Zoe

Well, on Thursday, Zoe had a cough. It was a dry, choking cough. It made me nervous. She went to school for the day, I picked her up at 2:30 and took her to the Dr to recheck her ears (she's had an ear infection for over 3 weeks) at 4:20. We didn't see our regular Dr and we didn't see him right away, but when we did we were there until nearly 6. While we were waiting for the Dr to come in I noticed that Zoe was breathing strangely and I could hear her wheezing. I laid her back on the table and watched her chest retract while she was trying to breathe, and I was flashed back to when she was born and had all that trouble breathing. The Dr came in, looked in her ears (they were clear), and promptly asked me "when did she start wheezing?" I told him "about ten minutes ago." He asked us about family history of asthma (I didn't think there was any, but found out later my mother-in-law has asthma), and gave her an Albuterol nebulizer treatment in the office. He sent us home with a nebulizer, prescription for Albuterol, and Astelin nasal spray. I kept her home yesterday, we did breathing treatments every 4 hours, and she seemed OK Not a hundred percent, but getting better. She was running a low-grade temp all day Friday, but nothing over 99.8. Yesterday about 4 she was really hot (we're talking over 102) and I gave her some Tylenol. 2 hours later we did her last breathing treatment before bed after her bath, and I checked her temp : 101.7. I gave her Motrin, and put her to bed. I noticed that she was breathing very rapidly, and I checked her oxygen saturation levels and they were only 94% (normal is really over 97%). I called the Dr office, and told them my findings. Of course, we ended up at Cook's ER and spent 5 hours there.

After chest x-rays, breathing treatments, and lots of waiting......we talked to the Dr and she feels fairly certain that Zoe is suffering from "walking pneumonia" caused by a Mycoplasma bacterium. She started her on an oral steroid, a different antibiotic, and continuing the breathing treatments every 4 hours.

She's a different girl this morning. A mere 12 hours after her 1st steroid dose, and her 1st dose of the new antibiotic, she apparently feels so much better. She's not supposed to be running around, but she is right now chasing our dog. Her breathing is still rapid, more so than normal, but she looks like she feels better.

She was quite the little charmer last night at the ER. She had the respiratory therapist in stiches watching her hold her own mask while she did her breathing treatments!

Zoe, you are such a little jewel. You're beautiful, mischievous, and loving. You're the sweetest gift, and even though you can sometimes try our patience we wouldn't trade you for anything! We love you, and we are continuing to pray that this will be the end of your breathing problems!