RSV

Emma came down with a really runny nose which turned into a bad cough a few days later.  Then Jacob got it much worse.  He had a horrible nose and a really bad cough.  I did everything that I could to keep both of them away from Sarah but on Thursday, January 24th I knew we were in trouble.  I came out of the shower to find Jacob giving Sarah her binkie with his germ-filled hands.  Poor little baby got sick two days later with a terrible cough and runny nose.  On Sunday night her breathing seemed pretty labored, and we were worried about her. So off to the ER I went with her.  They did a nose swab to test for RSV and the flu.  She also came with a fever and was under three months old so they did a catheter to get a urine sample to check for a UTI.  The doctor told me there was sometimes a small association with RSV/flu and the UTI.  The results came back positive for RSV and for a UTI which was surprising.  She was put on a heavy and very expensive ($200 was our cost after insurance) antibiotic for the UTI and sent home. Our doctor told us later that the medication she was on was one step below admitting her and having an iv with a drip of the medicine in it.  Yikes I was glad for the home option even with its expense after that.

Early Monday morning Emma came in our room complaining that her ear hurt.  Off to the pediatrician she went on Monday morning with Stephen.  She indeed had an ear infection.  Tuesday Sarah had a follow-up with her pediatrician to check her breathing.  Everything turned out to be alright at that point, and we thought we were on the mend.  Stephen and I took Jacob in with us on a whim.  He had been acting extra cranky, and we were wondering about his ears.  While our regular pediatrician saw Sarah a different one saw Jacob who confirmed after much screaming, clearing his ear of wax, and Stephen holding him down with all his force that he did in fact have an ear infection as well in both ears.

Wednesday involved taking care of all the sickies and then on Wednesday night while Stephen was putting Sarah to sleep he noticed her breathing became really labored.  We checked her over and over again.  Her poor chest just heaved to take a breath.  We knew she had to go into the ER for a second time.  So off I went at about 9 p.m.  This time the ER was much more crowded, but thankfully a nurse took pity on us and let me wait in a separate smaller family waiting room.  We met with the physician who decided to admit her overnight to monitor her oxygen levels.  She had a blue ring around her mouth suggesting that maybe she wasn't getting enough oxygen.  Her levels looked good in the ER, but they wanted to be sure.  They got an i.v. started, and we waited for a room to be ready.

This is in the ER with her little iv.  So heartbreaking for mom!

Sarah got the last room, and at 1:00 a.m. Thursday morning we were in.  That entire night, well what was left of it anyway, was filled with respiratory therapy, breathing treatments, oxygen readings, breathing checks, vital checks, etc. etc. etc.  She didn't get much sleep and neither did I.  Sarah isn't a good sleeper (to say the least), and I would just get her to sleep again when someone else would come in.  She is not a baby that can be touched at all when she is sleeping as she awakes to every slight movement or sound.  I know that I got some rest between 3:00 a.m. and 3:40 a.m. and then again from 5:30 to 6:00 a.m.  But that was absolutely all.  I called Stephen at 7:30.  He had already cancelled his classes for the day and was in the process of finding a sitter for Jacob and Emma so that he could come and relieve me for a few hours.  I was exhausted after holding, bouncing, and rocking Sarah all night long!

a few precious minutes of sleep the next morning

She spent all day being monitored and having an ultrasound down for the UTI to make sure her kidneys looked normal.  At 4:00 p.m. the doctor came in to do rounds again and tell us that we could go home.  I was really worried especially since her oxygen kept dropping significantly when she slept but he reassured us that it was normal.  It was so hard because the nighttime pediatrician was so concerned if her levels dropped below 88 and the daytime one seemed much more lax about the actual numbers.  Stephen and I didn't know what to think.  We said a prayer that all would be well and took her home just in time to meet my parents at our house who had just stepped off of the plane for our big weekend ahead.

Then on Friday my mom and I were here with the kids by ourselves when Sarah stopped breathing again.  She had two horrible choking spells in a row.  I was yelling to my mom to call 911 when she finally coughed again.  It was awful.  So off to the pediatrician we went again to make sure she was okay.  He assured us that her lungs sounded good and that the mucous associated with RSV was so thick and can cause a plug that clogs the airway for seconds, but reassured us that even small babies can eventually clear it out.

So to describe my week in words is difficult, but I can say that it involved either being in the doctor's office, ER, or the hospital with three of the four children everyday (Sunday- Sarah ER, Monday- Emma regular pediatrician, Tuesday- Sarah regular pediatrician and Jacob- other pediatrician, Wednesday- Sarah ER, Thursday- Sarah hospital, Friday- Sarah regular pediatrician) except Saturday.  I think one positive that is going to come out of all of this is that we are getting our insurance deductibles out of the way at the beginning of the year!

Early Thursday morning after her iv burst and had to be removed by iv therapy.  Thank heavens they were done giving her fluid or else she would have had another one put in.  

Respiratory therapy

Final feeding before being discharged