Last week (5/8) we took Cam to the Doc for some more breathing problems. I had stayed with my parents Monday night because Jason was gone and I am so glad I did! Madison and Cam were not feeling well and it was a bad night! Madi was coughing and coughing and not doing good. And Cam, as happens when he gets a virus was struggling to breath. We stayed up with him and kept an eye on him- my parents both took shifts so I could get some sleep. Bless them!! By morning he was breathing 54 breaths per minute - should be in the low 30's - and really struggling to get those breaths. Finally at about 7 I called our Doc and he said come right over.
My normally calm Doc took one very quick look at him, checked his saturation levels - which were 81, should be 99 or above and sent us straight to the hospital. It was all I could do to hold it together - scary being told you need to get to the hospital NOW! I was so thankful to have my mom with me! We rushed to St. Lukes Meridian and connected with Rene to come pick up my other 2 kiddos for me.
The admitting process took WAY too long. Thankfully my mom finally stepped in and nicely but firmly said "This child is not breathing and needs oxygen now. Let's finish this later and get this kid upstairs please!" And they did, way to go mom! Got upstairs and put him on his oxygen. They also needed to start an IV - one of the saddest moments of my life! After they put it in Cam would freak out when they came in and say "NO more pokey medicine Mommy!!" Poor kid! Got him on fluid, they started him at 2 liters of oxygen, moved it to 3 during the night because he continued to de-sat (dip too low in his breathing.)
He was on 2 different steroids to open the lungs. He did duonebs every 3-6 hours or more depending on his breathing. The first 2 days he needed them a lot, he was still really struggling. The Doc even threatened to put him in the ICU if he didn't get off the amount of oxygen he was on. But praise the Lord, he started doing better! Had to take a few extra breathing treatments but that seemed to help him turn the corner. After that, we just had to get through a night with NO oxygen help to go home!
This kid had so many visitors. He sure is loved! Kristen was a super star and came everyday loading us up with things we needed or to make the stay more comfortable. My Mom and Dad came and took a shift so I could go get some rest (since you don't get any in the hospital!) Cam would barely let me go to the bathroom so that was hard to, not that a blame him though! My cousin Kaelynne came every morning with my coffee, Jason of course came when he could but was holding the fort down with the other two kiddos. My Grandparents came mulitple times a day checking in, bringing things or just visiting. There was a handful of other visitors that came too. I enjoyed the company, Cam and I sorry to say was a little grumpy with everyone. He was scared and the meds he was on make him irritable!
The afternoon before we left he finally started feeling better. The nurses found him a trike and portable oxygen so he could play. He was in 7th heaven! Got worn out pretty quick but he had fun riding the halls with me chasing behind him! They even let us out of the Pediatric ward and wander the halls. He made a lot of older folks smile!
The staff there was amazing! They were all so sweet and went above and beyond taking care of CAm and trying to make him happy and comfortable. I was so blessed!! It's a scary thing being in the hospital - for mom and child - and having the love and care was such a blessing!! THey even brought a wagon for him to ride out to the car when we were discharged!
Now he's home and doing great! He was over the moon happy to be home!! He's on duonebs through a nebulizer 2 times a day, and an inhaled steroid 2 times a day for a while. We are just kind of trying to figure out what he needs to make sure that doesn't happen again. Praise the Lord for his protection, Doc said he was much worse off than he had eve originally thought. So thankful God protected him while we were still at home!
