLC. We go there on at least an annual basis and sometimes much more frequently. We needed to see the asthma doc. The asthma doc measures my kid's lung function and adjusts the meds so that we can live life. Today he listened to my report, read the reports from the ER and asked, "What happened?"
Darned if I know. We were cruising along with some minor bumps, allergy season hits and we have some more frequent use of the rescue meds and nebulizer. Then we had a pretty dramatic crash this week. Two trips to the ER and then an overnight stay. The staff at the local ER were very glad that I already had a scheduled appointment with the specialist.
Long story short- adjust the meds, go home and take it very easy for a while. If things crash again, call the clinic. Please come in again in the fall or sooner if things go south again.
What I've learned this weekend:
1. If your gut says go to the ER, go.
2. If you've tried everything you know how to do and it isn't working, go to the ER.
3. It's really hard to keep an 11 year old down and quiet. They have to learn through tough
experience that getting up and active too soon is pretty painful.
4. The doc really meant down and quiet.
Peak flows measure the stress of up and active too soon.
5. A serious flare up will happen at the least convenient time in your life by grand design.
It is a test.
6. I take the good periods for granted and am surprised by the flares every time.
7. I have great help in my child's corner. The doc helps a lot and the ER staff is great.
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Showing posts with label ER. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ER. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Frustration
We took a short car ride to the ER last night at 10 PM. Asthma helps us to do this on a pretty regular basis. Asthma came as part of the package deal with our 11 year old. He has had it since babyhood.
Usually asthma is just a quiet presence in our routine. We make sure the daily meds happen. We take daily peak flow readings. We fill out health forms for school, scouts, and special events. We carry a nebulizer in the car and an emergency kit too. We just do what you do when a family member has a health concern. You learn all you can and then you do the best you can.
Last night none of that worked. We did the inhaler bit. We did the nebulizer bit. We repeated steps A and B. Still no improvement and a lot of pain. I couldn't get the peak flow over 50-100. Shuttle child off to the car and head to the ER.
We live in a very small town in a very rural region. There is no doc that stays at the hospital 24/7. Last night we were fortunate that the ER was already busy and the doc was there. The nurse at the desk was right on his game and got us right to a bed. No waiting at all. The nurse listened to everything that I had tried at home and hooked up the O2 monitor. The respiratory therapist came in and listened to the breathing. The doc came and listened to everything I had done at home. They consulted and puzzled a bit together.
The thing is, even when you do everything right, sometimes it's just a puzzle. I gave them good information as far as peak flow readings and amounts of meds that I had already given at home. I gave them times of treatment from the whole evening. They were impressed that I had the info but puzzled. He should have gotten better quickly with what we did at home.
Asthma doesn't follow a formula. It is different in every person. We don't know why meds that have been working stop working. In the end, they took chest xrays, gave steroid shots, gave more neb treatments and things improved. We go back to the specialist next week but the point is sometimes you just don't know with asthma. But we had a really good experience at the ER even at 1 AM.
Usually asthma is just a quiet presence in our routine. We make sure the daily meds happen. We take daily peak flow readings. We fill out health forms for school, scouts, and special events. We carry a nebulizer in the car and an emergency kit too. We just do what you do when a family member has a health concern. You learn all you can and then you do the best you can.
Last night none of that worked. We did the inhaler bit. We did the nebulizer bit. We repeated steps A and B. Still no improvement and a lot of pain. I couldn't get the peak flow over 50-100. Shuttle child off to the car and head to the ER.
We live in a very small town in a very rural region. There is no doc that stays at the hospital 24/7. Last night we were fortunate that the ER was already busy and the doc was there. The nurse at the desk was right on his game and got us right to a bed. No waiting at all. The nurse listened to everything that I had tried at home and hooked up the O2 monitor. The respiratory therapist came in and listened to the breathing. The doc came and listened to everything I had done at home. They consulted and puzzled a bit together.
The thing is, even when you do everything right, sometimes it's just a puzzle. I gave them good information as far as peak flow readings and amounts of meds that I had already given at home. I gave them times of treatment from the whole evening. They were impressed that I had the info but puzzled. He should have gotten better quickly with what we did at home.
Asthma doesn't follow a formula. It is different in every person. We don't know why meds that have been working stop working. In the end, they took chest xrays, gave steroid shots, gave more neb treatments and things improved. We go back to the specialist next week but the point is sometimes you just don't know with asthma. But we had a really good experience at the ER even at 1 AM.
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