PINK EYE + CROUP IN 2-YEAR-OLD=AWFUL!

THIS PAST WEEK HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING TO SAY THE LEAST. IT ALL STARTED LAST SUNDAY WHEN I FOUND A LUMP IN HALLE'S NECK (KNOWING SHE HAD 2 COLDS LAST MONTH...)I FREAKED OUT. I TOOK HER IN ON MONDAY TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND I WAS JUST A SWOLLEN LYMPH NODE BUT IT WAS A BIT SCARY, THIS IS WHEN THEY PUT A SHOT IN IT WITH SOME ANTIBIOTIC TO KILL SOME OF THE INFECTION IN IT AND ALSO TO RELIEVE SOME OF THE SWELLING-SCARY AND HALLE WAS IN A BIT OF PAIN, SHE WAS A TROOPER. THAT NIGHT, WE WATCHED A LITTLE BOY FROM THE WARD-OVERNIGHT. HE WAS A GREAT KID AND ALTHOUGH HE IS ONLY 3-THEIR IS SO MUCH HE COULD DO WHICH WAS NICE. THEN OUR WEEK WENT ON. WEDNESDAY AFTER HALLE'S NAP, SHE WOKE UP TO A RED EYE WITH GREEN OOZING OUT OF THE CORNER, I JUST KNEW IT HAD TO PINK EYE. ONCE AGAIN, I CALLED THE DR. THEY SAID THAT IS WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE AND THEY WOULD CALL IN SOME EYE DROPS FOR HER. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY THOUGHT I WOULD GET THOSE INTO THE EYE OF A 2-YEAR OLD 4 TIMES A DAY-MISERABLE! BUT WE DID IT. THEN SHE ALSO HAD A BIT OF A RUNNY NOSE AND A LITTLE COUGH. THURSDAY, IS WHEN IT HIT. WE PUT HER TO BED AND ALL WAS FINE AND THEN SHE WOKE UP AT 4AM. SHE WAS WHEEZING AND RASPY SO BAD SHE SOUNDED LIKE DARTH VADER...IT SCARED ME TO DEATH! JARED WOKE UP AND HELPED ME PUT HER IN THE TUB. ALTHOUGH SHE SOUNDED AWFUL-SHE WAS STILL HERSELF. WANTED TO PLAY, WATCH CARTOONS, YOU NAME IT. SO WE LET HER DO THIS FOR ABOUT 1.5 HOURS AND THEN DECIDED TO LAY HER DOWN AGAIN, THINKING SHE JUST HAD A BAD CHEST COLD. I STARTED THE HUMIDIFIER, GAVE HER SOME MOTRIN AND WE ALL SACKED OUT FOR ABOUT 2 MORE HOURS. THAT MORNING NO RELIEF! I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DR AND WAS TO GET HER READY AND TAKE HER IN. WE DID JUST THAT. WHEN WE GOT THERE, WE FOUND OUT HALLE HAD CROUP. IT IS THE SCARIEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD AND THE BARKING SEAL COUGH-LET ME TELL YOU IS JUST THAT. THERE IS NO MISTAKEN IT. THEY GAVE HER A STEROID ORALLY FOR THE VOICEBOX AND WINDPIPE SWELLING TO HELP TAKE IT DOWN FASTER THAN NORMAL. ALSO, THEY GAVE HER A BREATHING TREATMENT-IT BLEW STEAM IN HER FACE FOR ABOUT 30-45 MIN. SHE THREW A FIT THE ENTIRE TIME. WE HAVE TAUGHT HER STEAM IS HOT AND SHE WON'T GO NEAR IT AND NOW I WAS EXPECTED TO HOLD IT IN HER FACE, NOT! NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE GOT THROUGH IT AND SHE CRIED SO HARD AND LONG SHE PUT HERSELF TO SLEEP. THE LAST COUPLE DAYS AND NIGHTS COULD BE HARD SO GET PREPARED THE DR SAID. HALLE HAS BEEN A TROOPER AND DONE VERY WELL. ALSO, THE EYE THING-NOT PINK EYE, JUST PART OF THE VIRUS SHE HAS. SO THANK GOODNESS NO MORE TRAUMATIZING EYE DROPS FOR HER. SHE IS GETTING BETTER SLOWLY AND STILL SOUNDS BAD BUT DAY BY DAY WE SEE IMPROVEMENT. SHE HAS BEEN COUPED UP IN THE HOUSE SINCE FRIDAY WITH HER MAMA AND IS BORED OUT OF HER MIND SO WE HOPE IT GOES AWAY SOON AND WE CAN GET SOME NORMALCY AROUND OUR PLACE. HOWEVER, ON FRIDAY NIGHT WHILE HOME WITH HER, I WATCHED THE CHARITY EVENT FOR HAITI ON TV. THAT IS DEVASTATING! I LOOK AT SOME OF THE KIDS DYING OF BROKEN LEGS OR SIMPLE THINGS BECAUSE THEIR IS NOONE THERE TO HELP FIX THEM. WHAT A SHAME! IT MAKES ME COUNT MY BLESSING WITH OUR DAUGHTER. LET ALONE, IN HAITI, THEY CAN'T FIND FOOD OR WATER, BUT THE MEDICAL CARE IS OUTRAGEOUSLY SAD. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR DR'S, ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK, AND THE FACT WE ARE A BLOCK AWAY FROM OURS AND THEY COULD GET HALLE IN AND TREAT HER SO FAST. REALLY PUTS THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE AND MAKES ME COUNT MY BLESSINGS: NOT JUST FOR FOOD, WATER, SHELTER, HEALTH, EVERYDAY THINGS I TAKE FOR GRANTED, BUT AMAZING DR'S WHO DO ALL THEY CAN TO HELP US WHEN IN NEED. WE LOVE THEM!