You've been putting this off WAY too long. Most good doctors won't accept Passport so your best choice is to find a Kosair or non-profit hospital like Jewish so they can find out exactly what's wrong and take care of your precious baby.

Well I finally found a pulminologist and she is going to test him for cystic fibrosis.

keep us posted, Kitten, and I'll keep you and your son in my thoughts and prayers

Thank you very much. We need it.

Stay on top of it. If it comes down to it threaten Malpractice. Somebody will wake up and tell you what's going on.

If you qualify for Medicaid it is quite possible that you qualify for some kind of childcare assistance such as Child Action. As a single parent and student you would qualify dor daycare to equal three times the number of hours you are in class since that is what is is suppose to take to study and prepare your assignments.

It is also possible that you are going to qualify for respite care because he is disabled and has unusually high care demands. You will need a diagnosis in writing.

The suggestion that you go to a qualified pediatrician rather than a primary care doctor making decisions is not only approriate but covered by your medicaid. It pays to learn the rules you are playing by often the workers do not know what they are talking about.

At ten months with chronic infections (fever suggests that) it sounds like this child is being introduced to something that is infecting him or wearing down his immune system such as an allergy.

The advice to throughly clean the humidifyer is excelllent. Generally speaking they tend to spread more allergins than they correct adding moisture to the home since the tiny holes are very hard to clean properly.

The advice to take the child elsewhere and see if his allergies are environmental is also excellent. However a good place to stasrt is eleminateing the most common offenders from his home.
Smoking; the after affects of second hand smoke can linger in the environment up to 72 hours or more so simply not smoking while he is in the room is not enough. "Smoke" allergins soak into your hair, clothes, breath, and skin. They also pollute through common air duct systems so smoking in one room of the house is like smoking in the same room as your child. In apartment complexes ut may be coming through the walls and floor.

Pets; Cats are the worst but dogs and birds even reptiles that frequently have mold in their cages can offend. The dst from the litter box can flair asthma and broncitis. Remove pets and do a serious cleaning.

This especially true of stuffed pets. If a toy is plush don't just set it on a shelf bag it or throw it away. Asmatic children have to have washable environments. Get rid of carpets, pillows, drapes, and dusty mini blinds, newspapers, and any clutter that makes it difficult to vacume daily. Reduce bed linens to a minimum and cover mattresses with zippered bags desiGned for this purpose. DO NOT IMPROVISE AS IT IS A SUFFOCATION HAZZARD. Throughly empty your vacume between runs. Wipeing surfaces with a damp cloth with 1 tablespoon clorox to 1 gallon of water kills mold and picks up dust rather than spreading it around. White Vinegar is a good cleaner with out causeing fumes that trigger allergies. If you are in a rented apartment and can not remove the blinds open them tightly and cover them and cords with plastic bags. If you need privacy put foil on the windows it is better than paper. Shower curtains are much easier to wash and mold resistent. If you have hand-me-down or older uppolstered furniture you may want to consider ditching it. It may be loaded with dustmites, pet hair, and other parasites. Watch your child's stools to be sure he does not have worms. This is common in toddlers that put anything and everything in their mouths or attend day care.
I have other pointers but i HAVE TO GO TO WORK gOOD LUCK

The filter in your furnace and car must be changed often. Asthmatics need to have the furnace filter changed no less than monthly and sometimes as often as weekly in cold season when heaters pump air through these systems constantly.

If you live in a rented apartment ask if your apartment is being routinely exterminated. They will tell you it doesn't bother your kid but if his hospitalization record tells you other wise then you can refuse them spraying.

Christmas trees, pine sprays, ect. even artificial Christmas trees hold allergins. Old ornaments might be traditional but so are the holiday season increase in respiratory problems. Since most people have interior environments it is probably and interior offender that is setting your child off.

THe suggestion to have your own breathing treatment by useing the hot shower method is an excellent one. The one thing to remember is babys and small children can have fembrile (heat)seizures if they get too over heated so keep his body tempature in the normal range. If he is sweating strip him to his diaper and allow him a cold drink.

The mother's make up, perfume, candles, or other cosmetics. If you wear it so does your child because it is on your environment. Avoid all use of talcum powders on you or your child. (DO NOT use powder carpet fresheners because they simply pump through the air every time you walk across the carpet.)

As a life long wearer of long hair I know how personal this is but If you have hair wash it often, rinse it three times, and consider tieing it back or covering it so that it does not contaminate your child with dander and chemicals from sprays or conditioners. Wash combs and brushes each day. There is a reason they wear head coverings in surgery. I loved my sons long baby hair but if you can not easily wipe it clean dailey you may have to opt for a shorter style.

OMG!! That's EXACTLY what happened to me!! My daughter had the sniffles for about two weeks, I thought it would go away with some med's to help her feel better and TLC but it turned into full blown Bronchialitis! I remember I was awake with her all night and that was just the final straw. I was sitting by her cot while she was singing away not a care in the world. Thank God it didn't make her feel like crap. But her little chest was heevin' up and down. And my heart was broken. She ended up 4 days in hospital on a nebuliser and came home on an inhaler 3 days before Christmas. She's still on the inhaler now...

Just relax. Take him to the hospital instead of your doc's and have him sorted. Then ask yer doc' about some kind of med's he can take at home?

Also...if you're having a shower. Bring him into the room with you and the steam will help break down the mucus on his lungs. Honestly it will help him so much.

AND ibuprofen is the only thing that would take the edge of my daughter's pain. Definitely get some! It's the only way to get an hour's sleep solid.

Hang in there, he's feelin' just as bad as you the poor thing

That was why I asked how his weight and bowel movements were. I hope it's not CF....but that was what I thought it was. My nephew presented alot of the same symptoms before he was diagnosed. A quick sweat test should do the trick. Good luck.

Ok an update, I took him to the pediatric pulmonologist today. They didn't run tests today, have to go back in 3 weeks to do those. But she didn't think it was cystic fibrosis. She said that he probably has asthma, but there is no test that can diagnose it. But he keeps getting infections and the asthma has been complicating everything. The tests we will take in a few weeks will rule out everything else and I am going to start pulmicort treatments on him tonight.

thank you all for your advise and words. I really do appreciate it.

My son was on medicade too.Before they changed to one doc.I went to a doc.The min his nurse heard him,They all knew what he had.He gave himTavest d,And he got better from there.The other two docs just didn't know.But they won't tell you that.Do not use any thing but a humidafire,Heat causes the lungs to get wet.not a good thing.Call medicade and tell them you won't a scecont op.Good luck.PRAYS ARE with you and Your son!

Okay, at the risk of being arrested for practicing medicine w/out a license.....you should consider the possibility of allergies. Here's how things work...you have some allergy that causes mucous, runny nose, etc which mirrors a cold, but doesn't go away. After a while, this 'cold' turns into something nasty like bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. This happens because all that mucous produced by the allergic reaction is a great medium for growing 'bugs' (bacteria, viruses). The key is to get the allergic reaction early on & treat with over-the-counter antihistamines...something like benadryl or dimetapp (AGE APPROPRIATE!!) I can't hurt to try these. If the symptoms are relieved, you've proven allergy. If not, get to a doctor. I work in healthcare & have had the same issue with my own son years ago. Hope this helps

I read through all the posts thinking someone had already suggested this to you but did not see it, and I don't know if any doctor has said anything, but what about RSV, that is a very nasty long acting virus that loves to attack newborns and the elderly. I have several co-workers whose children have and/or have had it. I know that they have to treat their children just like you would treat an asthma patient with breathing treatments, etc. but they also require extended treatment with low dose antibiotics.

Allergies? Maybe mold? That's really scary. I feel for you, hon. I hope they find out what's going on.

Is he teething. sometimes that could do it. My son is 7 months old and he had that weezy congested sound when he breathed. they said he had an ear infection but i don't think he ever did. hope your boy gets better. lots of love to you two