Rexton's Reactive Airway/ Asthma Back Story

I had placenta previa with Rexton while I was pregnant. I ended up having consistent contractions about 35 weeks and 5 days. That being said it wasn't safe for them to send me home with me living 30 minutes from the nearest hospital. So, they kept me overnight hoping the contractions would stop. Spoiler Alert, they did not. I ended up having to have a C-section at 35 weeks and 6 days. He still came out just a little under 7 pounds. That being said when he was born you could hear him breathing all the way across the room. The doctors said it was normal.

Time goes by and at about 8 months old I take him to the ER for a fever and he was breathing hard. They ran NO test in the ER, sent us home and said it's "just a cold". Me being my paranoid mom self that I am take him back in on Monday, not even 12 hours after our ER visit. He had RSV. For his breathing the doctor said normally albuterol doesn't help with RSV breathing symptoms but wanted to try it once to see if it helped. It did, so we were sent home with a nebulizer and albuterol.

Later that year I go to check on him, he woke up crying with a cold. His breathing was labored, he was REALLY working to get that oxygen in. I bring him into the ER. He was admitted overnight. Albuterol every 2 hours and until his oxygen went back above 95. He was released about a day to day and a half later.

That was the first of MANY and I mean MANY doctor trips. Every two weeks after that (his ER visit was in OCT.) I was bringing him into the doctor for what sounded like a croup, but his oxygen levels are always about 91-93. They give him a shot or steroid pills to take for 5 days to help him breath normal again. Then kid you not two weeks later we are back in there for the same thing until Jan. From Jan. to Aug. colds will trigger it here and there, but his main peek time is from August to the end of December.

Now he is seeing a different allergist. He has to take 2 puffs in the morning and at night of an inhaled steroid and a rescue inhaler when needed. He has gotten better. I haven't had to bring him in for a shot since Aug. However, he still has had to take a steroid pill when he gets a cold. The BIG difference is now its only needing to be one pill unless it's a bad cold but then it's about 3 days of one pill. Still better then 5 though!

His allergist has been working really hard with me to try and figure out what exactly is going on. Even with the pills it takes them about 2 hours before they will even kick in. I have taken him to see countless doctors. We've been to speech therapists because they thought it could be vocal dysfunction. They sent us to our regular doctor saying it sounded like acid reflux could be setting it off. We go to his regular doctor, and she is sending us to a pediatric throat specialist. She did give him something for acid reflux in case. (He had it really bad as a baby so it's not totally an off thought.) I'm just waiting now for the call on when that appointment will be.

I just want answers. Waking up to him gasping for air and with what I now know is "strider" is a very scary thing when you live so far away from any actual help. We are making STRIDES in the right direction though. I'm really hoping for the light at the end of the tunnel to shine down on us and give us some answers. Yes, I'm aware that is not likely going to be the case. I am a woman of BIG dreams though I guess. Rest assured though, until this is figured out, I will continue to be his voice and advocate for him.

Rexton and I <3