It's a new year with the same old medical issues. With the new cocktail of medicines that Ashley has been on for the last month, we expected to see some change. However, there really hasn't been any significant change; she isn't worse but she isn't better either. Her cough is still there and she is still coughing just as frequently. While we were in Mobile for Christmas, we were able to watch Ashley more and really see her symptoms. She is coughing at night but it's a different type of cough, mostly she wakes herself up takes a deep breath and goes back to sleep. Sometimes she wakes up and takes a walk; we found her sleeping in various places in my mom's house. Maybe she has sleep apnea, maybe she is sleep walking, maybe it is something else that we will never know about.
Anyway, we talked to Ashley's pulmonologist over the Christmas break. He agreed with us regarding the ENT assessment of Ashley's cough. He agrees that it is not a sinus infection but something more. We are going to get a new ENT and go for a second opinion. The pulmonologist firmly believes that her adenoids and tonsils need to come out, we just need an ENT to agree.
Dr. Livingston, the pulmonologist, and Ashley's GI doc, Dr. Andres, also talked over the Christmas break regarding the latest with Ashley. And they both have agreed to repeat the broncioscope and do an upper and lower Endoscopy. Those procedures will be scheduled soon. The good news is we don't have to go to Shands (Gainesville, Florida) for these procedures; we are going to have them done locally in Orlando. Having the procedures done locally will mean Ashley won't miss much school or miss dance. Having Ashley attend school regularly helps her keep up with her classwork and allows her to maintain her A/B average. Being able to attend dance classes is important because Ashley has her first dance competition in Lakeland, Florida on February 1. School and dance make Ashley feel normal so we try hard to maintain that normalcy.
The only thing I am not sure of is whether or not Ashley will have her tonsils and adenoids removed before both her scopes or after. What I am sure of is that we are officially back to the medical grindstone and medical bills.
Love to all, Laurie
Anyway, we talked to Ashley's pulmonologist over the Christmas break. He agreed with us regarding the ENT assessment of Ashley's cough. He agrees that it is not a sinus infection but something more. We are going to get a new ENT and go for a second opinion. The pulmonologist firmly believes that her adenoids and tonsils need to come out, we just need an ENT to agree.
Dr. Livingston, the pulmonologist, and Ashley's GI doc, Dr. Andres, also talked over the Christmas break regarding the latest with Ashley. And they both have agreed to repeat the broncioscope and do an upper and lower Endoscopy. Those procedures will be scheduled soon. The good news is we don't have to go to Shands (Gainesville, Florida) for these procedures; we are going to have them done locally in Orlando. Having the procedures done locally will mean Ashley won't miss much school or miss dance. Having Ashley attend school regularly helps her keep up with her classwork and allows her to maintain her A/B average. Being able to attend dance classes is important because Ashley has her first dance competition in Lakeland, Florida on February 1. School and dance make Ashley feel normal so we try hard to maintain that normalcy.
The only thing I am not sure of is whether or not Ashley will have her tonsils and adenoids removed before both her scopes or after. What I am sure of is that we are officially back to the medical grindstone and medical bills.
Love to all, Laurie
Comments