The point of course is that we get sick a lot. After our illness round this past Christmas (and the Christmas before that), we really needed a break. And we got it! Calvin and I were healthy for almost eight continuous weeks. Then another cold hit. I thought it was going to be no big deal, just another cold. But as of Tuesday night listening to Calvin cough, get distressed and point at his mouth while he is coughing and can't breath, I figured things had gotten out of hand. He was wheezy, not eating, but didn't seem in immediate distress so we opted to see how he was in the morning. Morning came around and he was worse. Not eating, barely drinking, and the most telling of all - hardly talking! Very unusual for him to be quiet (he is my son after all). His lungs were full and breathing was a chore, so the chatter was kept to a minimum. We managed to get in to see our regular Nurse Practitioner (NP) later that day.
I went in prepared to have to bully my way into getting some relief for my son, but everything was smooth and the staff were very helpful. They used an oxygen meter to set my mind at ease that he was getting enough oxygen, but agreed he was doing some heavy abdominal breathing. When we saw the NP she said yes, he's got some crackle in his lungs. Pneumonia! Scary for me to hear those words about my little guy. We got a prescription for antibiotics and an inhaler. Since starting the inhaler things have been much better.
I don't doubt that Calvin's body could have fought this off on its own. But the discomfort would have been worse and needless. This is why I love a mixture of holistic and western medicine. Best of both worlds if you are willing to learn about both. Thanks to the inhaler Calvin has been breathing very well while he recovers. While he was being checked out at the doctors office (first by the intake nurse, then the NP) both women said he was a stellar patient. Taking big breathes like Daddy and opening up to say 'ahhh' when asked. Letting them look in his ears, take him temperature. He really is a good patient. We practice playing those things at home so it is no big deal when it needs to be done at the doctor.
For being such a good boy, and because the NP said get fluids in however you have to, we decided to reward him and got our first big smile of the day by stopping for a winter ice cream.
Now since we know he's snotty and not well, I couldn't take him out to play groups. We were getting pretty bored at home since we had skipped all those days of play days. Daddy suggested we go out on Thursday to the fish store and get a goldfish (we had already been talking about this). Great idea! Go look at fish, it will be quiet and less chance of sick people being around, helps Calvin to have fun and see new things, but not infect or get infected. Off we went to the fish store. Where I was promptly upsold on a 20 gallon tank for tropical fish. I am still a bit in shock of how it all went down. I planned on buying a feeder gold fish and a big bowl. I came home with a 20 gallon tank, instructions to prep it for 24 hours before coming back to buy the tropical fish, AND a betta fish so that at least Calvin had a fish to bring home. So now we are the proud new owners of Hank the blue betta, along with two Micky Mouse Sunset platys and two black phantom tetras. Assuming all goes well with the new residents, there will be some additional friends joining them next weekend.