And its only the beginning!

About a week and a half ago Zoe started coughing a little. It was no surprise because Mia had been coughing for around 15 days prior and we figured Zoe would pick it up also. Mia didn't need any medication or anything and she got over it very quickly.

I wasn't worried about Zoe either because although she was coughing a little she didn't have a runny nose and didn't complain (Keep in mind she can no longer have any type of fever, due to her treatment). However she had been in a lot of physical pain and wasn't eating very much over the last 10 days. She was complaining of stomach aches, sore eyes etc.. (Pain and a reduced apatite is also part of her illness.  She has also lost 300g in 10 days).

Last Tuesday was treatment day and we rock up to the hospital with everything fresh in our minds to talk to the Doctor about. They started their physical exam and they were listening to her chest and the eyebrows go down in a concerned V... An x-ray was ordered immediately and off we went rolling Zoe through the corridors in the 'BIG GIRL' wheelchair.

This time she was a little scared of the x-ray machine so I put on the led jacket and stood by her and held her hand. The first thing we noticed was the size of her heart... it was huge! nothing was said about the size of her heart though so we are guessing that was normal. The lungs however were not so normal.

The whole bottom half of her left lung was white with white blotches over the top half and the right one. Of course we had no idea that it should have been any different (since X-rays are black and white) but we were soon to find out that she had a bad Lung infection (this came as a shock because she didn't look sick at all and her cough wasn't really that bad).

We waited for the physiotherapist to come down to see her and she is the type of person who should be banned from talking with Parents. She blurted out "The bottom half of her Lung is not functioning"! she then looked at my face and said "but it's ok, don't worry we just need to fix it"! umm ok says me.

Her stomach aches are from the Advil. This happens frequently with Anti-inflammatory drugs. It can cause Ulcers of the stomach etc.

Anyway home we trot with a prescription in hand for antibiotics (Lungs) another medicine for her stomach and another prescription for Physio (Clapping). We started the antibiotics that night and the little brat spat it out three times!! I was beside myself. For any parent who has had the unfortunate experience of staying a few days in hospital with their sick child AND everyone else's you would surely agree it is a nightmare! not only can you not sleep because the lights are so bloody bright but you also have the poor kids who aren't lucky enough to have their Mum/Dad spend the night with them crying all night. So here I was thinking 'damn it kid, stop spitting your medicine cause if we have to spend the next few days in hospital I will be one cranky Mummy'!

Well we finally tricked her with a yoghurt and I breathed a sigh of relief. The next day was the clapping... What can I say about that? The most barbaric form of physio I have ever been witness to... And it didn't make a lick of difference she didn't spit anything up. She kept swallowing what ever she did cough up, but the physio was meant to do a gentile form of clapping to squeeze the gunk out of the bottom of her lungs but she was up on top of the table pushing with all her might. Zoe was bright red and I thought her eyeballs were going to fly out of her head! NOT EXAGGERATING!  

I have to call the hospital tomorrow and find out what the next step is. We may have to do another x-ray to see if she is getting better or change antibiotics. I just hope we don't have to subject her to more clapping. She has to go through so much already I can't stand to see her suffer through that as well.

The doctor told us this is just the beginning because the flu season is upon us and Winter is coming fast. First 3 weeks of school and she is out with a lung infection.. I have a feeling this is going to be a LONG winter. Once we get her infection under control she has to have a flu shot which can also be dangerous for her but at least she is being seen regularly by her Dr. We just have to be more vigilant! No more letting people kiss her. So back off people! Keep your Jimmy Germs away from my baby girl ;)