Croup

It's beginning to sound a lot like---barking? Yes, my poor little guy has come down with croup. He became sick so quickly that initially I suspected that he was trying to manipulate us into letting him watch cartoons!

I feel bad for not believing his complaints. We were at a Christmas party on Saturday and he was fine. He was happily playing with his little friends and protested when it was time for us to leave. Somewhere during the walk back home, which was only two houses, he became ill.

When I started to hear the high-pitched seal cough I knew immediately that it was going to be a long night. I had several episodes of croup when I was a child and I vividly remember waking up in the middle of the night trying to gasp for air. My Mom would scoop me up and usher me to the bathroom which she would quickly fill with steam. What I most remember is being absolutely terrified.

I wanted to spare Robby as much of the terror that I felt when I had croup. I pulled out the sofa bed next to him and settled in for a long night. His cough was becoming worse, and I knew that the seal bark from my childhood nightmares returned to terrorize my child.

I suspect that there is little about of being an amputee that I detest more than my delayed response time when Robby needs me in the middle of the night. I heard my little boy bark with croup and my first instinct was to pop out of bed and grab him. I acted on instinct and forgot that I am an amputee.

My middle of the night the Mommy rescue went something like this: "Bark cough, bark cough, step, thud, oh sh*#!" (Thankfully the other expletives were masked by the loud barking cough. Luckily I was sleeping in his room, so my fall was broken by the side of his race car bed.

My little boy was in a full croup attack, and I had to stop and put on my stupid liner and leg. I am fairly confident that I donned my liner and leg with record speed. It wasn't until Robby's cough had calmed and I was getting him a cup of water that I realized my leg, and hence my foot, was on sideways. I was mildly impressed with my ability to walk on such an askew device.

He had several croup attacks during the night, but I am a quick study. I slept the rest of the night with my liner in place. It certainly wasn't the most comfortable but it increased my response time.

Robby woke up Sunday morning and was no worse for wear. His croup left as quickly as it arrived and spent the day making glitter art, specifically a variety of happy faces. I spent part of the day stewing. I resent that I have the slightest delay when caring for Robby when he is in trouble! And now I have laryngitis... Sheeeeshh!