Kathryn Update

Kathryn's been out of the hospital for awhile now- last Tuesday she met with Dr. Kurachek or as she calls him- Dr. Check. He was the (pulmonologist) doctor on call in the intensive care unit when we arrived at Children's ER. Kathryn's asthma is most likely cold-virus induced so hopefully now as the sick season is ending she'll be OK for awhile. One goal is for her to have normal colds- something she's probably never or rarely experienced because of the asthma and all the yucky things building up in her lungs when she's sick.

Kathryn has started using an inhaler (she's pretty young from everything I've read) instead of having to do the nebulizer. She was very chatty and outgoing with the doctor and he thought she seemed ready to try it. We're happy to not have to spend so much time during the day nebulizing. (She was very cooperative with the nebulizing- I think she liked all the TV we let her watch while doing it!) We'll still nebulize her if there are any signs of getting sick or breathing problems. She has an Asthma Action Plan- the goal is to stay in the green zone!

So basically we just have to let her live her life and be vigilant with the "controller" medicine. If cold/virus is her only trigger then there is a good chance she could grow out of the asthma as her body gets bigger and stronger- if her trigger changes then who-knows what the long term will bring.

I'm not sure how much of all this she understands- maybe she thinks all 3 year olds wear fishy masks and their moms chase them down with Purell and vitamins? The other day we were at a playgroup and I heard her coughing and I stopped chatting to get up to check on her and she called out at me from across the room, "I'm just fine, Mom."