Thursday, October 30, 2008



So once paperwork was handled, they wheeled us (yes, I had to sit in the wheelchair so TT could travel, since she wouldn't let me put her down, and hospital policy says I couldn't just walk with her) up to an ISOLATION ROOM in the PICU. Nurses, doctors and visitors had to wear masks and gowns when entering our room. Talk about making you fear the worst! It was about 4 in the morning. The nursing staff was so nice and understanding. The Pediatric docs, too.
While waiting for the docs to rule out RSV, TT had to be administered oxygen through those little tubes that go up her nostrils and behind her ears. She didn't like that much, and pulled them out. The nurse suggested swaddling her, which many of you know was how she preferred to sleep well past 6 months old. Once swaddled and hooked up to oxygen, she fell asleep in my arms and I was able to set her down in the crib for the first time in about 7 hours. It only lasted 1/2 hour, as they needed to try for an IV again. The PICU nurses were way better, but still couldn't find a vein. They tried once, gave her a break in mommy's arms then tried a second time. Between the ER and the PICU, they tried her inner elbow, both her wrists, and two different spots on her ankles. They were going to get a nurse up from the NICU to try, but the doc said if she stays hydrated and keeps peeing, we wouldn't need it. It was a viral infection, so she wouldn't need IV antibiotics. My singluar goal became getting that child to nurse so she wouldn't need to be hooked up to an IV. I didn't sleep at all that night. C got Boo off to school, arranged for her to be picked up after school, and came straight to the hospital. By this time, we had a diagnosis of brochialitis, but didn't know if it was caused by RSV. The docs said we had to stay until she could get enough oxygen on her own. There were no meds that could be given short of tylonal for the pain/fever. We were there until Sunday, with me staying the night in the room, and C heading home each night to stay with Boo. TT did not let you put her down for very long, and she slept so much of the time. On Friday, C got her to smile and that reasurred me a bit. On Saturday, her FIRST BIRTHDAY, she spent a bit more time alert and awake. We started seeing glimses of the TT we knew. By Sunday, she was breathing enough oxygen on her own, but still had a mild fever. We were told this was normal, as she's still fighting the infection.
At her followup appointment the next day, the doc found not one, but two ear infections, so it was on to the antibiotics she went! She was prescribed amoxicillin, which I happen to be very allergic to. I didn't know just touching my skin would set off a reaction, however, and when TT wouldn't take the meds, I helped C hold her down. She proceeded to throw it back up on me, and I had a rash that covered my right arm. Since she wouldn't take the oral antibiotics, we had to take her for a shot every day for 3 days. When her ears still didn't clear, we went onto another oral antibiotic and now she's at about 75%. She has another appointment in a few weeks, but I think we've made it out of the woods.

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