Gang. Come on. Jax just cannot get a break this winter. He has pneumonia again.
He’s been fighting off a cold for the past two weeks but doing fine. However, on Monday night he spiked a fever and started coughing really badly. We bought a pulse oximeter after his last hospital stay so I have been spot-checking his sats. For those who like numbers: he’s hovering around 92 with drops to 89.
Not cool.
So now we’re doing everything we can to nip this in the bud so we don’t end up in the hospital again. Increased nebs, prednisone, and antibiotics are on deck. Our track record with pneumonia is not good – we’ve ended up in the ER or admitted every other time. So. There’s that.
I have our hospital bags packed and at the waiting. Last time I did NOT pack a bag and Jax was admitted for almost a week. I figure that if I plan ahead, it will shake something up in the universe and we won’t end up using it. Let’s hope that works, ok?
Here’s the interesting thing: Jax is doing great. Seriously! He’s playing, eating, and laughing. He gets winded quickly and is coughing a lot, but other than that you’d never be able to tell he has low oxygen levels and pneumonia. Clinically, he’s moving air fine. His pediatrician said that if he did not know Jax and his history, he would never have ordered the check x-ray.
Our pulmonologist explained to us last time that kids with a history of chronic lung disease react to respiratory illness differently than most kids. When most kids get pneumonia, they have a very difficult time breathing / moving air. This is because their lungs go into “survival” mode and begin to “shut down” the infected areas. CLD kids are used to being in survival mode, so their lungs do not respond the same way. Since their bodies do not “shut down” any parts of their lungs, they seem to be “just fine” even when their sats are low. Tricky.
Ok. Let’s all say it together: NO HOSPITAL!
Luckily, we have a Kindle Fire Kids Edition with Kid-Proof Case
(affiliate link) that helps Jax sit still for all these tests and doctor’s appointments.
An Early Start 