DD1 was in the PICU over the weekend.

wino2006

She had a severe asthma attack. She now has the official diagnosis of asthma. It was so scary to watch her struggle to breathe and see nebulizer treatment after nebulizer treatment not helping. She ended up on in PICU with continuous nebs for 12 hours and finally started coming around. We are home now on oral steroids, inhaled steroids, albuterol, flonase and zyrtec. I hope we never have to go through this again. I had to do it all alone for the most part too since DH was at home with our 2 yo and my family sucks and is unsupportive. I could have used some Lorazepam throughout this experience. I am so scared to send her to school now and don't really want her out my sight after all of this. Any tips from other asthma parents on managing this/advice? I have talked to school nurse about keeping an inhaler at school. I worry about her overdoing it since she ADHD too and is physically hyperactive and goes until she literally drops which happened on Saturday am. It came on so suddenly and with really no warning aside from cold symptoms which scares me. I had asthma as kid too but never had to be hospitalized for it. 

finsup

My youngest has asthma, and we've spent a night in the hospital like you describe.  Its scary.  And I hear you on how it comes on quick, for us its literally like he's fine and then 5mins later he's struggling.

The key for us managing it is to be very on top of his inhalers when he gets even a hint of a cold or a virus.  I start medicating him and don't stop until I haven't heard him cough or wipe his nose in 2 days.  We had 1 time about 6 months ago where I was thisclose to taking him in, but overall this has been working for us and the last time he had a big espisode was over a year ago.

Anyway, you'll figure it out and what works for your kid.  Its a bit of trial and error but now that you know and have the meds, you can manage it much  better from her.  GL!

Princess_Lily

DS was in shared a room with a child who was hospitalized for asthma...that was the scariest sound for me to even witness -  I couldn't imagine the fear for you as a parent hearing it from your own daughter!  

 

I have no words of advice, except try not to let the fear of the incident paralyze you. If you have to journal about it if you feel you need to - to let the emotions come out.  Try to come up with ways (with your pedi) of solutions which will help your DD lead a healthy life...what may work for some people, may not work with others.  I believe its all trial and error.

macchiatto

finsup:

My youngest has asthma, and we've spent a night in the hospital like you describe.  Its scary.  And I hear you on how it comes on quick, for us its literally like he's fine and then 5mins later he's struggling.

The key for us managing it is to be very on top of his inhalers when he gets even a hint of a cold or a virus.  I start medicating him and don't stop until I haven't heard him cough or wipe his nose in 2 days.  We had 1 time about 6 months ago where I was thisclose to taking him in, but overall this has been working for us and the last time he had a big espisode was over a year ago.

Anyway, you'll figure it out and what works for your kid.  Its a bit of trial and error but now that you know and have the meds, you can manage it much  better from her.  GL!

I agree with the bolded. My typically developing kid has had some breathing issues and staying on top of it seems to help. He hasn't been hospitalized for it since he was 10 months but he had two ER visits last year for breathing issues and staying on top of the xopenex as soon as he gets sick does seem to help.