RSV

Wow. What a fun title!

Ruby has been so healthy since she was born. No colds, no sniffles...nothing. Unfortunately last week that changed. On my way to bootcamp Monday morning, I heard Ruby cough on the monitor and it did not sound good. That morning I called the nurse and walked through what was happening, but based on no fever, no runny nose, no anything other than a few random coughs (that sounded HORRIBLE!), she told me to wait it out and not bring her in yet. Reluctantly I agreed, but Tuesday morning I was at the doctor's office before they opened. Even though she didn't have any big symptoms, those coughs were just not 'right'.

Ruby and I got in to see the doctor pretty quickly; she checked her all over and asked me a bunch of questions. Nothing set off any alarms with her, but she said they'd swab for RSV, just to be sure, and then send me on my way because Ruby was fine. As she walked out of the room, Ruby finally coughed and the doctor turned around immediately and came back in. She checked a few more things (still fine) and said that they'd swab, but it was likely RSV, based on the sound of that cough. Sure enough, the test came back positive.

Since this was our first experience with RSV, I read all kinds of things about it on my phone every time I sat down to feed Ruby. I kept watching for all kinds of other symptoms, totally aware that there was a possibility of Ruby's cough developing into bronchitis or pneumonia. Yikes. My biggest fear was her breathing and the possibility of us ending up in the hospital. My other big fear was an ear infection. With Ruby's ear canals being so small, the doctor cannot see her ear drum to see if it's inflamed or not. I'd asked the doctor a bunch of things about that, so I knew what to look/listen for, but at 11PM, your mind plays tricks on you. Lehr and I spent more time than we probably should have watching her breathe, watching her sleep, just watching her..... The doctor also told me that she would likely 'peak' around day five. We waited those five days, but her cough only got slightly worse; no other symptoms. After seven days her cough was significantly better and by Thanksgiving, there was no trace of it. Glad to have that behind us.