IT'S JUNE! My kid is not supposed to get a cold in June. My kid is not supposed to get a cold that starts with an instant cough in June coupled with vomiting twice in less than 24 hours due to that horrific cough. This is the 3rd sick season ( usually just Winter and early Spring) that we have dealt with cold after cold after cold. It wasn't uncommon for her to be sick for 2 weeks and then only be healthy for a few days or a week before getting sick again. Her precious little face would barely heal from a runny nose before it would start up again.
About 2 1/2 years ago, around March or April I took Emmeline to the doctor for this problem. I realized she had been throwing up a lot with her colds, and that it probably wasn't normal. So, we went to see the pediatrician. I told him that something was wrong, that I thought she either had acid reflux or asthma or both. He agreed with me and we started to treat her for both. She got better, but the asthma treatment was $500 for a month supply and had to be delivered through the nebulizer, which is fantastic, but slow. It took 20 minutes every day. After a while we stopped treating for reflux and continued the nebulized steroid for about 2 months until the weather was warm. I hoped the coast was clear.
As soon as the weather turned cold again, yep, you guessed it, she got more colds and vomited more. I need to slow down here and explain exactly what I mean. Emmeline would catch a cold and get a runny nose and a cough, like any normal cold. But, when she would start coughing hard, she couldn't stop until she vomited. This could happen once a day, multiple times a day, every other day. . . it wasn't predictable. But, it was guaranteed to happen if she started to run or got injured. Cough cough cough- barf! Sometimes she threw up every meal. Other times nothing for a few days. It happened with every cold. As she would get better, towards the end of the cold, she wouldn't throw up any more- usually. Some of her colds weren't scary. Others were very scary. About 4 colds ago I borrowed an pulse oximeter from a friend just to make sure she was ok. She practically slept with that thing on for a week. But her oxygen was always okay, so we didn't go in to the doctor. That's kind of been the story about the whole thing. She gets sick. She throws up. But, she just picks up and goes back to playing. She doesn't get upset. She doesn't cry. She doesn't let her get it down. Anyway, I just kept hoping it would go away. I didn't want her on steroids full time. But, with this last time, I just had this feeling come over me that it was time to ask for more treatment options.
We went to the doctor.
She gave us a prescription for a new inhaled steroid- Q-VAR. She told me to start her on a reflux medicine and to go see a GI- gastroenterologist. That's where we went today. Since we started those two meds one week ago Emmeline hasn't had one coughing fit and subsequently has not vomited. But, it has been a very mild cold, so I thought maybe that was why. I stopped the Q-VAR two days ago. That night I heard Emmeline coughing violently in her sleep. We started the Q-VAR again last night.
I don't know what is wrong with my little girl. We went to our visit. I said, "I don't know what's wrong, but I am WAY too good at finding something quickly to catch vomit." She laughed. She understood. There are other mothers who develop this disgusting skill. The gastro doctor doesn't know what's wrong either- yet. The problem with her symptoms is that they can be caused by one or more problems. She told me, as I already knew, that normally she would be destined to visit three specialists and would probably get scoped by all three of them: Ear nose throat, GI, and pulmonary. In simple terms this means she could have acid reflux, asthma, and/or allergies.
3 scopes?!!!
Then the doctor gave us fantastic news- there is a new clinic at Primary Children's called the Aerodigestive Clinic. It's only been running for about one year. We can go and see three specialists at once and have all of them participate in one scope. The only downside is that we can't get in until September. So, until then, Emmeline will be taking Prilosec and Q-VAR. The doctor heard wheezing in her lungs today. My heart sank when she told me this because she appears to be pretty healthy right now. This cold has been the most mild one she's had in the last 10 months. She sent her for a lung x-ray today so they can look at it during her aerodigestive appointment.
Emmeline was amazing during the entire visit. We read stories and looked out the window. She colored in the waiting rooms. It was so nice that they had stuff for the kiddos to do while waiting.
During the exam, Emmeline breathed in and out, held her breath, stuck out her tongue, got weighed and measured, had blood pressure taken, had her stomach probed, and even had her little bum checked. She cooperated with everything like it was a pleasure. She was the same way for her x-ray. She is such a champ.
During the exam, Emmeline breathed in and out, held her breath, stuck out her tongue, got weighed and measured, had blood pressure taken, had her stomach probed, and even had her little bum checked. She cooperated with everything like it was a pleasure. She was the same way for her x-ray. She is such a champ.
So, now, we wait. I'm so grateful we can go to one clinic to get answers, so thankful for the great care available in Utah for children. I saw a lot of sick kids in that building today, kids with serious illnesses with multiple struggles that are never going to get completely better, but can only be managed. Whatever is "wrong" with Emmeline, I know there's treatment for her. I know she could eventually outgrow reflux or asthma or have really mild cases that require medicine but don't affect her daily life. I'm pretty sure that will be the outcome. We're so lucky to live in a time where there are such effective treatments for these conditions. I was very concerned about her needing to be on Q-VAR, possibly for life. The doctor admitted that it does stunt growth, but no more than one cm total. I guess we can live with that if it is what she needs. Hopefully we'll find out more answers after her 2 hour appointment in September with three specialists at the same time, and three copays too.
And that's it folks. Something is wrong with my kiddo. My powerful wishing didn't get rid of it. We need to get a handle on this so she doesn't miss half of kindergarten!
