You know, I just hate how you think things are difficult and then something else comes along and just proves that they could be worse! Tonight Bug was ok going to VBS knowing that she might not be able to eat the snack (we packed one for her in case) and that she couldn't have a snow cone. She was fine with that. But when we picked her up, she was a basket case and refused to get into the car unless we let her get a snow cone. This isn't my child, mind you. So, I put my mean Mom hat on - you know, the one I typically only have to use with my older son, LOL, and told her she could have a plain one and a treat at home. She huffed and puffed and finally went and got it, returned to the car, and was back to her happy old self. (you have to hate self-pity, but I certainly can relate)

I felt tired from the battle, sorry for her, and yes, a bit sorry for myself again. I was thinking of how I was going to get her bathed, her hair blow-dried, and her non-dairy cupcakes made for summer school all at a reasonable hour. It was already almost 9 by the time we got home from Vacation Bible School. So, I went about getting her in the bath, washed her super cute first short haircut she got this past week, and went and sat on my bed waiting for her to finish soaking. Next thing I know I hear her choking, and I run in and start banging on her back. As she's struggling, she manages to say "inhaler". Suddenly, the light went off and I started screaming as I ran down the stairs for my husband, screaming with no one answering. Our master bedroom is in the attic and I made it all the way down to the first floor still screaming with no answer. As I'm banging around the kitchen looking for the rescue inhaler, I'm still yelling, and finally my husband annoyed shouts "what!" from the basement. He was putting in the laundry. I'm yelling and banging and not finding a darn thing and somehow I finally get across to him it's an emergency and he comes up. Why he didn't realize it as I came running down two flights of stairs screaming at the top of my lungs I don't know, LOL.

Anyway, I yelled for him to go watch Bug while I tried to find her stuff. He runs up and I finally find the emergency bag. I run back up to the attic, she's still not able to really breath and her skin coloring was getting all patchy and "off", and I put the mask over her face and push the button on the inhaler sending in the meds. She started getting better, I pushed it again and she looked even better still. A third time and I was comfortable stopping. She starts breathing more normally, and I asked what happened. "Nothing" she said. "I just was laying here and then I couldn't breathe."

Up until that moment, I was still convinced she had choked on some water. But, there was no denying it anymore, she had a full-blown asthma attack. The first one we've ever had that bad. And she hasn't even used an inhaler in over 2.5 years. What's up with this?

So - add asthma back on the list. I thought maybe she'd outgrown it, but I guess not. The only thing I can think of that might have triggered it was our dog went to a new groomer today which was in a vet. So she might have been exposed to some cat dander. However, I have noticed her barking off and on this week, but had sold myself on the fact that it might be a summer cold or something. I guess not.

Our new allergist is just going to love us. Boy oh boy, what a visit it will be next week! Well, I'm of to attempt making these dairy-free cupcakes, if anyone deserves and awesome birthday tomorrow it's my Bug!

This is more for my own note keeping, so sorry if it's boring. :)

Bug has had horrible tummy pain both last night and tonight. I suspected that it came from the snow cone she had at vacation bible camp last night, so I warned her tonight that it might be the problem and to try another flavor and we'll know for sure. Well, she had Blue Raspberry last night and tonight it was Cherry. Both had the same result. About 15 minutes after finishing her treat she had horrible pain in her right side, just under the rib cage. On top of that, she was telling me her tongue was numb after eating it. I looked in her mouth and it did not look swollen. I ran my finger along the top and she said she couldn't feel it. Then I scraped it a few times and she still couldn't feel it. (according to her) I kind of pushed my nail down on her tongue and she went "ow"! so she felt that. She told me it must be because of the snow cone being cold, but her tongue did not feel at all chilly and it had been over 30 minutes since she finished her treat. I'm a bit concerned and will bring it up at the allergy appointment in just over a week. We already have an epi-pen for her due to tongue itching and swelling in the past, but we still don't know anything about what caused it. So, maybe this will help us get a step closer to some answers. Of course, maybe tongue numbing means nothing, I just don't know.

Back to the stomach pain. We could not get rid of it last night. She drank a lot of water, had a small snack, and just whimpered in pain until she finally fell asleep. She still felt off this morning when she woke, but after getting up and eating (and having more medicine) she felt better and headed to school. This is different than most of the pain we've been having in recent months. Usually the pain is above the belly button but below the sternum. Sometimes it is around the belly button or goes up above the sternum. Again, I think this might be important for our GI appointment so I want to write it down while it's fresh in my head.

Also, she has complained a lot more about feeling like things are "popping" this summer. Those are her words, not mine. This is a 7 year old, so what a pop is to me might not be at all what she is talking about. That makes it tough. On top of that, she gets upset if I ask too many questions sometimes, because she feels I should know what she is talking about - that she is being perfectly clear. LOL So - all I know is that sometimes she hears a pop (as do I) and there is pain at the same time and after. Other times she says she pops but I don't hear it, and she says she feels and hears it (and it is hurting). If that is the case, then the pop isn't very loud. And of course, there are times when she pops and we hear it and there is no pain. She's had popping in her knees more recently, her foot/ankle?, shoulder, and elbow. Those are the places that I can remember right now. I think they are the most common.

Luckily, her hips seem to be pretty happy right now. I think we've only had one minor flare-up since she did her physical therapy last winter. Woo-hoo!

Another thing I want to remember. She seems to have regressed with being able to get her shirts on and off by herself. She has better luck getting them on, but still struggles with that. Getting them off by herself is rare these days. I don't know what to do about it other than talk to her PT when school starts and see what her thoughts are. It still amazes me how quickly she looses a skill set if it isn't practiced every day! With the shirts it seems to be the difference between the loose fitting shirts of winter and the more form fitting shirts she has been wearing over the summer. Just that difference in clothing has made it very hard for her to change her shirts.

Anyway, I think that's the bulk of it for now. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is such a complicated condition!!!!