The dreaded croup!!

It is almost ironic that I wrote about the blessing of an extra hour's sleep last night. JR has had the sniffles for a couple of days now, and wouldn't you know it hit full force in the middle of the night last night. I heard him coughing and start crying and went in to check on him. There was no doubt he had the croup. If you have ever had a child with the croup, you know what a pitiful sight it is. It usually hits in the middle of the night, and they literally sit there, wheezing, hacking, and trying in vain to catch their breath. Their chest heaves in and out with each breath, and they begin to panic as their airway just gets tighter. The closest thing I can relate it to is an asthma attack, only with croup, they can typically still get enough air. Bless his heart, JR was sitting there just trembling (he shakes uncontrollably when he is nervous about something), crying, and starting to panic. The first time this happened we were on vacation at Red Gate Farm and I had no idea what was happening. It scared us so bad, we immediately bundled him into the car and rushed to the hospital. I learned then that the best treatment is cool, fresh air. So last night, I took him and stood him in front of the open fridge for a while. It helped a little, so I then took him out and just held him outside in the night air, periodically checking his membranes and lips to make sure they weren't blue. After about 15 minutes, he started to relax and his breaths got easier. My other children have never dealt with this, but he seems to get it at least once a year. Humidifiers can also help, but wouldn't you know we threw our broken one out when we moved and have yet to replace it. I also realized that I have no idea where the nearest hospital is, in the event of an emergency, so I need to investigate that for future reference. Please keep us in your prayers...that JR heals quickly, and the rest of us don't catch it.