Well, that escalated quickly!

Some much needed sleep

After posting my previous post, Tom took over at around 3am and then at 4.30 I was woken by Leo's horrific cough and he was really straining to breathe. I decided there and then we were going to go straight in to A&E, however, he proceeded to get worse and I just dialed 999. It was horrific, the helplessness that hits you makes you sick to your stomach.

The first responder and the ambulance were at our gate in 8 mins and he had settled somewhat by then so I felt a bit bad. They were brilliant and assured me we had done the right thing in calling them. Leo got to have his first, and hopefully last, trip in an ambulance.

They confirmed in A&E that he had croup and they gave him an oral steroid liquid (Dex) to help settle his tight airway. The consultant really wasn't happy with the noise he was still making though so sent us to the pediatric ward for monitoring.

When they moved us, Leo had fallen asleep and Tom was carrying him. He woke up once we got there and hell ascended.

He started to cough and couldn't stop, he couldn't catch his breath at all and he went blue. We had to try and get the oxygen mask to his face but it continued to distress him and he was pouring with sweat and shaking in fear. I don't think words can even do the situation justice.

This happened once again whilst administering steroids via a nebuliser. They followed this with adrenaline in the nebuliser and, after the initial fight with lots of screaming, shaking and sweating, he settled into sleep in my arms.

He had another vile of adrenaline half an hour later and the consultant notified the anaesthesia department just in case he required intubation. These guys are the experts and would be the only people likely to be able to intubate a terrified, suffocating baby.

An hour after the second adrenaline, he deteriorated again, not quite as bad but still the struggle with breathing in and out. This was really concerning the consultant as showed that the airway was hugely inflamed.

He has gradually improved from this point, he has had a couple of really good sleeps and was playing with Tom just before this sleep. We are in for the night to be observed, there was a chance he would have to be transferred to Alder Hey but fingers crossed he is beyond that now.

All I can say is, thank everything in the world fir modern medicine and the NHS and please don't ever let us have to witness that sort of thing, ever again.