Calvin is 14 months today. It has gone so fast. Hes a walker and has become quite the communicator lately by signing, pointing, and grunting. He's become opinionated and is still the charmer. He has 10 teeth and is getting 1 or 2 more.
After spending 5 days in the hospital it seemed only appropriate for him to take his tiger picture in his hospital mask. Yep, 5 whole days. Last Monday, May 4 we got a call from daycare that Calvin had a fever and had some rapid breathing. Previously we had asked daycare to watch for his breathing while he was recovering from head colds in case he needed a treatment with Albuterol. We have taken his nebulizer to school and they have given him treatments. So teachers there are aware that he has had issues in the past.
When I picked him up and got him home I realized he needed a treatment immediately. However, the treatment didn't seem to really help. He was breathing very rapidly and very shallow, more than he ever had before. He wasn't wheezing or coughing. It didn't seem right. And so I called the doctor and we got an appointment that evening. After checking his oxygen level and giving him another treatment at the doctor's office, the doctor sent us to the ER. They called ahead and told me what to ask for. His doctor said he needed to be monitored overnight and have a chest x-ray.
And so off to the hospital ER Calvin and I went at 7:30pm. We saw the triage nurse right away and then sat. And sat. I told the nurse what the doctor had told me about the X-ray and oxygen monitoring. I asked every hour when he would be seen. Around midnight I could tell that the last treatment he got was wearing off and his breathing was getting more and more labored. I told the nurse he needed an albuterol treatment and I was told that he couldn't get one there because they didn't have a bed for him. And so I made the decision that since I had a nebulizer and albuterol at home it would be better for him to be there. And so we left the ER.
Tuesday morning we got an appointment with this doctor as he was still having labored breathing. His doctor was frustrated with the ER given our experience but very concerned about Cal's breathing and his oxygen level. And so we were direct admitted to the pediatric unit at the hospital. Calvin was hooked up to a monitor to watch his oxygen and heart rate and put on oxygen to help keep his O2 levels up.
Tuesday night was a bit scary. His couldn't eat or drink because his breathing was too rapid (80 breaths per minute). And so he was put on an IV. He still had some fight in him and it took 3 nurses and 4 tries to get an IV in him. He wasn't responding to treatments and his breath rate stayed high and his O2 levels just barely at 90% saturation. We almost got sent to the PICU. But we made it through the night and he started getting better.
Thursday we celebrated Nick's birthday in the hospital. Not where anyone wanted to have dinner or cupcakes, but at least we were able to be together. Fortunately KTLA threw a pretty great party for Nick and he had an awesome cake, so the hospital cafeteria food didn't seem so bad.
Slowly but surely his breathing slowed down. He started responding to the treatments. And he could keep his oxygen levels up above 90% with less and less oxygen. Friday night he was taken off oxygen to see if while he slept he could keep up his levels...unfortunately he had a few dips below 90% that he needed help in raising his levels (moving him or waking him up). Saturday he had a couple naps where he was able to keep his levels up or raise his levels up on his own without intervention during his naps and so we were able to go home.
While there we definitely took advantage of the toys, books, and wagons that were made available to us. As soon as Calvin was given the go-ahead we busted out of the room and went walking and to the playroom and on wagon rides. Of course, when he was out of the room he had to wear a mask which he didn't fight as soon as he realized it was his ticket out of the room. He enjoyed the hospital food, mostly applesauce and scrambled eggs,
He was technically diagnosed with bronchitis. It definitely knocked him down. If it was another kid the viral infection wouldn't have hit them so hard. However, little Calvin appears to have inherited him family history of asthma and lung issues. However, we know what to look for and he is used to the nebulizer and albuterol treatments and doesn't fight them.
It was a rough few days at the hospital and we both didn't get much sleep. It is really good to be home. While he isn't 100% he is definitely better and his personality has come back in full force!
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