New Med & TV Show

Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned that Gavin got prescribed an inhaler?

Well, we just got it.

I know. Ridiculous.

After spending several hours arguing with insurance companies on the phone (we have two policies and neither was willing to work with us…or each other) I finally caved and we paid the seventy dollar co pay. Yes, seventy bucks. Yikes. The other insurance company wouldn’t cover it at all…so some is better than none I guess.

But anyways, giving a toddler an inhaler isn’t as simple as just, well…giving them the inhaler. There is a special little contraption that helps him breathe in the medication (Flovent).

Obviously on one end, you “plug” in the inhaler. And the other end has a mouth piece. Once you press down on the inhaler Gavin has to breathe in five or six breaths.

Sounds simple right?!? The kid that will sit for 2 breathing treatments a day, and the kid that takes 25 pills a day should be able to master this.

HA. We’re still working on it, but he only likes to take one/two deep breaths at a time.

When enforcing the treatments of CF as a parent I think there are three levels.

• The bully – Not caring about your child’s opinions, and demanding that treatments be done on an exact schedule with no flexibility whatsoever
• The parent – Taking the time to work with your child on the best way to get treatments done correctly without it being torturous
• The friend – often caving to their “demands” and skipping treatments because they’re just not fun and eats into their play time

So, with the inhaler…like all his medications/treatments, we’re working on being the parent. Realizing that a one year old isn’t going to understand how to breathe in that new medication right away. Realizing that it could take several days, or weeks, to get him to take five/six big breaths while leaving the new contraption on his face the entire time.

Yes, we could force him and hold him down while holding the inhaler to his face. Yes, we could just skip it sometimes because he’s not a fan. But neither of those would get us anywhere.

He needs to understand that these are a necessary part of his life, and that will happen over time. Bullying will make him hate it…and us. Being a friend never teaches him that it’s a must to stay “healthy.” So there has to be some middle ground.

So for now, he’s taking one or two breaths, pushes it away & then allows us to put it back on his face for another two breaths or so. Pretty darn good if you ask me. He’s sixteen months old & already has more on his plate than most adults.

On a slightly different note, Gav man has a new favorite t.v. show to watch while he does his Vest treatments.

Little Einsteins.

The issue I had with several of the other kid shows is that they constantly asked the kids to stand up and dance along with them. That doesn’t work too well while you have a nebulizer strapped to your face while getting the goobers shaken out of you with the vest. He’d get so upset when they’d dance and he’d try while stuck sitting down.

And then I stumbled on Little Einsteins. Each episode features a classical song & famous piece of art (hello education!) And the kiddos take adventures & problem solve all over the world (more learning!) while flying their magic rocket ship. To power the ship they pat their laps, clap their hands and sing. ALL of which, Gavin can do during his treatment.

SUCCESS!

He loves to play along with the show, and it makes the time go by more quickly for both of us.

And I have to brag a little. Because of this show, he has started answering their questions….

”Is this a piccolo?”
As a harp enters the screen and Gavin shakes his head, “No.”

“Is this a piccolo?”
Gavin shakes his head, no…and says “OBOE” as an oboe appears on the screen.

“Is this a piccolo?”
Gavin throws both his hands into the air in excitement as it is a piccolo.

He did that several times in a row during the “Instrument Dinosaurs” episode. Couldn’t have been any cuter! As I told Casey this at dinner last night, I don’t think he believe me until Gavin piped in and said, “Oboe!” followed by some gibberish as he “told” Casey all about the episode.

Every time I see a child a little older than Gavin who is talking away, I can’t believe that Gavin will also be at that stage soon. But then, moments like those, make me realize that we’re gonna wake up one morning and he’ll be speaking full sentences.

But for now, we’re loving our goofy little boy that speaks gibberish, who loves to make silly faces…and seems to always have a bruise on his head.