Prayer Please

The first thing, and it's no biggy, but I cut my right hand ring finger last night and nicked the pinky...Cutco serrated knife in freshly drawn dishwater.  I'd placed several knives in with only about 2" of water, grabbed a pizza pan and sponge thinking I'd get it out of the other side of the sink, all the while in my brain saying "remember the knives" and promptly ran that sponge along the submerged edge of the pan right against that blade, yowie!  It bled quite a bit.  DH arrived just as I was grabbing paper towels to put pressure on it.  Dinner was cooking.  Wasn't sure if I should head to urgent care or not and was willing to 'wait and see'.   About that time....

...Nick comes into the kitchen saying he was having trouble breathing and was feeling odd in his chest.  The boy just turned 17 a few weeks ago, so that concerned me, but I wasn't sure what to make of it.  His only allergy is peanuts but he hadn't been in contact with them but I had taken a small container that had peanut butter and cleaned it out putting the peanut butter in a zippered bag in the trash.  He's not been sensitive to the allergen except when consumed or extended time in a restaurant that served peanuts in the shell and the shells were scattered on the floor, and then he was only bothered minimally, so there was no known cause for him to be having trouble breathing.  As a toddler, he had some wheezing issues after being sick and we utilized a nebulizer, but he hasn't been sick and we haven't used it for him in years and years, but have for myself.   

We deliberated as to whether to take him to urgent care, but he was hungry so wanted to eat first.  So we did.  We then hemmed and hawed for awhile longer and finally decided to better be safe than sorry, and went...for both of our issues.   Mine, the ultimate outcome was "superglue" instead of stitches, along with a tetanus shot.  I feared the latter more.  The 'nurse' was excellent, I didn't even feel the jab let alone the input of the fluid!  But Nick's outcome is a little more worrisome.

They performed an EKG, which came back with abnormal readings.  Also, for one his age and slenderness, his BP was a little elevated.  The recommendation was to have him see a pediatric cardiologist this week, so we were actually able to get an appointment this afternoon but have to drive a ways away to their alternate offices, otherwise couldn't get in until next Monday.  While we were at urgent care and out of the house, he was saying he was feeling better and almost 'normal'.  But after being home a short time, he was having trouble breathing again with the same sensation in his chest.  The U.C. doctor didn't perform any pulmonary type tests other than listening through a stethoscope, so I don't know if that could be a problem as well. 

I know housekeeping here isn't the greatest, and his room is pretty dusty. I changed his sheets before he went to bed as well and gave him a clean blanket.  I have done anything in his room in ages, since at his age, he should be responsible to change his sheets on occasion.  I'm thinking maybe that hasn't happened in months! :/   I also let him have a breathing treatment since I had Albuterol here from my last need and it's within date and he's "adult" dosage and has used it before.  He said he felt better after, but this morning said he only slept about four hours and wasn't feeling much better overall, very tired.  He went ahead to school, but will be home in about 45 minutes for the rest of the day and to go to the doctor appt.

Please pray for doctors' wisdom, and most importantly that there is nothing serious with his heart.  I hear stories of young ones with unknown defects who lose their lives suddenly, and it scares me.  He's commented too that he's felt fluttering in his chest (like PVCs), and to have the U.C. doctor say abnormal reading which could  indicate wall thickening, I'm actually terrified.  My young man hasn't had the best diet, doesn't care much for greens and veggies though will eat some and loves all the bad things: pizza, burgers, cheese, cream soups, used to love corn dogs, cocoa milk for breakfast, and Mountain Dew. Yeah, I know, I'm the mom and I do the shopping - guilty with no good excuse, these are all the foods DH & I like too!  We told him last night his diet will likely be changing if there is a real heart-related issue.  Wouldn't hurt any of us, though I've not been one to be on the "cholesterol" and "saturated fats" band-wagon; I'm more in the inflammation camp, but then haven't steered clear of a lot of processed foods in recent years either.  He also doesn't get much exercise being a computer nerd-type and no PE class this year, and no interest in extra-curricular sports.  Life may necessitate some changes in the household and none of us are going to be too happy about that :( but my son's health is more important than anything.