My Poor Little Can Man

So this morning we started our day bright and early with a trip to the ER! At about 6:30 this morning I heard Cannon on the monitor screaming and wheezing. I rushed into his room and saw that he was struggling to breathe. I got him and then went to wake up Ryan saying, "Ryan, Cannon is having a hard time breathing!" His response, "Oh, poor little guy." I rephrased my sentence realizing that my previous statement must have lacked a sense of urgency, "RYAN, HE'S NOT BREATHING!!!" Ryan jumped out of bed and immediately decided that it was necessary to take him to the hospital. We were in the hospital by 6:45. He had no fever, no congestion, and no symptoms when I put him to bed that night, except for a little cough. I also realized this morning that his cough was like a barking cough. It sounded terrible and he cried every time he coughed. They first gave him a steroid. Usually they do that through an IV, but luckily they were able to just give it to him orally. Then they gave him a breathing treatment. He liked it at first, but then he kept smacking it down. Then he had a chest x-ray. Then he had another breathing treatment because the first one didn't work. This time he liked it and he held the tube and actually put it in his mouth for the remaining time. It was hilarious because he kept blowing out puffs of vapor. We stayed in the ER for about five hours and then we got to go home. Ryan didn't have time to call in a sub for his class, so I said he could go to work. Before he left he gave Cannon a priesthood blessing and I felt a lot better after that. It worked out because Beverly was taking in Ally for a weight check at the pediatrician's office, so she was nearby. She brought us breakfast and then picked us up when we were discharged. And when we got home, I realized that I was locked out of the house and she was able to break in and unlock the front door. She was a lifesaver in many ways today!

Diagnosis: croup. The steroid is supposed to last up to five days. Since this is viral, antibiotics won't work, so the doctor gave us some things we can do at home to help with the symptoms. And tomorrow morning Cannon will see his pediatrician. So far he is doing much better. He went to bed at 7 and I haven't heard him cough. He's sleeping with his humidifier so that should help.