urgent care

[flea]

We spent two hours at urgent care this morning. While I amused the baby (with help from a charming five year old named, apparently, Legion, with the southernest acent I've heard on a child in ages), mr. flea had his lungs listened to, his blood oxygen checked (low but okay), chest xrays, an inhaler, and a steroid shot in his butt. He has bronchitis. He does not have pneumonia, nor a secondary bacterial infection. They think he mght be asthmatic.

I'm not sure what to think. He was wheezing like hell all night. I googled bronchitis and the online doctors say there's not much to be done but wait it out if it's viral, and drink lots of fluids and take an expectorant to loosen chest congestion. mr. flea tried to down a shot of expectorant but it made him throw up (he hates the taste) so settled for wheezing all night. I wouldn't have gone to urgent care if it were me; I'm from the 'tough it out' school of illness. But mr. flea was panicky about his shortness of breath, and I think he gets a great deal of reassurance from seeing a doctor. I think they were too invasive - he wasn't THAT sick. I hope his insurance pays for it ($400). He's breathing better now, but doesn't seem muchdifferent, and his butt hurts.

Did I mention I am sick too? I was looking forward to having a weekend where I could relax.

/bad wife

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

I've been there too. There are few things more terrifying than being unable to breathe.

On the other hand, I was looking forward to having a weekend where I could relax.

YES. It's gotten to the point that if anybody else has a drama, I feel sulky because I wanted a rest. Sulky first, then sympathetic, then sulky after the drama's fixed.

[theodosia.livejournal.com]

I hatehatehate the taste of the flavoring in most cough syrups. HOWEVER, last year I found that Robitussin makes a "Clear" formulation which -- and I quote -- is "sugar free, dye free, sodium free, fructose free, sorbitol free, alcohol free" -- and it doesn't have the usual flavoring!!! Previously I had to be coughing like death warmed over before I could stand to try to swallow the stuff. I still don't think it's all that delicious, but I can bring myself to get it down without gagging or having to psych myself up over a couple of hours of coughing.

Mr. Flea might also consider the tequila trick -- bite a slice of lime (or lemon) and take the "shot", then lick some salt quickly. Confuses the hell out of the taste buds. Also, by putting it in an actual shot glass, the dose will probably hit the back of the throat and bypass the tongue almost entirely, which is where most of the tastebuds lurk.

Yeah, I'm a supertaster towards the extreme end of the spectrum, so I've been there....

[dxmachina.livejournal.com]

Huh. I love the taste of CVS's Tussin expectorant, which is plain old cherry flavored guaifenesin.

It sounds like mr. flea has something similar to what I've been dealing with for the last few years, mild asthma on top of assorted lung infections. It does eventually get better, but it can be slow going. The invasiveness was probably to make sure he didn't have pneumonia, which can very very dangerous.