Bad News, Great Grandparents

We had an interesting week this week. Isabel has been sick with reflux and these horrible coughing fits. I mean, really bad fits. When friends Julie, Matt and Jo Ann helped me take care of her, I would warn them of these fits. They said, don't worry - its fine. Then she would have a coughing jag and it would last for 10 minutes. You'd hit her on her back to keep her breathing because she would choke so much on mucous. I mean bad stuff.

We saw the doctor this past Friday and received reflux medicine. Then the weekend wasn't any better. (We had our 5 year anniversary that Saturday too and managed to make it out for dinner thanks to Julie and Matt!) Sunday, we called the on-call nurse and then the doctor. We got a bigger medicine for reflux.

Monday we were scheduled for vaccines (that is another issue all together), but Izzy was in no shape for shots. She was wheezing and having trouble breathing, along with the coughing and spitting up. My friend Cris was with me (Thank Heavens!!!) and kept me sane during the visit. The doctor said it could be one of two things... RSV or Asthma. Okay, so here are my choices. A deadly virus that kills babies usually in their sleep OR a lifetime struggle with breathing... hmmm what to choose. (I had Isabel exposed to 3 babies that weekend, so I was secretly hoping it wasn't RSV just so that I didn't have to tell those mothers... Its like telling other people you have lice or chicken pox, but way scarier. Wouldn't you know I'd be that mother??)

With either possibility being awful, we ended up doing a breathing treatment at the office. Since she responded to it so well, the doctor determined that it more than likely was asthma. (We have a family history of it.)

So basically from Friday to Monday without any sleep. When your baby has trouble breathing,you don't want tto take your eye off her. After one of a new mother's breakdowns, I had 2 wonderful grandmothers offering to come help. Gigi did the first round and stayed from Tues. to Thurs. Meme was ready to head this way, but the new treatments are making me and Izzy more comfortable. So Meme and Grandpa are coming their scheduled weekend next week.

So, here is the tally for poor Isabel. Asthma, reflux and more than likely an allergy to certain foods (we see the allergist Tuesday for that humdinger). Like my sister said, she got the best of all of us. Poor health conditions and skinny legs from my family and great hair from Jeff's. I hope she at least keeps the blue eyes from both of us.

That is it. We are doing breathing treatments that seem to be working, taking strong reflux medicine and hopefully finding her the perfect formula after our visit with the allergist Tuesday.

Hey - at least she's got beauty on her side.