Jadon and his breathing

I am happy to say ALL issues with Jadon's "breathing" have been resolved. Turns out he doesn't need o2 at all. Hmmm, really? How on Earth do we know that?

Well, after fighting all weekend after we came home, suctioning him and still giving Albuterol treatments with NO change whatsoever, we wen't to our Nurse Practitioner (NP) on Monday the 16th. Shawn was home, so I was able to just take Jadon in and leave the kids at home with daddy since it was MLK day.

Our NP checked him over, listened to him cough/gag, and then checked his throat. Let's just say she was ASTOUNDED by the amount of thick, heavy, phlegm jumping around in his throat. She ordered us to give him Mucinex at least twice per day, up to 4 times a day, and dose him at 1/2 tsp. each time. Also, we added Zyrtec at night to the tune of 1 tsp. per dose. IMMEDIATELY there was a difference. Jadon slept through the night for the first time since we'd had surgery 10 days prior.

No snoring, no snotting. Just SLEEP.

The next day he was great too. Well, during our visit to the NP I also discussed the fact that we weren't given a pulse ox for him to wear at night and how I thought that was rather stupid since the pulmo doc demanded he needed o2 at night until we see them again in February. BUT, now here's the kicker, Jadon was well known in the hospital for tossing alarms because he would not leave his nasal canula in place. Now, if your child is known for pulling out/off his canula in his sleep, wouldn't you ask for a monitor (pulse ox) so you would KNOW when he was without the o2 the doctors so adamantly proclaimed he needed? Don't you think they would comply? Nope, they didnt'; but our NP did. And lo and behold the first nigh we had the pulse ox (2 days after starting the mucinex/zyrtec medication routine) we had the pulse ox in our house.

Well, we hooked him up at bedtime and settled in for the night. Guess what? NO ALARMS. What? Did you read that correctly? NO ALARMS. So Shawn and I decided to leave him in our room again and place the pulse ox on him during nap and bedtimes again. He showed us again what his needs were. He needed simply to sleep. No alarms again on the second day. So, one more day, just for good measure. Yep! You guessed it. NO ALARMS.

Now, Jadon is back to sleeping with his brothers in their room. He is taking his medicine so well! And is now finally able to eat food again. See, when that phlegm was so thick he could not even eat spaghetti or macaroni or applesauce or pudding. Those foods were so light in weight they just rested on top of the phlegm ball in his throat. What was Jadon eating? Well, my poor boy was eating oatmeal, 4 times a day. Oatmeal, stick to your spoon thick oatmeal. Since starting the meds he's eaten baked tilapia, baked sweet potatoes, tuna noodle casserole, spaghetti, salad, applesauce, fruits, puddings too. You name it, my boy is back to eating it!!


This past week I was also able to go to Missy's Fitness and workout for 35 minutes 4 days in a row last week. It felt GOOD! I did not make Friday after spending a good portion of the night in the ER with Jadon for another issue entirely. No worries now, he is fine, but surgery is in his future for sure. And that freaks me out a bit. I am worried we will have these same issues again with his breathing. Not looking forward to that at all.

Here's a picture from our ER trip

Love,

"I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV)