Clarification on the Cough
Greeting and hello to everyone.
I have gotten a few questions about the post on Xavier's newly developed chronic cough. Some have asked "how is Xavier doing? Is he well?"
Yes, he is well. Xavier is very "drooly" (perhaps a coinage to mean he salivates heavily). The pediatrician asked if he was cutting teeth. We thought he might have been a few weeks back; he demonstrated every sign and symptom of cutting teeth, but none appeared. Since then, many of the signs have gone into remission. No, he is not cutting teeth so far.
Dr. Abbey agreed with our assessment to introduce a humidifier, which, as circumstances have made it, we have from Rebecca's first week in the hospital at PVH. She needed one for her room. It traveled with us to University Hospital and then to the Southern Outpost. Now, it has moved with us to the Southern Estate. Picked it up Monday night (the pediatrician's office is only 5 minutes from the Southern Outpost, so it was easy enough to collect).
Other than that, Dr. Abbey thinks the cough comes from Xavier producing so much saliva. His coughing seems more pronounced when on his back, lending more credence to the idea.
The doctor suggested we have our house tested for mold, as that also might be a cause. We had every carpet in the Southern Estate ripped up and replaced by either new carpet or wood flooring. We found only two spots of mold in all of this, which we painted over with an effective mold-covering primer. Mold is not a contributor.
More than likely, especially since it seems to be growing less frequent, Xavier's cough is a combination of three things. He needs more humidity, he is very drooly and it overwhelms his throat at times, and he was aggravated by all the dust and stuff kicked up during the renovation.
Though we were careful to keep Xavier away from most of the activity, still it has taken a while for all the dust to settle (literally and figuratively). Also, he did show nervousness and concern at his new location, which has taken time for him to grow used to. This stress may have contributed to his cough.
Thank you all for your concern, your prayers and your support.