Breath

Ava is currently in the middle of her third cold since this "season" has begun (a depressing fact since it's hardly fall yet).  Last winter she was sick almost constantly from September to May and though I had high hopes that this year might turn out better for us, it's not looking that way.

Yesterday, Ava's cold took a turn for the worst and we had to make an evening trip to the doctor's office.  We've had our fair share of fevers, coughs and sniffles but yesterday's nap time brought on a whole new enemy.  Ava woke from her nap twice, kicking, screaming, speech slurred, and not quite awake--very night terror style which we've dealt with a couple times before.  The second time however she was wheezing very badly and I decided to try and wake her and assess how she was really doing.  Once she calmed down and sat with me for some cartoons, it was clear she was having trouble breathing.  She would try and talk to me and could barely get words out through her strained breath, and her normally silent breathing was replaced by a loud, raspy sound that was not music to this mommy's ears.  I decided to call the doctor and they had me bring her in.  Over the course of an hour her breathing did quiet slightly as her chest cleared a little bit, but she was still wheezing noticeably with every breath and the doctor heard some unwanted movement in her lungs.

Thankfully, Ava's oxygen level was normal and a chest x-ray ruled out pneumonia.  She screamed through a nebulizer treatment in the doctor's office (the fishy mask she got to take home as a souvenir, pictured above) and was prescribed a steroid and an Albuterol inhaler. The doctor said to keep an eye on her--this could be a one time occurrence or could be the start of some asthma brewing.  As a long-time asthma sufferer I really hope that is not the case for her!

Let me add a side-note.  The x-ray adventure really was a sight to behold and Ava did such a great job.  She talked to and entertained everyone we met, was so excited to get her "picture" taken, and really hammed it up for the camera.  She stood still, smiled big, couldn't hold in a deep breath but kept her arms up and feet in place and loved the special skirt she got to wear that matched Daddy's x-ray blocking dress.  Afterwards she was a little disappointed when she saw the pictures that had been taken and didn't quite understand what she as looking at, but when she received a sticker with a dinosaur skeleton on it (to go along with the 5 Dora stickers she got from the sweet nebulizer-giving nurse), she was content.

Ava really was a champ, left the office with her very first lollipop and though she has yet to complete a whole 6-breath inhaler treatment, she's on the mend.