MattGlover.com

My New Years Resolution of having my family spend 12 months ambulance/hospital free crashed spectaculary on the weekend. Again, Thomas copped the brunt of it all…

Anyway, I had finished my second wedding of the week and was enjoying the reception with my wife and a table of good friends. Thomas was sleeping over at a mates place, when we got a call saying our boy was too distressed and he was coming home. Katrina left the reception to meet him and I followed when the event was over.

None of got any sleep that night.

Thomas was restless, crying, coughing and finding breathing hard. We were worried, but thought it was passing, and just prayed for at least a couple of hours sleep.

In the morning we were getting ready to go to my niece’s 2nd birthday party. At 9:00am we were all going to the party. At 9:30am we decided that Katrina should take Thomas to the doctor, so just Jared and I would go to the party. At 10:00am, the doctor sent Thomas immediately to hospital - none of us were going to the party!

Thomas was suffering his first asthma attack. the doctor classed it as ‘moderately severe’ - if there is such a thing - so he spent the rest of the day on ventalin treatment and spent yet another night in hospital.

Fortunately, Thomas is a resiliant little guy. After the initial trauma, he bounced back quickly and seemed to actually enjoy his time in hospital. The toy room in the childrens ward was a hit and by the end of his stay, he had all of the nurses eating out of his hand.

But why, when he has anaphylactic reactions to all nuts, egg, fish and seasame products, does he need to be an asthmatic too? Now we have to carry a ventalin inhaler AND an adrenalin shot everywhere we go.

I don’t think a three year old deserves that. But then, when I visit the Children’s Hospital for our alergy testing, I realise how fortunate we are.