Ren was playing with his friends normally when I picked him up from daycare Thursday evening. When I tried to get him out the door, though, he started melting down and saying his throat hurt. He cried the whole way home. When I took him out of the car, his breathing was really shallow. So I brought both kids into the house, called the pediatrician’s office, then loaded both kids back into the car, and went to see the doctor.
The pediatrician talked to me a minute about strep before she looked at Ren and noticed his breathing. Once she noticed it, she switched into Serious Professional Mode. (Before she had been in Routine Hurty Throat Mode.) she said we were going to do test one, then test two, then a breathing treatment with a nebulizer. Depending on the results of everything, Ren might need to go to the hospital. I said ok.
The doctor said, “You’re being very calm about this.”
I said, “Freaking out isn’t going to make him better. And we need to do whatever it takes to make him better, so if he needs to go to the hospital, that’s what we’ll do.”
She replied, “That’s a good attitude.” But I think she may have written in Ren’a file that the mother is a sociopath.
But really, what was I going to do? I had two kids to take care of. I had to be calm in order to keep them calm. And I’m not going to freak out before we even know if Ren has to go to the hospital. I’m not a Premature Freaker Outer.
Anyway, the tests came back ok, and Ren was breathing normally after the nebulizer treatment. The pediatrician then told me that Ren’s breathing had been so bad she was shocked that the treatment worked. Oh! I had no idea it was that bad because I had nothing to compare it too and because Ren had been happy and goofy after his initial crying jag.
Meanwhile, I had called H from the doctor’s office to tell him to meet us there. He didn’t get the message right away because the voicemail system on his phone wasn’t working. When he got the message, he was in the grocery store post-workout, still wearing his gym clothes, and he just left his cart with stuff in it in the middle of the aisle and rushed to the doctor’s office.
Anyway, we had to do one more nebulizer treatment at home Thursday night, but he has been totally fine since then. It is really odd. We have a follow up appointment this week, so hopefully we will know more after that. I’m not going to worry until I know what to worry about.
I am SO GLAD he’s okay – how scary!
But I really admire – and envy – your ability to not freak out prematurely. I am the opposite. What a good role model you are for your kids.
That is a good attitude! My mom is a worrier and no good comes from worrying, especially when you don’t know there is anything yet to worry about!
I’d he’s OK! Hopefully it was just some virus and won’t happen again.
Oh goodness, your attitude is awesome. Of course, logically I totally agree with you, but I have no idea how I’d react in a similar, scary situation.
Hope Ren is feeling better soon!!
xox
You did good.
I always worry that I come off as being uncaring when I’m at the doctor’s office or hospital because I fully believe that if I’m in control and calm, my son will be, too. I had to take him to the ER this summer because I accidentally dislocated his elbow while we were playing (God, I felt like such a terrible mother) and I worried that they would report me for child abuse because he was freaked out by the hospital and all of the nurses and machines (he wasn’t even two yet), plus being in horrible pain, so I was being super calm and almost cheerful about it. After it was all over and we were home is when I finally cried.
Yes, exactly.
That is so weird. I’m just glad he’s ok!
Nebulizers are magic, and I’m glad he’s feeling better.
Glad he’s ok! ER trips are scary. Good for you for keeping it together.
You’re a good mom. Also, the tag on this post made me laugh.
I’m glad he’s alright! I am also not a Freaker Outer (nor is my husband) so doctors and nurses kept being surprised at how bad Will’s finger was when we took him in after the tip got clipped off in a door-slamming incident. And I kept thinking, “freaking out isn’t going to help the situation, so why do it?”
I’m so glad to hear that he is doing ok, but omg I can’t believe how together you are. I know what you mean when you say that there is just no room to freak out, but it takes a super strong person to actually not freak out
That is so nice of you to say, but I didn’t feel like it was strong. It’s just what had to be done, you know? If it had gotten scary, I’m sure I would have just held it together until I could be alone for a minute.
It’s almost a no-win situation. If you freak out, they tell you it’s no big deal and to calm down. If you don’t freak out, you’re a sociopath (or you know, just a responsible, level-headed parent). I’m so glad that Ren’s feeling better. What did he think of the breathing treatments? After a four day hospital stay and 18 months of daily nebulizer treatments I don’t wish the experience on anyone.
I’m glad he’s doing okay. My son had to use a nebulizer periodically for a few years for Reactive Airway Disorder (mild asthma). It actually got worse when he was about 5 to the point where he used a preventive inhaler twice a day and had a rescue inhaler. Last spring we weaned him off of the inhaler and his allergy meds and he has had no problems. Hope you have a smooth solution.
I’m usually freaky calm during moments that seem to cause panic in others, it’s only after the fact that I cry or otherwise have a melt down.
Hope Ren feels better and that they figured out what his reaction was caused by. Yeesh.
I’m the same. I never freak out during. It’s afterwards – and for a REALLY LONG TIME afterwards, like months I’m talking – that I go over things in my head and get all anxious and caught up. But during, I usually stay pretty calm.
Oh hell, and PS – hope it turns out one of those flukey non-issues that kids go through sometimes, where you never see it again.
My old pediatrician looked positively stymied when I burst into tears in his office. Doctors man, there’s no right way to behave in front of them. I hope Ren is feeling better!
I am only reading this now. I would like to leave a belated: BLARGH! Glad everything is okay.
Poor little guy! I tend to stay calm in those situations too. After it’s all OK, THEN I freak the freak out. Breathing stuff is scary!