Can we start a new asthma support thread now dreaded winter season is looming?

[Knackeredmother]

Hi,
I can't seem to find the old support thread. I lurked on it during many long, lonely and frightening nights and admissions with ds over the past year and a half.
My ds is 21 months now, was hospitalized at 8 weeks severe bronchiolitis (really thought he would die) then every 3-4 weeks since whenever he gets a cold. No symptoms in between colds but a wet, crackly chest with some wheeze with every cold. Plus of course the dreaded tracheal tug and sternal recession that heralds an admission.
It is all so bloody draining and heartbreaking!
We are just starting with a new bout today after a whole 8 weeks of being well. I am debating whether to call in sick for my nightshift tonight or leave poor hubby with an inevitable hospital admission AND our 4 year old!
Anyway, would be good to hear from others going through similar so we can all support each other ( or direct me to the original support thread!)

Hope he is better soon ali. Ds was in hospital last week and some of this week. He is on 4 hourly ventolin.

Hi all, DS2, 17mo, was diagnosed with possible childhood asthma today. He has ventolin and a spacer. He's on 2 puffs 2-4 times a day to see how he fares. He's had 2 puffs so far and his chest is already so much better.

He's breaking his heart over taking it, but the difference is immense! I am sooooo relieved!

Ali I hope your DS get's well very soon and cedmonds your Son too.

Cedmonds sorry your ds was in again hope he is better this time x x
Ds is finally nodded off but don't know how long for as he is due another neb at 10.30 and still waiting for X-ray

Oh no so many poorly little ones again :(

Ali, I find that one of the most frustrating things in hopsital. Everytime they settle it's time for something else!

Ds had a more settled night in terms of breathing his xray showed general cloudy and patchy areas so they started him on antibiotics so hopefully we will begin to see improvement x the ward is full and the nurses have said that the heat can be as bad as winter for some little ones

Glad he had a better night Ali, hope the antibiotics kick in soon and you can get back home x

How come every doctor wants your complete life story and each say different luckily for us ds consultant put him straight x x plan if action now is to wean ds off the nebs and oxygen if he can manage without both only on 10 puffs of ventolin then we will prob be home Sunday at the moment he is on a waft of oxygen and 2-3 hourly nebs so slowly improving hope others get to enjoy the sunshine it will probably rain Sunday lol x x

Giving the history over and over annoys me to, luckily our last 2 admissions we have had the same great dr so managed to avoid doing so. I do love it when they start of in a and e questioning the fact he has asthma until you start giving the history!

Glad he is on the mend. Hopefully he can enjoy the sunshine next week!

Ds managed a play on the beach today which is a good sign :) silly mummy decided it might be time to lower his ventolin though which led to a small attack but back on 5 puffs 4 hourly and he is coping again! X

Ali so sorry. When DD1 has to go via A & E, I always say that she is under [name drop respiratory consultant] and say, 'do you want to call him or one of his team, or shall I?' the last time she was admitted and blue lighted to Children's Hospital, her consultant did come down to A & E. But there have been occasions when one of his team will be bleeped and the A & E docs will discuss her care plan. Most of the time, acute treatment will be fairly standard and the respiratory team will agree, sometimes they come down to A & E to review and sometimes they chuck her onto the respiratory ward for observation. The main thing though is to have a care plan and a consultant who is overall responsible so you don't have to repeat the symptoms etc.

Looks like we are staying in tonight ds is up and down he has been off the oxygen most of the day but is still needing it when asleep so they want to monitor him tonight x he is off IV antibiotics and on oral clarithromycin so everything is going on the right direction x x

Hope he gets home soon Ali, fingers crossed for an oxygen free night.

How is everyone elses los coping with the heat?

Community paediatric nurse came
Out yesterday to run through a care plan with us. (totally brilliant service, cannot stress this enough).

Said to not be overly cautious at his stage and it's trial and error at first. I had it in my head last week early on that pollen was bothering him and our nurse said it probably was so not I be afraid to give him a few puffs. He's been so much better this weekend! We've been outside almost entirely!

She gave us some great tips for getting him used to his spacer too, including letting ds1 play with it and encourage ds2 to do the same and count To ten I between puffs. This afternoon and evening were a breeze!

Hope all your little ones are doing ok or are on their way home very soon.

Speaking of outside play a very nice lady on free cycle gave us some outdoor toys but as we arrived to collect them her husband was taken ill and has had to be admitted. So please could you Send him get well vibes too.

That great the nurse came to see you at home!!

Glad he is coping well, I think getting the inhaler technique sorted and more importantly getting them happy taking it makes everything so much easier. DS loves playing with his spacer and happily gives all his toys inhalers!

DS is doing ok, struggling with hayfever a bit although the loritadine is making a big difference. Still against any efforts to reduce his ventolin so I am leaving it now until after the bank holiday weekend as we are away and would rather keep him at the level he is now than risk making him worse rushing him off the extras. Only 2 months til we see his specialist!

The community team service is fantastic! It makes an enormous difference to the health of children in the area I'm sure.

I wish we had something like that to access. Our care from the hospital is outstanding but quite often you feel daft going to them but have nowhere else to turn.

I am lucky i have two friends who are paediatric nurses who must get fed up of me bombarding them with questions and asking for advice!

Ds is really struggling today :( managing about 3 and a half hours before needing ventolin. Hoping he doesn't get any worse over night.

Ali - have you managed to get home yet?

Sirzy hope your ds is okay
We were discharged last night in the end they stopped the constant monitoring and said they would go on how he looked and his breathing x
He had an okay night I just kept hearing alarms in my sleep
He's got the antibiotics for another 10 days then a follow up appointment x
I was really shocked we were in so long at one point they were considering moving him to hdu it was a scary few days he didn't move or fight the medication he is now very clingy but I don't mind lots of cuddles x

Poor thing, hope he has a speedy recovery x

Ds is ok, still not right but not bad enough to need to do anything yet.

Another afternoon in a and e, another chest x ray shows his pnumonia still hasn't cleared so on new antibiotics. Thankfully he is maintaining is sats well so hasn't had to be admitted touch wood this one works.

:( which antibiotics they given now x poor little man x x ds2's discharge says pneumonia x his sats are hovering around the 92 mark tonight I've phoned the ward and they are happy as long as he doesn't drop below 90 they are happy for him to stay at home x

fingers crossed they stay up.

He is on erythromycin (sp) this time

Not too bad a night and ds wanted breakfast at 6 this morning so that's always a good sign x x
Sirzy if that doesn't clear it ask for clarithromycin ds only takes it twice a day and seems to work well he had it for 12 weeks when he had whooping cough x x

Thanks Ali. He spiked some high temps last night considering his temp is normally low but seems cooler this morning. He is still asleep but that's no shock as it was 2am before he settled.

Glad your Ds is wanting food and seeming better

Blooming gp. When I put his repeat in I asked for 2 ventolin inhalers rather than one (we are getting through one every week - 10 days)

Apparently this was a big ask. After 48 hours they hadn't managed to do the script, went back and had to sit and wait for it to be signed. Then got told we have to see the practice asthma nurse before having any more - I tried to enquire why as he is under consultant care but nobody could answer! What a waste of time that appointment will be!

Grrrrr I've just had the same issue but with ds1's antihistamine he's having extra doses due to allergic reactions and pollen so I ask for two bottles I may of well asked for a million pound lol now sat in the go's waiting room just to get a bloody prescription x x
Hope ds stays well x x