Asthma, Schmasthma

We took the kiddo to the doctor again today because he was coughing nonstop and finally vomited blood. :-( I requested a different doctor than the one we saw on Tuesday because I don't believe the asthma diagnosis was correct, as the inhaler wasn't helping one bit. You know how some doctors have their own agenda before even seeing the patient? That's the vibe I was getting with the previous doc. Well, the second doctor tapped all over the kiddo's chest and said he heard a squeak in one part of his lungs, which he thinks is walking pneumonia. He prescribed antibiotics and ordered a chest X-ray. (The kiddo also had a fever of 101, even with acetaminophen.)

We got the X-ray (different facility) and the radiologist says he didn't see an infiltration (?), but the pediatrician called this evening and said to still give the kiddo the antibiotics and come back in 10-12 days so he can listen to his lungs again. (He'd already said the infiltration might not show up on the X-ray.) I feel much better about this approach, but then I might be one of those "antibiotics people," so who knows? The kiddo's dad wants to consult with an ayurvedic doctor regarding immunity and prevention, so I agreed to a consultation only. Somehow the thought of sending the kid to an acupuncturist or loading him up with weird herbs seems extreme, but I will go to the consultation.

The kiddo finally started getting hungry after the X-ray, but then fell asleep when we met back up with his dad to eat and get the prescriptions he'd chased down. The kiddo is so, so tired; we got home not long ago, and he promptly fell into bed and fell asleep immediately. I have a feeling that he'll be a lot better tomorrow. I wish we hadn't wasted our time with that useless asthma diagnosis (and expensive meds/inhaler), but at least now I feel much better about where this is going, and I feel much more optimistic now that the kiddo is able to sleep without coughing. As y'all know, it's amazingly hard to see one's child sick, but I feel like we're on the right path now. :-)