Fun times at the ER!

Saturday night we noticed that Joseph had started sounding like he was getting some congestion. At first we thought he might have swallowed some bath water, but he wouldn't cough it up. We gave him an expectorant to help, but he still wouldn't cough it up. So finally we call the Doctor's office. He told us that Joseph was probably getting a little cold. So we put him to bed thinking he had a cold. Well in the middle of the night he came into our bed and joined us. He loves to snuggle between Stephen and I. At about 4:30 Stephen woke me up. Joseph sounded awful. His congestion was really bad and he had a fever. So Stephen took him to the Emergency Room. They gave him breathing treatments (which he hated and screamed the entire time) and took a chest x-ray (which he also didn't like). For the x-ray they had to basically tie his hands behind his head and Stephen had to hold his legs down. He really didn't want to be there. The doctor told Stephen that Joseph had the Croup.

Before this happened I did not know what the Croup was. So I had to google it when Stephen called me and told me what Joseph had. Croup is a viral infection that causes swelling of the vocal cords. Which makes it sounds like congestion when it is not. They also get barking type cough.

Then they gave Joseph a breathing treatment with some medication in it. Then had to observe him for three hours. Aaron and I got to the hospital at about 8:45 or so. So we could switch places. Stephen took Aaron home, we didn't want him to be in the hospital long, and I stayed with Joseph. Joseph got all excited when he saw Stephen getting ready to leave, he really wanted to go. But he and I stayed. The Doctor cam and saw him when his 3 hours were up a little after 10. He had responded to the treatment really well. So we could go home. Joseph was so excited that he nearly ran out without me.

He is doing well. Just taking it easy and drinking a lot of juice. It will take a few days for him to get over the virus. It is just like a cold. You can't really take anything for it, just have to let it run it's course. We should be out of "quarantine" by the end of the week.

Here is a picture that Stephen emailed to me from the hospital. It is of Joseph getting ready for the chest x-ray.