In January, our precious 11-month old became very sick rather quickly. He had a high fever that wouldn’t break, and a wet, barky cough. His breathing was labored, and he wasn’t getting as much oxygen in his blood as he should have been. We were admitted to the hospital immediately to treat RSV and pneumonia. Those were the longest, most scary few days of our lives.
A few weeks ago, Noah developed another cough. It was pretty dry, and his lungs were clear, so the doctor determined it was croup. He never developed a fever (thankfully), but the cough never went away. It seemed to progress, and I could swear he sounded a bit barky. Because of our experience in January, I can be a bit hyper-sensitive to Noah being sick. I decided to take him to Urgent Care earlier this week, and they diagnosed him with RSV. Again.
You know your child, so recognize when they aren’t their usual selves. I know that paying for a doctor’s visit isn’t always ideal, but it’s important—especially this time of year—to get them treated as early as possible.
I was pretty surprised about the diagnosis, because aside from the cough, he didn’t really have the symptoms he had previously.
The doctor said that we were lucky; the fact that he’s older, and has had it before worked in his favor. We were back to breathing treatments several times a day, though in the comfort of our own home.
It is important to note that antibiotics won’t treat RSV. There’s no magic pill that will make it go away. Breathing treatments like albuterol or xopenex can help by opening the airways and relieve the difficulty breathing, and steroids such as pulmicort act as an anti-inflammatory agent.
You know your child, so recognize when they aren’t their usual selves. I know that paying for a doctor’s visit isn’t always ideal, but it’s important—especially this time of year—to get them treated as early as possible.
I was pretty surprised about the diagnosis, because aside from the cough, he didn’t really have the symptoms he had previously.
The doctor said that we were lucky; the fact that he’s older, and has had it before worked in his favor. We were back to breathing treatments several times a day, though in the comfort of our own home.
It is important to note that antibiotics won’t treat RSV. There’s no magic pill that will make it go away. Breathing treatments like albuterol or xopenex can help by opening the airways and relieve the difficulty breathing, and steroids such as pulmicort act as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Getting a toddler to sit still for their breathing treatment can be a challenge, so distractions help. Reading a story or putting on a movie can be just the trick. Make a game out of wearing the mask—one parent I spoke to said they pretend it’s a fireman’s mask!
And be sure to take care of yourself! Rest when you can, and wash your hands often. Supermoms and dads are the engine keeping the family going, so try not to break down.
Has your child ever had RSV? What was your experience like?
And be sure to take care of yourself! Rest when you can, and wash your hands often. Supermoms and dads are the engine keeping the family going, so try not to break down.
Has your child ever had RSV? What was your experience like?
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