Hi, my name is Lacey. My son is 4 1/2 years old. He was born 6 weeks early and suffered from RSV when he was 6 months old. Ever since then he has had to have nebulizer treatments. When he was 3 years old, his pediatrician, finally sent us to an Asthma and Allergy specialist. She has been treating him ever since, with an asthma diagnosis. He takes 3 preventative asthma medications daily, but still seems to get sick a lot. And when he does get sick, he's really sick..Never just a simple cold or cough. It always turns into pnuemonia. Yesterday I took him into see her because he was having a hard time breathing. His pulse ox was at 86 when we arrived. However, he wasn't wheezing at all. It was strictly because he had so much mucus built up that he couldn't take in oxygen. She has sent us home with antibiotics and we are doing the nebulizer with albuteral every 2 hours. His dr. said she wants to preform a sweat test on him after his antibiotics are up.
From what I've read, most people are diagnosed with CF at birth or within 2 years. Is it very common for a 4 year old to be diagnosed? My husband keeps telling me not to worry, because we have no family history of CF. I think he's just doing his 'husband' job and trying to ease my worries.
My son complains of stomach pain on a daily basis, and hardly eats much. Although his weight isn't really suffering. He's never been a weight concern.
Will the sweat test be painful for him? How long will it take to get results?
Any information would be great. If you are a parent of a child that was diagnosed later in childhood, please give me input.
Thanks!
Lacey