These last few days have been very tough. Abby has had a persistent cough for over a week and I took her to the doctor last Monday (Jan 31st). We were prescribed an antibiotic and it should finish tomorrow. However she wasn't getting any better and in fact appeared to be getting worse. So much so that no one got any sleep with her coughing every two minutes Sunday night. We called the Nurse Line to see if there was anything we could give her or do for her. Sad, but for her age there isn't much. So I rocked with her and tried to keep her upright as that seemed to help and back to the doc we went on Monday. After listening to her lungs the doc detected some wheezing on the left side. She didn't want to say Abby had asthma, but she did prescribe us a nebulizer and albuterol to use every 4-6 hours and if not better to come back in on Friday. The other alternative is a steroid, but that would increase the blood sugars dramatically so she didn't want to do that just yet.

As for the nebulizer, Abby is deathly afraid of it. The first time doing it, I could tell she didn't like it, but she did most of it. When it was time for the second dose she totally freaked out. She cried, she screamed, she kicked, she punched, she fought like mad. I think she was more terified of the noise that the machine makes then the actual treatment. She freaks out when we use the vacuum cleaner and her reaction to the machine was so much worse. So we put it away and I decided I would call the doc in the morning and just do the steroid. Abby does better with the insulin injections and oral medications than she was doing with the machine so I figure I would just deal with the high blood sugars and alleviate the stress of her freaking out.

So I called the doc this morning and left a message. Her doctor will call me back in the morning and we will decide what action to take. However, grandma talked to Abby this afternoon about the breathing machine and the mask and I figured I would try again before I put her to bed for her afternoon nap. She did much better and actually let me read her a book while she had the mask on her face. Then when we were all finished with the treatment she said "All done playing with the machine." Whatever works to get her to do it. But maybe tomorrow there will be a new game plan.

I hate it when she gets sick. And I am praying this is not a precursor to her having asthma. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will just be a one time thing and I wont need to use the nebulizer again.

Last night I felt like she was a newborn again as I was trying to to sleep with her in our recliner chair. As a newborn, I spent several nights sleeping with her in that chair as it was the only way I could get her to sleep for more than a few hours in the first few months of her life. That chair has sure saved me.