So I mentioned in my last post that Erica fell sick on Wednesday night. She was violently ill and didn’t perk up until yesterday (Saturday) morning and I jokingly remarked that this was the start of the September-April Sandlan sickness schedule. I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut.
Last night just after 11pm (when I’d already been sleeping for a while!) I woke up to hear what I thought was Nairn coughing. I strained to listen and discovered that actually he was struggling to draw breath so of course LEAPT out of bed with my broken toe* and ran through to find him just hanging off the side of his bed and burning up. Bob was downstairs so I shouted on him and asked him to bring up some calpol. We got Nairn sat up and medicated when he asked to go to the loo and as soon as I saw him in the light I decided not to even bother calling NHS24 and off to A&E we went.
My backside barely touched the seat before we were taken through to the resus department. I think turning up with a small grey child with bright red cheeks who has breathing difficulties tends to be taken pretty seriously. Unfortunately, we were taken right through to the exact same bed that Bob was in after his heart problems so that added another dimension to my worry. Anyway, bearing in mind this was 20-25 minutes after he’d had his calpol his temperature was 39.8C (103.6F) so he was immediately stripped down and dosed with ibuprofen. Half an hour later his temp was down to 38.1C (100.6F) but he’d developed a barking cough. The Doctor examined him and decided to give him a dose of steroids to try and help his airways open up a little then we were moved to a side room so he could get to sleep. After singing our way through such classics as ‘The Quartermaster’s store’ ‘Little bunny fou fou’ and ‘On top of spaghetti’ he finally conked out only to get the fright of his life when I raised the side bar on his bed. I settled him back down and asked a nurse to keep an eye on him so I could run out and get my phone from the car.
I’d just phoned Bob to update him when the Doctor came in to check on him, confirming that he has croup. His breathing had settled and he wasn’t squeaking anymore so we were allowed to go home. There was another little girl in with croup at the same time and a twitter friend who lives locally was telling me that her friend’s little boy has it too so it’s obviously doing the rounds.
It’s funny – I always worry when I take the kids to A&E or the GP out of hours service that perhaps I’m overreacting, and even last night I did until his temperature registered so high. I guess it just shows that instinct is the way forward?
*Nairn was playing postman yesterday and brought a 2 litre bottle of sparkling water up to me in the bath yesterday. Our neighbour has a wasp nest in her garden so our house has been full of wasps and I’ve had all the windows wide open to make sure they get out as easily as they get in. I went to get out the bath and realised the window was open so wide that all my neighbours would be able to see me so I pulled the plug out the bath, wrapped a towel round me, leant over to close the window and knocked the bottle of water onto my toe which broke with a very loud CRACK. It’s rather ouchy, to say the least.
Posted under family
This post was written by Vonnie on September 13, 2009
I’m wondering if it’s worth looking into the possibility your house is built on some kind of native american burial ground. You must be cursed somehow!
awww poor babies
Never a quiet day in the VonBob household, you must be exhausted!
Oh, poor you and Nairn! We’ve started our winter sick schedule too, although just head colds here. Hope he feels better soon
Weird, my friends 2 kids that live 2 mins from you both had it and I have never come across it before and now theres been loads diagnosed with it.
Wonder how many in the nursery will end up with it?
How are Erica and Nairn now?
Isn’t it amazig how being mum can be wonderful and crappy at the same time! My boys aren’t sick right now, and i haven’t been to a&e with the youngest for months now, but in the last four weeks they’ve both got nits so its washing machine overload and the freezer full of bears and half an hour added to bedtime everynight de-nitting, and last night, after days of ‘my bum really itches, I finally checked, and the’ve got worms! UUUeeekkkk, they obviously are really excited,and i’m now paranoid screaming everytime they move, WASH YOUR HANDS, so i’m spending the day thoughly cleaning everywhere, while (in my mind, thank god) itching everywhere. Apparently its really common in boys, I say again, WHY COULDN’T I HAVE HAD GIRLS!!
Good luck with the croup and the toe!
Oh gosh poor little guy. My middley, George had croup and the first time I took him to the hosp the scary cough had worn off, the ibuprofen had kicked in and he’d managed to calm down a little and a really patronising nurse person gave me this lecture about kids with colds feeling unhappy when they wake up with a blocked nose (?!). The next morning he woke up in an even worse state and I ended up recording it to show them in case it wore off again *eyeroll*
Hope you all feel better soon x