Last week was Lydia's Pulmonology follow-up and all is ... okay.
Lydia has malacia or softening in her lungs which traps bacteria and doesn't allow for her cough to be very productive. For this reason, Lydia has a chronic cough, chronic because there is always gunk and there is always the need to expel it. She's on her third round of Augmentin since surgery in November. First round was to treat the bacteria in her lungs that was cultured during surgery. Second round was to treat a sinus infection and crud over the holidays that caused her cough to return. Third round is now to treat whatever cold symptoms she can't kick that have caused her cough to return again. I'm not sure how long we will be in this loop.
Lydia does breathing tests when she's in clinic and she thinks they are super fun. She gets to leave the room without mom and go take the tests - cool. She gets to sit in a super high chair to reach the device - awesome. She gets to wear a clothespin type device on her nose - funny.
We were given a Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP) therapy is used to mobilize secretions. Lydia breaths into this device and it rattles her breath and airways, loosening the phlegm that she tries to cough out. She loves it and likes to make all sorts of noises with it. I just hope it does something to make her cough more productive.
That's all for now. This is why I'm trying to get her to keep her mask on at school now that they are optional. With a repaired heart and floppy lungs - could COVID really be easy on her? Maybe but I'm not ready to find out quite yet.
