Pneumonia 101

I really could offer a course in childhood pneumonia at this point. Paul had it at 9 months (with RSV) and again this past March. So, you would think after a three week cold that was not improving much, I would've noticed the signs in Eli. But he wasn't exhibiting the normal high fever that normally accompanies a good case of pneumonia. He wasn't lethargic and he had his healthy appetite. But you'd think I'd recognize that healthy hacking cough a mile away. So it was on this Wednesday night in June. I took Paul to swimming lessons at the Y. We get there, only to realize that the indoor swimming lessons were cancelled due to thunder and lightening. Talk about a disappointed little boy. So, I get home to a wheezing infant. He'd had one nebulizer treatment that didn't seem to help so I called the dr. We tried another nebulizer treatment with no luck. So, off to the hospital I went. Jason stayed home with Paul. I might just say at this point how very lucky I am to have a supportive family. I called Uncle Kevin who lives in Middletown who met me at Christiana Hospital, you know, just to offer some moral support. What a blessing. After taking oxygen levels (100%) and listening to his chest (sounds perfect, mom) - I thought we were on our way home. Surely, I had overreacted. But they would take a chest x-ray to be sure. 4 hours later (and lots of nice conversation with my brother, I might add), we were informed that there was the beginnings of a pneumonia forming. My poor guy. More antibiotic. More nebulizer treatments. But no hospital stay. I can live with that. Your smile is so sweet and you never complain. Surely, I would've failed this exam but you were sort of like a tricky professor! Hang in there my guy. You will get better soon.