Grateful for a Wheeze

For the last two months Titus has had a horrible cough. I had the doctor check him out twice because I was sure he was wheezing. However, when the doctor would listen to his lungs there was no wheezing. He didn't even cough at either of those visits. I was told he had a cold and was teething. I could use saline solution and "the booger monster" to clear out his nose. I was told I could run a cool-mist vaporizer and then take him in the bathroom while the hot water runs to "steam" him. All that stuff is nice and it makes me feel better but it didn't do much to help him. The cough continued. The post nasal drip continued.

This past Sunday Titus' cough was worse than it had previously been. He kept choking and gagging on the mucus and threw up a couple times as well. That night he had a fever. 101.7 degrees. It wasn't crazy high or anything but it was the highest he ever had. I gave him Tylenol and the fever only went down to  99.7 and went right back up at the end of the 4 hours. I kept him on Tylenol all night and called the doctor the next morning. Again I mentioned the cough and what I thought was wheezing as well as the fever. They wanted to see him. This time he finally coughed in front of the doctor, but once again there was no wheezing. His lungs were completely clear. We did find that he had a double ear infection! Poor kid! I had absolutely no idea (other than the fever) that there was something wrong. Watching him scream while having his ears checked killed me.

Enter in the Amoxicillin. I was relieved that I now had medicine for my baby. I hated seeing him sick and not able to do anything about it. This morning I noticed a rash on Titus' stomach so I called the doctor. They wanted to see him to make sure the rash was not an allergic reaction to the Amoxicillin.

The nurse practitioner that saw Titus today is amazing! She was so cuddly with Ti, which I love to see. She checked out the rash and said that while it could be from a virus he most likely is allergic to the medicine. She also listened to his lungs and heard him wheeze!! I wasn't crazy! She heard the wheeze in the front and when she listened to Titus in the back the wheeze was gone. Titus has Bronchiolitis. It's a virus that causes swelling and mucus in the bronchioles. The wheezing comes and goes. Every time I heard him wheeze I was right but it would be gone when the doctor would check. There isn't anything that we can do about the virus. We are getting a new medicine for Ti's ear infections and just keeping an eye on his breathing to make sure he doesn't have any trouble.

I don't know why, but I'm so grateful for that wheeze! I'm grateful that as Titus' mother I knew there was something wrong, even if there was no proof and I'm grateful for God's healing power and strength that he gives me to get through the tough days and nights. :o)