Tom's Cough

Tom, clearly shattered from coughing all night, but still having fun

Poor Tom has had a cough for ages. Sometimes it's not too bad, sometimes we think it's cleared up.... and then he has a few really rough nights where he coughs all night until he's sick. The circles under his eyes betray just how much his sleep has been disrupted. He got sent home from nursery last week because he'd coughed himself into a state running about with his friends, and burst into tears.

So I got him booked into the Doctors. I should have done it weeks ago, but as soon as we've said "let's book him in" the cough stopped. For a few days. But enough is enough so I took him regardless of having a few quiet days.

The lady doctor we saw - not our regular doctor but a very nice one - had a good listen to his lungs and declared them clear of any infection. She asked if there was a history of asthma in the family, and there isn't to the best of my knowledge. She also asked about eczema. And there is a touch of that in both Hubby and Jack. She explained that these things are part of the same "family" and that Tom may have a touch of asthma. Or it may be a cough that has lingered after a nasty cold. That is something that happened to my mum a while ago. In either case an inhaler is the recommended course of action.

She was lovely and got some stuff out to demonstrate how to give Tom the inhaler via a tube and mask and gave us a prescription for two full sets (one for home and one for nursery) and a spare inhaler too, with instructions to use it last thing at night, first thing in the morning, and when ever Tom started to cough badly though the day.

This is what Tom was given. Image from www.babygaga.com

We picked up the stuff from the pharmacy and went back home. On the journey home I tried to make the inhaler sound like something awesome and not scary (this is the kid who is paranoid that butterflies and the moon follow him, get freaked out because the cat has sat hear him, and is generally suspicious of everything). We called it his Magic Puffer that will help his cough stop and let him sleep through the night, and wont his brothers be jealous because they don't have a Magic Puffer and wont ever be allowed to play with his. It seemed to work. He took his inhaler - with some suspicion, we cuddled him though it - that first night and slept really well. He had it again the next morning, complaining that it smelt nasty, but without much fuss.

Hopefully this will clear up the cough and not have to be a permanent part of his life. Well done for being brave Tom!



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