thank goodness for modern medicine

Jed has been sick since last Wednesday!

He had some ear drainage the week before that we thought may have been an ear infection, so we took him to the doctor on Tuesday. He didn't have an ear infection, just a LOT of wax built up. Wednesday I taught two bean classes for our Relief Society and it was a crazy day. That night, Jed was up most of the night, moaning and coughing and writhing around. Jed is not a very good sickie. Thursday Dave took a sick day (hoping to get some sleep) and we went to the doctor again. She said that NOW he had an ear infection, plus bronchitis. They did an x-ray to make sure it was just bronchitis and not pneumonia, and we were glad it wasn't any worse.

Since Jed's bronchitis was pretty severe, our doctor wanted Jed to take some of his medicine through a nebulizer. He got his first dose right in the office, and although he fought having the mask on, he settled down once he realized it was helping. I was surprised at how quickly it helped--his chest stopped retracting, his wheezing quit and he was able to breathe much easier right away.

Jed loves having the nebulizer now and gets excited when it's time to put on his "pilot's mask." I think he likes it so much because I let him help me hook up the hoses and turn it on--my little mechanical genius likes anything that turns on and off and has a plug! He's doing much better now and I'm hoping we'll be able to stop the nebulizer sometime around Friday.

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All of this made me really grateful for modern medicine. I haven't been thrilled about the antibiotic that has messed up Jed's intestines and given him awful diarrhea, especially on Saturday, when we were at a Stake leadership training and his diaper exploded all over my skirt, but I am grateful that I don't have to watch my child suffer. He was sick, we spent an awful night, we went to the doctor and got the medicine that immediately helped. So many children, even in our modern age, don't have access to good medical care, and we are so blessed that we do.