Super duper sucky trip to the ER

I generally try not to write much about my kids. I just don't like to to it. They deserve some privacy. Today I am going to break that rule. They have so much going on that I need to purge. Maybe if I write about it I can get some perspective on things.

Last night was like every other night around here. I had just read Hannah a bed time story, given her a nebulizer treatment and cough syrup when the shit hit the fan. She has asthma that is brought on when she has even the smallest of colds. She was completely fine during the story, helping me read the whole thing. Then she started barking like a seal. I had already given her one neb since she has a cold. I didn't want this to get out of hand. Uh huh. I wrapped her up in a blankie and took her outside thinking the cool air would help with the croup. It did not. If anything it just made things worse.

I woke Shawn up and told him I was taking her to the ER. She could not catch a breath for anything and I was seriously afraid she would pass out before we got there. I have never, ever been so afraid and full of panic in my life. I have asthma and took more than one trip to the ER in my childhood. I know what it feels like when you cannot catch a breath and I know how scary it is. Normally when one of the kids has to go to the ER I take them myself, last night I was so afraid for Hannah I made Shawn drive.

When we walked in I told the nurse at the front desk she was having an asthma attack. We were taken immediately to a room and a doctor met us as we were walking in. That freaked me out a bit. They hooked her up to the vitals machine and had her on a epi neb before they even got her name. The doctors and nurses there did a fantastic job with her and with her panicked parents. I was impressed.

She had some xrays and blood work to determine she didn't have pneumonia and was given different steroid treatments to build her lungs back up. As soon as she was feeling better she started acting punchy. Teasing the doctor and nurses and acting like her silly self. The lab lady gave her a stuffed duck named Webby. Her and the lab tech decided it was a dumb name and should be changed. Her name is Trisha now. She was also given a stuffed Kung Fu Panda doll by the nurse. He was allowed to keep his name. She also informed Shawn that he would be sleeping on the couch because she was sleeping with me in our bed. She did end up with us, Shawn didn't end up on the couch but the only one that got any sleep last night was Hannah.

I kept her home from school today so I could keep an eye on her. These children. I just don't know if I will make it through their childhoods in one piece.