I am so grateful for all of the kind words that you all have shared here, on facebook, through texts, emails, etc. (If I haven't gotten back to you yet I apologize- it has been one of the busiest days of my life!) We are so appreciative of the prayers, the suggestions, and the love that each and everyone of you sent our way. Several of you shared my post and asked for prayers from your friends and family as well and for that I am so thankful. The fact that you took the time out of your day to say a prayer for my child and to spread the request like wildfire via social media warms my heart and proves how great God's people are!
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| At the pulmonologist appointment! |
I figured that this would be the easiest way to provide an update, so here goes...
This morning I called the various urgent care and emergency room facilities that Everett has been seen in over these past few months in order to get his records because I was determined to get him into a specialist today. I did a prayer-filled google search for a pediatric pulmonologist, found a reputable practice and dialed the number as soon as they opened. It took a few tries to get through to the receptionist but when I finally did she was very helpful. I briefly explained our situation and told her that we would be coming in and would sit in the waiting room all day if that is what it would take to be worked in. She understood my urgency and was not only able to get us in, she scheduled us to see the doctor that I originally hoped we would see. God is so amazing! Our appointment was in the middle of the afternoon and the office was about an hour and a half away from our house. After I hung up with them I called our allergist to see if we needed to go in to be seen beforehand and they asked that we bring him in around 11am.
When we saw the allergist he was very supportive of our decision to pursue a second opinion and was happy that I was able to get Everett in so quickly. He gave me a few notes on what he would do with the various medicines that Everett was on and asked that if the pulmonologist changed anything to have him send a note over to their office. The
timing of the appointments was perfect because we had enough time after the allergist to pick up
the CD of Everett's chest x-ray from last night's urgent care visit
and then head to the pulmonologist appointment. Nolan was able to take a few really good naps in the car on the way to the next appointment and although Everett didn't sleep I am sure he enjoyed the time to relax and watch a movie on his DVD player.
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| This is happening right now! |
Tyler met me at the pulmonologist appointment which was great because I wanted us to both be there so that we wouldn't miss anything. When we were called back we gave a short synopsis of what had been going on to the nurse and then waited for the doctor. The whole time that we were there it just felt comforting, almost like I knew that we were finally on the right track and not going down another rabbit hole. The doctor came in a few minutes later; he was very friendly and very knowledgeable. He spent over thirty minutes going over Everett's symptoms and past medical history with us and asked us all sorts of questions, some we hadn't even thought of ourselves. He took almost fifteen minutes to listen to Everett and do the once over of his ears, nose, and throat. We discussed the issues that we have had in the past and the concerns going forward with him and he genuinely seemed interested and concerned.
After we had thoroughly discussed everything and he reviewed the medical records that we brought/had been sent over he told us that Everett has asthma. Tyler and I (and pretty much everyone else) have known for quite some time that this was probably the case but we had been getting the run around on a diagnosis. There seems to be some sort of insurance issue with diagnosis a child as young as Everett with asthma even if it is clear that is the case. So after months of various different temporary symptom fixes we are so thankful that he finally has a diagnosis. Obviously we are not happy that he has asthma but a diagnosis means that we can finally begin to manage his illness properly and not just treat the symptoms. The doctor did note that he would like to do a few additional tests to completely rule out the scary things that I said you shouldn't google any other medical issues however he said he was confident that we have the correct diagnosis. So now we have an aggressive treatment plan for his current cough/symptoms and a daily preventative plan to (fingers crossed) prevent flare ups like this from happening.
So this is where we are now; a diagnosis and a plan! Hallelujah, thank you Father! And I want to thank you guys again for the prayers last night and today. Our family truly appreciates the outpouring of love and support that we have received- this answered prayer is truly a testament to how great our God is.
Today I took Everett back to the pediatric pulmonologist for a recheck on his progress. I had both the boys dressed and in the car by 9am and it took us a little shy of 2 hours to get there, we got out and were in the doctor's office for about 45 minutes and then back in the car for the ride home. Although we logged a lot of miles today it was well worth it- we love our doctor and how much he really seems to care about Everett's well being. The doctor asked how Everett was feeling, if he'd had any issues in the past 3 weeks, had he been having trouble using his new inhaler, had there been any need for his rescue inhaler at all, etc. Even though we were there for a shorter period of time for this appointment he was still very thorough. The doctor was very glad to hear that Everett has been doing much better since he has been on the new treatment plan. Everett has been back to his "old self" since his last cough subsided and the new inhaler has been added. In the past he would have been sick by this time again so to have him not be sick was a great step in the right direction. The doctor asked that we keep him on his daily inhaler for another few months (through the spring) and then we will reevaluate his dose. I am so happy that we finally have a diagnosis and aren't floundering around anymore just treating the symptoms and in turn not actually providing him any long lasting relief. Thank you again for all of your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. We truly appreciate everyone of you. 
