Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Asthma

Lufflump is sick. He's just been put on a combination of antibiotics to battle his ear infection and bronchiolitis.

For parents who each suffered with chronic asthma as children this is scary. It could be the start of many hospital trips, saying no to a variety of sports, interrupted nights with scary looking machines, and a lifelong of 'have you remembered your puffer'. Everything we had that we don't want for him.

Asthma is like diabetes or a mental illness. It's often not taken serious enough. Asthma, like diabetes and mental illnesses, can, has and will kill people. Yet it's often seen as what nerds have, like braces and glasses. Coming from someone who has had all three I can safely say that braces and glasses are a hell of a lot easier to live with than asthma, even mild asthma. 

Lufflump isn't just predisposed to asthma either. The mister and I have allergies too. When I'm pregnant mine really flares up to the point I can't open my eyes from hay fever. So our poor children are predisposed to two respiratory diseases. 

Now that lufflump has bronchiolitis he's 20% more likely to have asthma. There is no doubt in my mind he won't be spared and will at some point have to carry around preventatives and interventions like the mister and I both had to. That scares me. Asthma attacks are damn scary. 

We have to start watching him now, if he coughs daily or wheezes it means a diagnosis is most likely right around the corner. A diagnosis means we have to be more organised as a family, puffers and preventatives at home, in each of our bags and in the car. All within easy reach just in case.

Fuck, just in case sounds horrible. 
Just. In. Case.

Yet we are lucky. There are very sick children all around the world. We have just in case but they don't. For that I am sad yet grateful. Children shouldn't get sick.

This is just dribble. Typed because I can't think of anything else at the moment. Typed without editing. Typed as the thoughts enter my head and leave through my fingers. Thoughts I wish I didn't have.

12 comments:

  1. Oh no hope he gets over this sickness quickly! I'm praying for you and the family that he is spared the asthma! Definitely a yukky one! Fingers crossed and heart is hoping!

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    1. Thank you. He's pretty happy and hyperactive from the medication he's on, thank goodness he's only on them for one more day.
      It is yucky, thank you :)

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  2. Bluey had broncilitus at 3 months old. I blame the return to work meaning he was in daycare. I feared for a long time he would develop asthma, even though I don't have it, and well I don't *think* Mr Black ever did? (Not sure, tbqh)
    Asthma is very real and it's very scary especially as they get older and are no longer with you all the time and are at places like school, or visiting friends houses without you. I am hoping Lufflump just defies all the odd's and never has it, just like a "screw you mum and dad for your shitty genetics I'm not gunna get none of your shit".

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    1. So Bluey doesn't have it? Thank goodness!!

      It is scary and I'd love his body to do that!! Same as sesame's. That kind of rebellion is mighty fine with me :)

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  3. I had severe asthma when I was a kid and I know everyone is different but my parents took the advice of a friend and enrolled me in swimming a few times a week and it literally cured me. I still get the occasional chest infection which takes awhile for me to recover from as an adult but swimming really was my cure. I also had to have humidifiers and all the nebulisers and did sometimes have attacks at school but you we had a good management plan for when it did happen. It is scary and its normal to feel this way. I pray he gets better soon and doesn't develop the asthma but if the poor little man does just know that treatments today are good and reliable and that by working through it as a family with your doctor it is manageable.

    Much love, Jess.

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    1. Swimming does definitely help most times! I swam a lot as a child. We take lufflump swimming a bit too. Hopefully it'll help strengthen his lungs like it did with yours.

      Thanks wonderful lady
      xxx

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  4. We have been told that Flynn will likely have asthma. He has had croup 6 times in his two years of life ( had to take him to ER one time) , and has had bronchitis once, and our GP seems to think that he's going to have a predisposition to respiratory illness. I had very mild asthma as a teenager but i dont carry a puffer anymore - Flynn has already had to have a puffer with the bronchitis. So, even if we escape asthma i am fully expecting to have puffers during the winter months, when respiratory illnesses flare up.
    Like you said, it sucks - but we're lucky because it could be something much worse....

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    1. Oh that doesn't sound like fun for either of you!
      Hopefully it's only through winter and not too bad/drastic.
      You're right we are so fortunate still.

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  5. Poor little darling. Poor mummy and daddy with all that worry. The Big V has asthma and thankfully in allege time we have been together he hasn't had a serious attack (just flare ups). But I have heard all the childhood stories from his parents of heart thumping rushes to the hospital. He prays that our kids will be spared from having asthma as he knows how scary it and having watched the fear in his parents.

    Whatever his diagnoses ends being Hun, he is a lucky boy to have two parents to understand it all as much as you do, to support him. X

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    1. Thank you so much. I hope both of us are spared from going through it all :)
      xxx

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  6. My little boy who is 5 has asthma. We have puffers and all that stuff around.
    He gets bronchitis very quick and easily. We have to make sure he is super warm through winter and rainy days. A slight sniffle will turn into bronchitis.
    The school he goes to cannot understand why I dont send him on days that he is overly wheezy and has asthma attacks. I really do try and minimise it but its very hard.
    I hope your little man is better soon and doesnt develop asthma.

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    1. It sounds like you understand it all and are extremely supportive. If only the school was too.
      xxx

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