The Croup

So I know it is not really called "the croup" but that is what all old timers seems to call it. Croup is the bane of my existance. Seriously not one, not two, but all three of my boys have seemed to struggle with this ailment. If you don't know what it is go look it up because one day either your child or someone you know will get it.

I had never heard of it till one day in March 2005. Wyatt who was one was really not breathing that well and woke me up in the middle of the night. He was turning purple because of lack of oxygen. This is where my brother in law raced us through the empty streets of Rexburg to the emergency room with the baby in my arms instead of his car seat because I thought truly he may die. Travis was in Utah. Upon arrival I have never seen such prompt attention. People grabbed my baby from me starting treatment with no thought to insurance and names etc... Treatment basically consists of several shots of huge doses of steroids and steroid nebulizer treatments. We then were checked into the hospital to stay overnight, whereupon every hour more steroids were given. Now truly this is a worst case scenario short of death. I am the stupid mother who doesn't want to seem like a baby so I wait longer than I should to address certain problems. But I digress.

Most of the time croup is harmless, scary for sure, but just raspy bad sounding breathing. I have had my fair share of this. I also have had several other experiences involving hospital stays too and why...because I have these midget children with small airways that are easily inflamed. Now I know that I am not a giant by height, but by build I wouldn't consider myself small. On the other hand there is my husband who loves to be described as beefy which is fine but without all his muscles, which are huge and help him in the competition for Mr. Universe along with Arnold, may be described as petite. And so I have these three sons who with every runny nose get coughing like a seal or so it seems.

So last night son number three, Dak, woke me up in the middle of the night. I was sure he was choking on something and I would have to give him the Heimlick, when my sleepy haze receded and I realized he had croup. A mediocre case, one that wouldn't involve any emergency rooms but would surely have me up the rest of the night. It did. And so this morning I am cursing croup and my children's small airways.