Well, needless to say I forgot about my blog for a while there. I just looked and can't believe the last time I wrote was May. We've been in the house for almost a year now and while we still have a ways to go in terms of redecorating and redoing rooms, it's really coming along nice and it finally feels like home. My family is coming to visit in a few weeks and will see the house for the first time so I've been working hard to get it in tip top shape for them! I hope they love it! At least this time everyone will have a separate room to sleep in and not on an air mattress on the floor like in the apartment! :)
But I guess the biggest development over the last few months has been Allies medical issues. We know she had asthma and allergies because we got the diagnosis last year around this time. She started on a nebulizer and some allergy meds daily and it really did help. She got Pneumonia around Easter and of course the bi-weekly ear infections that we finally have under control, but the asthma was definitely improving. But this winter has been tough. The day after Christmas we took her to the ER because we noticed she was extremely short of breath and we wanted to be sure. Thank God we took her in and didn't just wait it out. Her oxygen was severely low and her lungs were awful. We thought some time in the hospital getting some treatments and hydrated would help but after a few hours the nurse told us she would have to be transported to MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) to stay in their Pediatric ICU for a couple days because the local hospital was not equipped for how severe her case was. Cue massive panic attack and tears! The doctor also told us she had RSV and with how bad her asthma was, she absolutely had to stay in the hospital because she was so sick. So we took the 2 hour ambulance ride to Charleston to go to MUSC and spent two days there. Things got better and seemed back on track but two weeks later we were back at the ER for the same thing. She was admitted to Grand Strand Hospital this time and stayed another two days for the low oxygen level and her asthma being so bad. They thought she had punctured a lung because of how bad she sounded but thankfully it wasn't. After we were discharged from the hospital she got on some new asthma meds, and is getting her nebulizer treatments 3-4 times a day. It's a lot on her, but it's definitely helping. And we are going back to MUSC in a few weeks to see their Pediatric Pulmonologist for a long term plan. Luckily, her daycare does her treatments with her and is well aware of her limitations so I know she's being looked after there. The hardest part is knowing she wants to run and when we let her, a few minutes later she has to stop and take it easy because the cough comes on hard and fast. She's going to be 3 in a few weeks and not being able to let her run like a maniac stinks! I know things could be so much worse but it's hard to see your child suffer and constantly need nebulizer treatments and an inhaler. But she's grown so used to it she does them like a champ! We signed her up for gymnastics at daycare too so she will do that one hour a week on Tuesday. It will help her get some energy out and the best part is I don't have to worry about my work schedule and getting her to and from class!
I know this wasn't the most exciting post but hopefully in a few years I will look back at this and go "Wow, things were tough then, thank goodness her asthma has gotten better!" and we will be moving forward. And maybe have a new addition to the family!
