One Day At a Time....
Easy Baby Update: Our shop has been buzzing! We are happy to partner with Cycle for Survival and Stamford Museum & Nature Centers with donations to their great causes. They are having raffles and you can get a chance to win, you guessed it, an Easy Baby set!
A Realization
For many months we noticed that our little CMO in training had a cough. We attributed the cough to numerous colds, his constant ear infections (which led to tubes in his ears) and the flu. But my husband and I noticed that when the Doctor would ask "How long has he had this cough?"we always struggled to answer. We both found it hard to pin point a time where he was not coughing. This began to raise a red flag that this cough may have been a layered piece in addition to all the other seasonal sicknesses he has come down with this winter.
Finding a Specialist...
After realizing this we sought out the help from a pulmonologist. We met with the doctor who asked us a lot of questions about our past and medical history. By the end of the appointment he was sure that our little love was suffering from asthma. Asthma is not a stranger in our household. I am one who has to carry an inhaler wherever I go and my husband has exertion asthma but he has it completely under control. With the new information we made a plan to help our champion breathe easy.... literally. Then the doctor casually mentioned that he wanted to test for Cystic Fibrosis as well. Cystic Fibrosis?! The doctor kept speaking but my mind and emotions melted. I was hugging my son tight with tears running down my face. We made arrangements to get tested.
You Want Me to Keep Him Still How Long?!!?
The longest week of our lives went by between having CF dropped on us and when the doctor's office had openings to test for it. The test required the little man to sweat. How do you collect sweat on a baby?! We arrived and sat in a room that was roughly 80 degrees. A special machine is hooked up to his arm that opens up the pores to promote more sweating. During this time the baby has to remain completely still. If he moves and knocks the sensors it would result in starting the test all over again. After that was complete, we put little collectors on his skin (about the size of a quarter) and we then bundled him up in 2 long sleeves and a snow suit. He had to sit still like this for 25 minutes. When we were through with the squirming and screaming he was finally done. We were told that we would get an answer that afternoon.
The Phone Call...
We finally received the phone call that would tell us if the CMO in training had Cystic Fibrosis. The receptionist spoke and said to breathe! That it turned up negative. Having already been pulled on the side of the road I became overwhelmed with emotion. I could not contain my excitement and found myself drowning in tears of happiness. When I called my mother to tell her the news she was so confused because I was crying so hard. I couldn't help it. He was okay! The relief overtook me and made me really stop and count my blessings.
You can buy many things in this world... but your health is not one of them.
Tonight as I gave him his nebulizer, I squeezed him a little tighter, held him a little longer and told him how much I loved him. It is amazing how your perspective changes when you realize how precious life and health are. For now, we are taking each step on the road to recovery one day at a time.
