Liam on Steroids

... Literally!

Liam and I didn't sleep last night. It was pretty rough the night before that too, but last night was a bear. I seriously thought he was teething and so I kept giving him Tylenol and teething tablets to settle him down. It all seemed to start at 7pm last night. He would NOT go to bed... we got him up twice to snuggle with us and he still wouldn't settle down after that. If he wasn't crying, he was moaning in pain. If I wasn't wrestling his writhing pain staked body, he was lying or sitting in his crib just sobbing... and then would take breaks to lay down and moan here and there.

I have never seen Liam THIS miserable in his entire 16 months of life. By the time Ian left for work this morning and Liam was still out of hand... I panicked. He really wasn't going to let me sit him down for anything today, I just knew there was something more going on.

I decided he needed a Priesthood Blessing. I called a good neighbor who is about my Grandpa's age and started to ask him the favor, but then I found myself crying on the phone unable to speak! How embarrassing. I didn't realized how overcome and distraught I had become. His dear wife, Pat, got on the phone and told me her husband was on the way and was picking up the Bishop en route. She told me she loved me and that they would be there in a few minutes. Two minutes later she called back to make sure she shouldn't just call 911. I told her that it wasn't an emergency, but that Liam just wouldn't stop crying and he was short of breath... that the pediatrician office wouldn't take my call until 9am, so I felt compelled to get him a blessing while we waited to get him in to see the doctor.

Our good neighbors came to our door with concern and worry on their faces. They blessed my baby as he screamed and squirmed. I was so grateful to them for coming so quickly and with so much love outpouring to make sure we were okay.

I got the pediatrician office on the phone not 15 minutes later and was able to get Liam in at 9:20am. I put Liam down for 30 seconds to cry and reach for me as I tried my best to freshen up and get dressed. Liam stayed in his PJ's and held his security blanket as I buckled him into the car seat.

Liam cried all the way there until the last 2 minutes he decided he liked my singing. Whew, silence for the first time in a LONG time. He continued to seem at peace as I took him out of the car and into then up to the doctor's office. I read him a book while we waited to be called. As soon as we got to the exam room, he was back to panic and sobbing. He knew this place.

The doctor examined him and decided he needed a breathing treatment before he could fully diagnose him. This was new to me... I had to hold my baby, pinning him down by myself for a 10 minute treatment. Liam would not give up... if we weren't already worn out enough, this added to our fatigue. He is a strong boy.

The doctor examined him again and determined that Liam had suffered an asthma attack. He continued to tell me he knew from the moment he saw the panic in Liam's eyes... the "I can't breath, help me" look. Wow, I had no idea. I did hear wheezing and his breathing had become more rapid early in the morning, but I thought it was just from the constant crying and drainage from his runny nose... you know, the teething runny nose.

So I was told to give Liam another breathing treatment while we were still there. Liam actually smiled and seemed more himself as we got half way through this session. I was amazed. I was so happy to see my darling boy again. Thank goodness he could breath normally and feel better.

The doctor gave Liam two prescriptions. One for the breathing treatments every 4-6 hours and one for steroids to be administered for the next 5 days. Little did I know that prescription was a liquid oral medication. Laughable that they think my kid will not gag on that then throw it up altogether. Yeah, so after two rounds of trying to keep the steroids inside our small boy (and after cleaning up two rounds of vomit), I called his nurse and she said we had to come in to get him a shot instead.

I took Liam in for the shot and he didn't seem to approve of the procedure. We tortured him anyway and he was fine 2 minutes later.

His fourth breathing treatment right before bed went swimmingly. He even helped me hold the thingy and happily watched Baby Einstein as he breathed in the cool mist.

He went to bed pretty easily tonight. He asked for a second helping of cuddles after about 15 minutes in bed, so Ian obliged him and 10 minutes later he was happy to go to sleep in his crib.

I have to give him a midnight breathing treatment. I have an extended hose to see if I can't put the compressor in the hallway and give the treatment without waking him up. Crossing my fingers that it works. Here's to hunching over a crib for 10 minutes!

{I left out many many details such as Rose stopping in to check on us when we were back from the doctor. Pat had asked her to do this and of course Rose was worried and wanted to help. Shari offered to come over to love Liam for an hour so I could get some work done... and Ian came home as Shari was leaving so I could get even more work done... then Liam taking a nap from 3-5pm so I could work even more. It was a horribly stressful and tiring day. I hope the weekend proves to be a relaxing one.}