Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

...and anyone who knows me and DH knows that this is HORRIBLE news --- for her to have asthma, since DH has it so bad. He was on a respirator because of his asthma in September and has a severe case of it, and so we've always prayed that she wouldn't be asthmatic but they are pretty positive that that's what it was. I just hope that since medicine is so much better now, and we know more about asthma, that she never gets it bad like him.

After I made the post this morning I was holding her and really took a good look at her chest/stomach and noticed that her belly was moving in and out a lot which I always heard isn't a good sign. I put my hand over her heart and it felt like it was beating so fast, so I called the pediatrician's on-call number right away, they called me back immediately and advised me to take her to the ER at Winthrop since they have a special pediatric emergency department.

I have to say that the ER at winthrop was great. I usually take DH to New Island or Plainview since they are both super close and he's usually so bad that we can't wait to go to a further hospital, and in comparison Winthrop was like a palace! They have a seperate waiting room as well as a completely seperate pediatric ER and they took us right away and had really nice doctors and nurses that Emily loved. By the time we were ready to leave and she was feeling better she was walking all around the pedi ER saying Hi to the other little kids and talking, singing, and dancing with the doctors.

They gave her 3 nebulizer treatments and some oral steroids. They took chest x-rays, and she has the inflamation of asthma, and also responded right away to the nebulizer, which is how they know it's asthma and not bronchialitis. If it was bronchialitis they said it takes several days of treatments for the wheezing to subside, whereas with asthma the nebulizer starts working right away.

So we have to give her the neb. every 4 hours now, and she starts another oral prednisone tomorrow for 4 days, and we also have to follow up with her pediatrician tomorrow. I am just so glad that I followed my gut and called the doc and took her to the ER, because of what it turned out to be.

Please pray that she doesn't get it as bad as her Daddy. My DH takes so much medicine for it, and his asthma is almost a daily battle, and I just don't want my little girl to go through that. Pray that her case is VERY mild!

Melissa

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Caiden had that but it ended up being RSV. But the doctors have told us that you can't even say for sure it's asthma until the child is much older? They told us there is a possibility that he could have it, but you don't know until later on. I hope they're wrong and I'm glad she's feeling better.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

The doctor in the ER did say that the pediatricians normally don't diagnose asthma until 2, but since we have a HUGE history of it in the family, and since she responded exactly as an asthmatic would to the treatment, she feels pretty positive that it is asthma. She said that if it was a virus or bronchialitis that she wouldn't have showed improvement after just 1-2 minutes of being on the neb.

In one way it's a relief to know that the meds will work, that she'll respond almost immediately to them. My sister's daughter had bronchialitis for a week and a half and she was wheezing and miserable all the time.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Hope it all works out... at least she's feeling better now

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Thank God you called your ped! I hope she's much better soon and this is the only episode.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

I aslo have asthma, not as bad as your DH, but abd enough. When Ryan was about Emily's age he had a similar episode and was on the nebulizer. Ped said since he had eczema and I had asthma, pretty good chance he would do.

Knock on wood, no episodes since.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I hope she just has mild astma and hopefully you can find out what triggers it.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

I'm glad you took her in & that you have some answers - even if they're not the answers you wanted. Wishing with all my might, it's just a mild case.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Glad to hear she is doing better.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

so sorry to hear that she has it, but I'm glad the meds are helping.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

She doesn't have it bad

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Glad to hear she is better.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

a lot of kids grow out of it as they get older...I hope she will!

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

I'm so sorry to hear about her asthma attack. I have asthma and I know how horrible it can be I'm glad you listened to your gut and took her to the ER I hope this will subside. The good news is that many children outgrow asthma in adulthood, and I am a living example. I was hospitalized almost monthly as a child for my asthma, and now, I am pretty much asthma free

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

Awww, Meliss I'm so sorry to hear this about sweet Emily, I hope she feels better soon!! Its so scary when they get sick like this.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

So scary. I hope it all turns out ok.

Re: Back from the hospital with Emily -- it was an asthma attack

I'm glad she's okay! I hope if she does have asthma, it doesnt develop too badly!