Sarah

Sarah is battling illness again. She has been struggling with her breathing for the last 6 months. We thought she was about to outgrow her asthma, until this fall and winter. Most of the time we can manage it at home with medicine, etc. However, for the last month, she has really been struggling. I just didn't understand why her meds were not working. Everything we tried just did not ease the pain in her chest. After several doctor visits and several rounds of antibiotics and steriods (translate: her climbing the walls), we ended up in the ER Thursday night. She had to be admitted to the hospital and stayed until Saturday. They diagnosed her with costochondritis. Basically the tissue between her ribs and her breastbone is inflamed. Any movement (breathing) becomes so incredibly painful. Her chest basically would not move enough to allow her lungs to breathe. The worst part is that there is no cause or treatment. We have to keep her on high doses of ibuprofen (1800 mg daily) and encourage her to be still until it runs it's course. The average length of the pain is 4 weeks. (sigh) On the up side, we have been fighting this for a few weeks, without any progress. I was fearing that she would not be able to go to China. Maybe now we can get it all under control.