Post Christmas Rundown

There is something very magical about Christmas time with young children. There is excitement in the air, Christmas lists and tattle telling about who is not having a good attitude. A preschool Christmas program that is priceless, as well as Christmas carols being played on the violin.

Our family was lucky enough to see family whom we have not seen in years, and welcomed a new addition, which helped to ignite the Christmas cheer. (No, I am not pregnant, my father in law married a wonderful lady).

We started to ring in the Christmas season with our annual ride on the Polar Express, we also hit many light displays, and Adeline and her Nana went to see the Nutcracker Ballet, what a wonderful experience for both. Adeline wants to be a mouse next year in the Nutcracker!! The kids helped decorate the tree, put up our Christmas snow village and re arranged the presents under the tree hundreds of times.

Then came to anticipated day. Christmas Eve. Our family has the tradition of opening all of the family presents after dinner on Christmas Eve, then we are visited by Santa for Christmas Day. As we were eating our big Christmas Eve dinner, poor Adeline's asthma kicked into full gear and she had such horrible coughing fits and broncho spasms, that lead to her vomiting at the dinner table.

She did recover well and we moved on to opening presents. The excitement of the kids is what makes Christmas so special. The last words I heard from my two little Christmas kids were that they were going to stay up all night for Santa, about two minutes later they were both asleep, exhausted from all the festivities.

Sure enough, the next morning Santa had left his gifts underneath the tree. Adeline and Carson could not understand why they did not hear Santa and his reindeer. They both agreed they must have been too tired to hear it, that and Santa has Christmas magic to get down the chimney. The big Dragon Castle, and the Barbi bike were the big hits. The remote control car from a cousin kept them occupied all day.

I hope everyone had a magical and wonderful holiday.

Please see the picture slide show!

That's What I Get

My son plays the violin. He is lucky enough to study with the same violin teacher I had. Ms. M. is not only an accomplished violinist, but was a second mother to me growing up, and a phenomenal woman. So, I consider it an honor that she is teaching him.

On to the story.......

My son was at his lesson, he and Ms. M. were rehearsing for is upcoming solo. I stepped out to take his sister to the restroom. In that maybe 4 and 1/2 minutes, I came back and Ms. M. and my mom, decided that I needed to play the violin duet with my son for one of his songs. How did that happen? When I left, I heard music playing, when I came back in, I was now part of a solo recital, in three days nonetheless.

Like any good mother (like my mom and Ms. M. would let me say no anyway), I pulled my violin out, dusted it off, and started to practice with my son for our mother son duet. I love the violin, and love playing when I do play, so I was enjoying playing with him.

The next day, I received a call from my mother. Among many topics discussed she asked how my son's songs were sounding and were we practicing our duet. I proudly said "yes we have." In a tone only my mother can have, and a comment only my mother would say, she asked......... do you have it memorized so there is not a stand on the stage? A roll of my eyes and 3 deep breaths later, I calmly answered, no, and I did not plan on memorizing my part.

With 4 Christmas parties, 2 school holiday programs, a dance recital, violin recital, a new job I started last week, and hosting Christmas Eve dinner at my house, not to mention 10 family members who left 5 days ago, oh and lets not forget the crashed computer, which made downloading pictures and ordering Christmas cards a feat ......... I just am not going to memorize my duet part to Jolly Old St. Nicholas. I will be happy if my son is showered, hair done, wearing his tie, and we remember his violin!!!!

No computer

I have had 2 weeks with no computer. I have not been able to check the news, and write my blog!! And how can it be that it took a week to put in a new hard drive, then another week to get the operating system installed and getting the computer back to where it was with all my information.

I have missed two weeks of blogging my kids asthma challenges and my crazy family.

Well, at least it is fixed in time for Christmas stories.

Asthmaed out

I am asthmaed out this week. I am not sure that is even a real word, but it is how I feel.

In the last week and a half I have received a call from the school nurse every day to tell me that Carson was in to take is inhaler. He was in twice one day, but had to rest and could not take his inhaler because the school strictly enforces the inhaler usage every 2 to 4 hours. They are not as lacks as I am about justifying the prn part of the prescription.

I feel sad that this disease has impacted my son's life and our families life. It has forever changed us. I have empathy when he goes to school not feeling his best, and starts to have flare ups when he is playing tag on the playground, just trying to be a normal boy.

But last night I had just had it with asthma. Between calls all week, breathing treatments before school and albuterol puffs during the day, we were all ready for bed, in our jammies and my son informs me he is having an asthma flare up. I was sick as a dog to begin with, sore throat and the works, and just wanted to curl up in bed with my electric blanket. But instead we pulled out the nebulizer and sat for his breathing treatment.

At least until I feel better, can you give us a break asthma?????

The day had arrived.

I have been documenting every peak flow meter reading, every albuterol puff, and every asthma symptom for almost a month and a half, waiting for our visit to the lung specialist. I took in all of my documentation and had a bag full on any and every asthma related devise I had for not only his inspection, but to make sure my kids had all the asthma appliances they may need. I waited a month and a half for this visit, so I wanted to make the most of it.

The nurse started with Carson and after the usual round of questions of why are we here, what are his meds etc., they did a lung function test. Of course the little bugger was having a good lung day. Never fails, can't have a bad day on the day of the appointment. After the lung functioning test we headed back to our room and waited, and waited, and waited.

I think this is how they wear you down, so by the time the doctor finally comes, you are so ready to get out of there, and you don't take up much of the doctors time.

When the doctor finally came in, he introduced himself to the kids and I, and pulled me up a chair. A chair?? Pulled and requested to sit by the doctor??? I was in foreign territory. I swear our pediatrician comes in the door and has his hand on the door handle ready to leave before I even get out the first symptom.

I had the opportunity to explain how Carson's asthma started, symptoms and flare ups and pulled out all my documentation. He examined Carson, asked questions and explained a number of different things related to Carson's allergies (which no doctor had ever bothered to point out). It was decided that we needed to have a better handle on Carson's allergies, and this, along with an increase in his Flovent inhaler, would help to calm down his flair ups.

Next, we moved on to my other little asthmatic Adeline. I explained how I discovered when doing research on asthma when Carson was diagnosed, that I read in one article that constant clearing of the throat was an asthma symptom. Adeline was constantly clearing her throat for months. When I took her to the pediatrician he put her on Singulair and the albuterol inhaler, which I believe he did just to pacify me. Anyway, back to the specialist, he examined Adeline and had her do some weird things like talk with her nose closed and would opened it while talking to show me difference in voice changes, all related to allergies. He decided to try her on a amped up version of Zyrtec, called Xyzal, and the nose spray Nasonex, to try and get her upper congestion under control, and see if the allergy symptoms were the cause of her clearing of her throat.

I still think Adeline has mild asthma, but I so liked this doctor, respected his assessment and judgement, the time he spent with both children and myself, that I am willing to try any of his suggestions. Even though the congestion in Adeline is better, she is still clearing her throat. Next week I will report back to the specialist, and we will proceed from there.

After we left, I called to report our visit to my husband and at the end I said to him that I think I actually got my co pay worth of a visit finally. This should be a huge compliment to Dr. Nakamura, as we have a hefty co pay per child per visit. His visit was worth the month and a half wait, and my money. Thank you Dr. Nakamura.

Now, we will see how these medicine changes help my two little asthmatics.