Baby in hospital on holiday, hand hold needed

[glassofbrancott]

Background - DS was born at full term, he didn’t cry/cough/take a deep breath when he was born and SATS were quite low so he was taken to resus table (never resuscitated) for some oxygen for 45 mins then we were discharged as normal the following day. Milk intolerance like DD who is 3 and grew out of it by 15 months.

I had the RSV jab in pregnancy, it hadn’t been rolled out when pregnant with DD. DD has had RSV/bronchiolitis twice in 3 years, hospitalised once.

DS who is 9 months has been hospitalised 4 out of the 6 times he’s had it. Sometimes for a few days of oxygen/nebulisers and observations.

We’ve been in Majorca since last week, 2 days ago, DD & DS started with snotty nose, little coughs, DD complaining of feeling achy, been giving calpol and nurofen when needed.

Last night, DS started the pattern that usually ends up with him in hosp. Awake every hour, coughing so much he vomits any milk, water or food he’s had. By this afternoon, he hadn’t even managed to keep down 20% of his usual intake of fluids. Seen by on call hotel dr who did full exam, COVID and influenza swabs which were negative. DS sucking in at ribs so he said he wanted to call an ambulance. DH gone with DS, I just stood in reception crying as I watched them leave. I hate this.

DD asleep and I’m sat on the balcony sick with worry, he’s had steroids in a syringe and rectal paracetamol for his temp, also inhaler and he’s now started grunting too.

I’ve asked so many times to be seen at home by the Paediatric Respiratory Team but they refuse saying he just catches it off DD from nursery (DD comes home with a snotty nose and mild cough she gets over in a couple of days). The GP finally gave me an inhaler for him a few weeks ago but couldn’t test for or diagnose asthma until 3 years old.

What do I do now? I am so worried that something bigger is underlying and it’s being missed. He’s never had any blood tests during these hosp stays just swabs and treatment such as oxygen/nebulisers/antibiotics when it turned into lower respiratory infections.

We are supposed to be flying home Wednesday. I feel so
sorry for him, even today as he was pulling in at the ribs he was smiling and clapping at the dr examining him.

Anyone ever attended Porto Cristo hospital?

Really struggling with anxiety.

Posting in AIBU for traffic.

Our nicu baby DD was in hospital age 18 months with rsv which turned into bronchiolitis. The full on throwing up the gunk and milk and belly breathing. I’m sure she got asthma from it. Every time after that she got sick and couldn’t breathe. Scary to watch, but It wasn’t bad enough to warrant hospital. This was during Covid so her GP wouldn’t see her until she had a cleared pcr test which took 3 days every frigging time. Eventually we complained so much we were given liquid albuterol which helped quite a bit. We moved house after that and the new GP on first visit was shocked we didn’t have a diagnosis. She listened once during a general checkup after a bout of sickness, it wasn’t even in full force and could immediately hear it. She gave us a steroid/albuterol inhaler. We only use it when she’s sick and it makes a huge difference. It’s so scary when they can’t breathe, sending healing hugs.

Hey OP. What are the doctors saying? Is he still in hospital and what’s the treatment plan?
If you feel that he is not improving ask them to take him to Son Espases hospital in Palma. Is a tertiary care hospital with doctors 24hours and proper consultants in situ. A pediatrician will assess your baby and decide on what’s best.

Good luck and hope he has a speedy recovery ❤️‍🩹 they also have translators in case you need access to them

My son was exactly the same. Needed oxygen when born and been hospitalised a few times for rsv/oxygen issues when ill. He’s 16 months and we’ve been told he has ‘hyperactive airway disease’ and he has a blue and brown pump. Brown he has everyday and blue as and when needed. This has really worked for my son but I had to be super super pushy. They kept telling me they don’t give brown pump for children this young. I refused to leave until a sufficient plan to get my child better was made and low and behold gp ‘checked’ and he can have it aslong as I report back to them how he’s doing on it every 3m. Unfortunately I think some children can be more prone to things like this and it’s horrible to watch, my son always perked up within a couple of days. Sending love OP!

Oh OP, must be so worrying.

My sister has lived in Spain for ever, married, grandkids etc.

I hear the medical care is excellent there. Sending hugs.

Why does he need to be seen at home? You can get to appointments

We have had very similar with our DS. It’s so stressful and the fear every time they start a cold or a cough starting is unreal!

We got told they can’t diagnose asthma until 5 but we pushed for a preventative inhaler after his last admission (11 days, he just could not get off oxygen!) & he started a cough/cold a week ago and so far no admission needed. Hoping it’s done the trick. We’ve also been told he could still grow out of it all but maybe worth investigating a preventative inhaler (I’m not sure what you were given this time).

I hope your little one gets better soon! It’s so hard and can’t imagine the stress on holiday.

Thank you so much everyone.

Just about to swap with DH at hospital now, luckily we are here with a group of friends and children so DD is with them whilst I go and swap.

Your messages gave me comfort during a restless night.

DH said Dr keeps saying “airways close” and giving him different inhalers, they’ve also said we need to push flights back as we are due to fly home Wednesday morning.

DH said they are excellent at the hospital.

I just feel so helpless and sad.

To answer a few of you, yes we have insurance thank goodness, I am asthmatic but very mild (diagnosed at 2) and I will push for referral to get his heart etc checked as some of you have mentioned.

Thanks again xx

Hope things keep moving in the right direction. If I were you, before your child is released, I’d ask the Spanish consultant through Google translate or translator, what further tests or follow up he/ she would be instructing if you were in Spain - explain that it’s so you can ask for these when home in U.K. Will let you understand what prudent paediatric service would look for as U.K. sometimes behind on such matters sadly.

I’m very confused about how I feel about the hospital, he’s only had 2 sets of observations done today and when I asked to see a dr they had to call a paediatrician in from a different hospital/surgery.

Staff all seem lovely but it’s so slow here.

Paediatric dr said his sats are 92 and his heart rate is the higher end of normal so he’s not 100% happy to discharge tonight. DS has kept down all his milk today though so that’s good.

They have him on 2 different inhalers, salbutamol one 3 puffs every 4 hours and ipratropium bromide 2 puffs twice a day.

DH has spoke to insurance company who have been really good and they said they are looking into whether this hospital is the best to care for him in the area and if not, we should request a transfer and they have put this all into writing in an email. Told us to keep every receipt used for taxis to hosp for DH and I swapping etc.

Son Espasses is where you would be better off. They're world class.

Sending love ❤️

Ipratropium dose sounds right, and can start working younger. Salbutamol may or may not work, as the receptors in the airways that it works on grow between 6 and 12 months, but if it’s helping there’s loads of scope to temporarily give more. Was he very young when he had bronchiolitis the first time? As if so, then tend to get it again, to some extent, with every bloody cold in the first year of life, which is such a pain.

Exactly the same with two of my sons. Eldest is 10 and is much easier to manage now. Other one that suffers is 9 months too. Weirdly enough both have a dairy allergy. 10yo had his adenoids and tonsils out at age 3 and this made a huge difference. Been told they both have very narrow Airways so as soon as they get a minor cough their Airways is irritated, swells slightly but they struggle breathing fully and wheeze. Croup like cough. We got given salbutamol inhaler which helped a but. Game changer was when a sympathetic doctor gave us a bottle of dexamethasone to keep at home. First sign of a cough and we give a small dose for three days in a row. Not had an a and e visit since or any chest infections.
Hope you're OK xx

I hope your son is starting to improve now. I know a few people have said this already, but I would also really recommend when you get home asking for referral to/appointment with asthma clinic. We had 3 hospitalisations with similar brush off by the consultants that DS was considered too young to diagnose. But asthma nurse said ‘if it looks like and duck and walks like a duck…’ and said it’s the asthma nurses that specialise in the current diagnosis and treatment options. Once he started taking the brown preventative inhaler daily he hasn’t been in since and we have a blue inhaler for if he gets ill and starts wheezing as viral illness seems to be his trigger. They are very confident he’ll grow out of it too

Thanks everyone. I’m here with DS. DH gone back to hotel to fly home with DD in morning. His oxygen levels are sat at 92 and they’ve advised not to fly.

Had horrible anxiety and guilty feeling towards DD today, spent some time in the pool playing and had lunch with her then handed her to our friends and got in a taxi to swap with DH.

I’ve spent so much time away from her due to DS hospitalisations and now our holiday hasn’t been what I promised her, I feel so awful.

I’m also beyond fed up of seeing my boy unwell, it’s heartbreaking as a parent.

I have had PND and PNA since DS birth and I have diazepam at home, silly me didn’t bring any as thought our bad luck had come to an end. Spoke to my psychiatrist who said to try and get a private appt out here to get something to help me (I have panic attacks and physical symptoms of anxiety so I’m allowed 10 diazepam tablets and 7 sleeping tabs every 6 months).

Does anyone have any suggestions of which online private prescription service to use abroad? Thanks.

Can you not ask at the hospital for who you might be able to get an appointment with? Surely your travel insurance will cover it as well. And while this isn't the holiday you had hoped for with your DD, she's probably not experiencing it as you are possibly perceiving she is. The important thing is your DS recovers and you both get home safely.

Poor boy, sounds like viral wheeze or bronchiolitis. Perhaps he will have a brown preventer inhaler prescribed and seen by a paediatrician when you are home too.
The salbutamol will increase his heart rate too.
Fingers crossed he makes a steady improvement to come home.

How are you doing today?

I ended up paying for a private 15 minute telephone consultation and prescription, all together with prescription for some anti anxiety meds was €63 so I won’t bother trying to claim for that on insurance when I have no idea how much this is all going to cost anyway.

Paediatrician said that he is improving but slowly, sats still low. Gave one more dose of prednisilone to try and reduce inflammation in airways and paed dr will see him tomorrow. Insurance company said no need to move him to a hospital with a paeds ward as they are getting a paediatric in once or twice a day to see him here. They said it would likely compromise our insurance if we went over their heads and moved him as it would be seen as a self discharge from this hosp.

DH & DD landed back in London this morning.

That’s good to hear that he’s improving, hopefully not too long until he’s discharged now and you can both get home to the rest of your family. I can only imagine how stressful this is for you OP. It’s hard enough with a little one in hospital in your own country. I hope they’re taking good care of you both and you’ve been able to eat and sleep ok. Hang in there. Hopefully in time this will all be a distant memory but I hope you manage to get some answers

How are you and DS @glassofbrancott?