we WILL survive

Having a sick child is not only heartbreaking but completely exhausting!

Last Thursday I noticed Devin had a slight dry cough but no other symptoms but Friday evening I noticed that his cough was a little worse and I could hear the tightness in his chest so I gave him an Albuterol breathing treatment and he was fine.

And then came Saturday... He woke up wheezing and when the breathing treatments weren't working I started to get concerned so I took him to the Cook Children's Urgent Care Center near our home. He was diagnosed with an ear and upper respiratory infection but still no real fever. We were sent home with antibiotics, steroids and instructions to keep the breathing treatments at every 4 to 6 hours as needed.

Sunday he took a turn for the worse. His wheezing was horrible, coughing so hard he was vomit ting, had a temperature of 102.8 that we couldn't break and the last straw was when he was whimpering trying to tell me something and it made NO sense...he was out of it! So Daddy took Devin back to Cook Children's and they tested him for all kinds of flues and did chest x-rays and this time he was diagnosed with Viral Pneumonia. We were instructed to administer his breathing treatments every 3 hours for the first 24 hours and every 4 hours as needed thereafter.

Has anyone else had to give their 3 year old, that is on steroids, a breathing treatment? OMG! A few times it took me AND Joe to restrain him. I swear D turned into the HULK! He is always a well behaved child and does not throw temper tantrums so this was quit an experience for us.

His fever FINALLY broke yesterday and we have gotten him to eat at least once a day the past two days. His wheezing is gone but he does still have the tightness in his chest and we are able to give him the breathing treatments every 6-8 hours. He actually slept ALL NIGHT last night!

I am taking Devin in to see the pediatrician today for a follow up appointment and we are praying that we get a good report!

Thank you to all our friends and family who said prayers for our sweet boy!

On Monday my sister called to check on Devin while he was engrossed in Thomas The Train and I put her on speaker so that she could talk to Devin:

Jennifer: "Hi Monkey. Are you feeling better"
Devin: "ya" (all pitiful and week sounding)
Jennifer: "Uncle Chris and I prayed for you to get better"
Devin: "ya" (again, all pitiful)
Jennifer: "Is Jesus gonna make you all better"
Devin: "no"
Jennifer: (laughing) "Why not monkey"
Devin: "ya"

He is such a little man...he already has the automatic yes/no responses down while watching tv.