Back from the Hospital

So, Annie and I just got home from the hospital.  Yep, again.

Let me back up a bit . . .

We gave Annie a breathing treatment around 4:30PM.  Then again at 7:30PM.  They were only three hours apart, rather than the prescribed four, but it was bedtime and we wanted to get it in before she was asleep.  Around 9:00, everything at our house went a little crazy.  Greg and I listened sadly to horrific coughing fits coming from our girls' bedroom.  But since nobody was waking up from it, we left it alone for a bit.  I told Greg it worried me that Annie was coughing so bad, especially since it hadn't been long since her last breathing treatment.  Then the coughing got worse, and Greg headed in to check on Annie.  Only to find it was Ellie coughing that hard.  And then Ellie began throwing up.  Again.  Repeatedly.  Then while we were dealing with the clean up with Ellie back in our room, the coughing fits started again, and this time they were Annie.  She woke up (kinda), freaking out, and we brought her into our room too.  She obviously wasn't breathing very well.  We quickly decided that, even though it had only been an hour and a half since her last one, she desperately needed another breathing treatment.  We watched, and a bit of terror set in, as she obviously wasn't inhaling during the breathing treatment.  The mist coming from the mouth piece was barely moving, and she was obviously struggling to move air.  After a few minutes of what seemed like a completely useless breathing treatment, and her starting to tear at the face mask and getting upset by it, I stopped the treatment and got the normal inhaler and tried two puffs of that.  I held her while we waited to see if it was working.  She still seemed to be barely breathing.  We asked her to talk to us, which she refused to do for a minute or so.  Finally, I coaxed her to say her name.  It came out labored as she had to pause with each word and take in a ragged breath.  It's safe to say I was a tad bit freaking out at this point.  I ran to go get shoes and a coat while Greg got her socks on, and within a minute or two I was on my way back to the hospital. 

Fortunately, by the time we got there, I could tell she'd already gotten over the hump.  She was obviously breathing easier, but I still wanted her checked out.  Her oxygen, with the medicine kicked in, was a respectable 93 or so.  Her respiration rate and all that was fine.  The doctor listened to her, obviously concerned that she's having such a difficult time while on all of these medicines and over 48 hours on steroids, but was confident that she wasn't in any current trouble anymore.  So, we were told we could give her breathing treatments (even two in a row) as often as every two hours, as long as she's 'coming back' okay after them.  If we can't get her back to normal with back to back treatments more often than every two hours, then we need to come back in.  Pronto. 

So, we're home now and getting settled in for the night.  I don't know how well I'll sleep, wondering if she's breathing enough, but I do feel a lot better knowing that the treatment we have available to us at home does work, even if it took longer than I was initially comfortable with. 


Oh, and once Ellie puked up all her dinner, she was fine.  Hyper and adorable and playful and breathing fine.  Her little throwing up thing just added to the stress and drama (and laundry) of the evening.  She's struggling with the virus in her lungs too, but fortunately without the added problem of asthma, she's handling it better than her big sister.



This whole last week or two has been a bit surreal.  In a lot of odd ways, I've found myself feeling very grateful.  Yeah, it's sucked.  But things could be worse.  Much worse.  As it is, I'm surrounded by top notch medical facilities, wonderful caregivers, and a ton of loving friends and family who've brought us meals, helped out, and kept us in their thoughts and prayers.  Neighbors have checked in, I've had a ton of emotional support online, my brother in law came by just to play with the girls this evening after work, just so I could get a bit of a break.  Annie's cute preschool teacher brought us my very favorite soup and fresh squeezed orange juice.  Add to that, I learned this morning of an old friend and neighbor who passed away after a long battle with cancer.  Leaving behind several young children.  My heart breaks for her sweet family.  Any trials I've dealt with, even having a baby in the hospital or watching my four year old struggle to breathe, pale in comparison.  My life is filled with rich and abundant blessings, and sometimes a little struggle and heartache make that all the more apparent.  I've been tired, sometimes a bit overwhelmed, and even a tad amused by the medical soap opera my life has been lately -- but I have constantly felt loved, comforted and taken care of -- whether by my friends and loved ones or from a tender, mindful God.  This last few weeks have been unique in my life, and I've found myself, dare I say it, grateful for the experience.