When we moved to the Sacramento area, one fervent hope of JJ and I was that the climate would be better for my health and Jujubee’s health. When I was seeing an acupuncturist in hopes of getting pregnant, he was constantly trying to warm me up and dry me out. Living so close to the ocean as we did, that was a huge task. I was ALWAYS cold.
Jujubee, as long-time readers know, has struggled ever since she was born with bronchitis/bronchiolitis/ pneumonia. Her body’s constitution is a lot like mine; I never got bronchitis in my life until my first fall in the Bay Area, and then for a few years I couldn’t stop getting bronchitis. Jujubee also seemed particularly susceptible to problems with her lungs. She had pneumonia four times this past spring, with each bout seeming a little worse than the last one.
When JJ and I went to Wisconsin this past summer and left Jujubee and Lyd with my parents for a week while we went to WELStock, my biggest fear was that Jujubee would get really sick again without me there. I packed her nebulizer and all of her medications and brought them along on the plane. It was a lot to lug around, but I didn’t want to be stuck without it. Every day when I called my parents to say hi to the girls, my first question always was, “Is Jujubee healthy?” Thankfully, neither girl even got remotely sick while we were in WI. That was a HUGE blessing.
Last night, Jujubee woke up crying and coughing around 2 a.m. and came into our room. She wailed, “I have a sore throat!” This was new; she’s never complained of that before. She was coughing a bit, but it was not the bronchiolitis/bronchitis/pneumonia cough that I know far too well. She seemed to be sick in a different way than she used to.
After managing to wake up myself and kick my brain into gear, I decided to just give her a dose of children’s echinacea and a dose of Throat Coat syrup. Jujubee submitted to both things, and then I gently tucked her back into bed. By that time I was wide awake and fully expecting her to start coughing … but she never did. She slept soundly the rest of the night, and after half an hour or so, so did I.
I kept her home from school today, because she still said she felt sick in the morning, and because I wanted to monitor her to see how she’d be. (Plus, she needed a day off. She loves her pre-Kindergarten class, but it’s every morning, and I think that’s physically tiring for her. She already needed a day off.) We had a nice, relaxing, slow morning where she got to play with toys, watch some PBS Kids, and just take it easy. To my surprise, she didn’t act sick at all. She was her usual cheerful, sunshine-y self. And I didn’t hear one speck of coughing!
I don’t know what tonight or tomorrow will bring, but I am crossing my fingers that the Sacramento area is indeed going to be much better for my little girl’s health. It already seems to have caused a change in her body for the better.
Not Finished Yet 