The term croup does not refer to a single illness, but rather a group of conditions involving inflammation of the upper airway that leads to a cough that sounds like a bark, particularly when a child is crying.

Tatum has the nasty croup that is going around.  Sunday night after we got home from playing at the park & Farmers Market, she all the sudden turned into Miss Cryer and was very upset.  We were grilling out, making dinner, having a good ol time, and I thought, who is this cry baby!?  I picked her up & noticed she was burning up – had a fever of 102.1.  Tatum never really has had a high fever before so I knew something was up.  Poor girl wanted just to be held and lay on my shoulder.  We gave her meds, a cool bath, and she was out like a freight train (snoring)! 

Monday morning Tatum wakes up & comes into our room about 5:30 am, still burning up.  Still high temperature – so we give her more meds, and put her back down to sleep.  I was concerned because her fever had not gone down, so I called the after hours nurse, and she told me not to worry – fever is normal in a child – and to just let her ride it out (I actually felt like she was reading a script & not really TALKING to me, very frustrating).

I decided to work from home, in the case that I chose to take her to the doctor if her fever didn’t break. And it never did – and a nasty chest cough developed earlier that morning, which everytime she coughed, Tatum would cry. So sad!  The doc took us immediately around 1:30 pm yesterday – and they are so fast at getting us in and out!  I love ARC (just not the night nurses!).  Dr. Amy said that it was Croup – that this is going around, and Tatum’s lungs and ears look good – so that is very positive. Whew.  It could have gotten worse.

We ran to Wal-Mart to get more baby meds and Dora the Explorer popsicles.  Of course, since Nanna is in town, our cart became full very quickly with a Dora the Explorer bouncy ball, a new Elmo (kiss me) toy, toddler plates, fake Crocs…lots of things!  Manda & Isiz were at Wal-Mart, too, so that changed Tatum’s demeanor!  She was so excited to see her friends.

The moment we got in the car, crying again, high fever, and then she CRASHED out in the back seat. Poor thing.  She slept for hours yesterday afternoon, holding a high fever the whole time.  I love cuddling with my girl, so makes me so sad when we are cuddling and she’s sooo friggin hot.  After bath time, her fever was 102.7.

I had set my alarm to wake up at 11:30 so I could give her meds again to help the fever.  At that time, it was 102.9 and I was so concerned! Shouldn’t fever go DOWN with baby tylenol, not up?  So, I called the night nurse AGAIN.  Why I call them, I don’t know b/c I am always pissed every time I hang up.  The nurse acted as though this was no biggie – don’t worry, as though I was inconviencing her and wasting her time unless the fever was 104.  I’m sorry lady – my daughter’s breathing sounds awful & has 102 fever for more than 5 hours straight….I’m going to worry! URG!  I was SO upset. I hung up quickly b/c she was just no help and started crying.  What can we do? You feel so helpless!

So I grabbed my pillow and blanket & stayed in her room until her fever went down.  So many things went through my mind:  What if I didn’t worry – and there was something else wrong with Tatum that we would never know unless I called?  High fevers can be dangerous at times, and although this might be common for some babies – Tatum never has had it, so aren’t I normal to be in freak out mode after 2 years of good health!?  Seriously.  I laid on her floor crying so heavily b/c I was so worried!  I thought who can I call this late?  Who can I text to validate my concern but also to let me know its ok?  So, instead of calling anyone – I just prayed.  After an hour, I checked her again – and it had gone down to 102, so I knew it was gradually reducing.  So, I curled myself up in the recliner and set my alarm to keep check her every so often.  By 3:00 am, it was down to 100.9, and I felt much better.

I’m at work today and SO thankful mom is here this week.  If she wasn’t, I don’t know that I’d feel comfortable leaving her.  This blog has no real rhyme or reason, but to let me vent & say that the ARC night nurses are stupid.  I’m honestly thinking about making a comment on their website.  Watch out for crazy psycho mom.