Today, for the first time in months I actually feel good. Don't get me wrong, I have not been feeling bad, however I have been feeling uneasy about what is going on with my little Izzy's health. When your family is not feeling well, you just don't feel right. You worry and then worry some more. Just like if your fighting with someone you care about. You worry, and then you worry some more until things are right again. It weighs on your mind heavily.
I finally switched Isabella's pediatrician and Bob and I paid a visit to the new doctor today. I tried to give the other pediatrician several chances, but couldn't take it anymore. He was stressing me out and a doctor should not do that. I felt like the new doctor listened to us instead of nodding his head and recommending some crazy mickey mouse expedition. I feel like I have found a doctor close to home that will look out for my children's well being. (EXHALE)
We talked to him about Isabella's allergies since birth, her constant runny nose and her diareaa that she has been experiencing non-stop for the past two months. Today, Isabella weighs 28 pounds and 3.2 oz! When he listened to her chest, he noticed some wheezing so they gave her a nebulizer treatment in the office. Afterwards, he listened and her breathing was better.
In a nutshell, he diagnosed her with acute bronchospasm. Makes sense to me with all of the coughing she does on a daily basis. What is this you ask? Well, an acute bronchospasm is an abnormal contraction of the bronchi that causes them to narrow. It is common in asthmatics. This condition leads to wheezing and coughing as the airway is obstructed or narrowed. Frequently, sticky mucous is produced, which further narrows the airways and makes breathing increasingly difficult and labored. What causes it? It is triggered by allergies, which Isabella is allergic to milk and eggs and Bob's side of the family also has a history of asthma.
We were sent home with a nebulizer in which we are to give her 4 total mist treatments to the lungs per day. You put the medicine in a cup and then hold the tube in front of the child's airway and they breathe in steam for about 5 minutes until the medicine is gone. Secondly, he also prescribed zyrtec syrup to be taken daily for her allergies. Lastly, he wants us to pay another visit to the gastroenterologist to follow up regarding her diarrhea. We recently eliminated JUICE completely from her diet as recommended by the doctor and the diarrhea has gone away somewhat. In 2 weeks, we will re-visit the doctor to see if her wheezing has gone away and perhaps can eliminate the nebulizer.
On another note, Giselle had her two month check-up today, received 4 shots and weighed in at 10 lbs 3 oz (She was 7 lbs, 3oz at birth). Izzy weighed 11 pounds and 12 oz (7 lbs, 14 oz at birth) at two months. So Giselle is not quite as big as Izzy was.
And lastly, Giselle has a hair tourniquet around her third toe. (The problem usually arises in babies and small children when hairs and thread are lost loosely inside socks. They can become spontaneously tied round a toe and will tend to tighten with wriggling.)
Her toe looks like someone took a cheese wire, or pair of scissors and tried to cut it in half. It is a very deep cut all the way around her toe. Due to this, the doctor wants me to take Giselle to see a surgeon next week to ensure all nerves and tendons are okay because it is so deep.
Healthy family = Happy at the end of the day. Right now it seems a little overwhelming but I know that we are taking the steps in the right direction to happy, healthy girls. Sometimes I feel like there should be a quick reference book to parenting, but there is not. Just like I wish someone would tell me what to do about working. There is no easy answer to anything in life. It's just trial and error. And as I wrote in a card to my boss last week, "challenges in life only make you stronger at the end of the day......"
