Asthma

Well, Gracelyn has officially received the diagnosis of Asthma- exercise induced, cough variant asthma, (which, ironically, is the exact same kind of Asthma that her cousin has)Hence, all the coughing she does when she gets running around, upset, excited or has a cold. We've been trying to manage this coughing for years, (singulair when she was a year old when symptoms first started-then down to Claritin for the last 5 years-which managed it decently most of the time). I had been (what I thought was pro-active), and taken her to the Dr's to start being a little more aggressive about it, as her coughing was starting to get out of control with this latest season. Not pro-active enough, apparently as my husband ended up taking her to the ED (where I conveniently met him, since I was working) d/t her uncontrolled coughing. 6 hours, an albuterol treatment, and a diagnosis of Asthma later, Gracelyn and I were home. Then off to the Ped's office with her on one hour of sleep, and myself on none since the previous morning. That was a fun trip, let me tell you.
 She is now continuing her Claritin, back on the Singulair, on Flovent twice a day, and Albuterol as needed (the 'as needed' seems to be decreasing, slowly, thank God). Oh, and Amoxicillan for her ear infection that we discovered was "cooking".

I also learned overnight, while picking up OT on a medicine floor, that Albuterol (a stronger/longer treatment) is also used to decrease a pt's potassium (by forcing the potassium out of the bloodstream and back into the cells, by acting on the Na-K recpetor-ish). I found this quite interesting. When I get some time, I am going to research the exact mechanism of this.


I also have to say that I find it incredibly heartwarming-ish that my husband worries enough about our children to have brought Gracelyn to the ED for a cough that worried him, in the middle of the night. I don't know why. I just find it nice to know that he worries about our children as much as I do. Well, not 'as much', since I do not think it is humanly possible for a single other person in this world to love/worry about our children as much as I do.

He is also incredibly adorable when he texts me to figure out exactly what the box looks like/says that is the correct inhaler for Gracelyn to use, when she has a coughing fit, or which/how much cough/cold meds to give one of them.

My family makes me proud.