Did we go hiking, camping, walking, swimming, or do ANYTHING outside? No. We spent the weekend in the hospital. I'm pretty sure we missed what will be the last sunshine that we will see for the next 8 or 9 months.
Oh yeah. I did say 'hospital', didn't I?
Katie came down with another cold on Wednesday. Seemed like any other cold until she woke up early Saturday morning (4am early) wheezing with a rapid heartbeat. She couldn't talk because she couldn't stop coughing. This was NOT some plain old cold and I called for an appt. with her doctor.
We went in at 10:30. They listened to her lungs and heard something rattling around in there, so they decided to do a chest x-ray. It came out negative for fluid in her lungs. No pneumonia. But, the oxygen level in her blood was down to 91. Normal level is about 99. It was decided that we should go to the emergency room at the local hospital. Before we left, they gave her a nebulizer treatment - which consists of shooting a mist of albuterol (used to open her airways) into her face.
The treatment helped to ease Katie's breathing and so after a quick stop home for supplies and lunch ('cause we all know how long you could be sitting in the ER) we headed off.
The wait at the ER wasn't to long and we were soon in a room. The ER doc came in and told us he suspected something called, 'restrictive airway disease' and that this might or might not be a precursor to asthma. I guess if she was to experience this shortness of breath a few more times down the line she would be diagnosed with asthma. Such wonderful news.
We had to give her a huge dosage of prednisone (a steroid) to help relax the inflammation in her lungs and then an hour long nebulizer treatment. After about 4 hours in the ER, her blood oxygen levels didn't recover as hoped. We were admitted.
Up to the pediatric care ward we went. Because they suspected that Katie's lung infection was viral, everyone that came into the room had to wear a surgical robe, mask and gloves. If either Huzbend or I left the room, we had to wear masks.
The incremental nebulizer treatments began as well as a steroid treatment once a day. Katie was not impressed with all the poking and prodding. Although she held it together more that I thought she would, she did throw a few big tantrums; screaming, crying, kicking, flinging arm type tantrums.
Katie began to recover early Saturday night. Her blood oxygen level while awake was slowly climbing and her breathing became less labored. The problem was that after she fell asleep, her level would drop down to below 88 and set off an alarm. When that happened I had to put an oxygen mask to her face. The nurse tried to get Katie to let us put that oxygen tube thing up her nose, but Katie would not allow it. She threw the biggest meanest tantrum that I have yet to see from her. She soon fell asleep and I cried. I was so tired of having to listen to her cry.
Sunday she was even better with her waking levels at 96. But, when she took a nap her levels dropped back down to 88 and lower. With those stats and a listen to her lungs (still not 100% clear) the doctor didn't feel comfortable sending her home. So, it was one more night in the hospital.
Finally, on Monday her waking level got to 97. Her napping level wasn't great, but the doctor said that her lungs sounded good and she didn't seem to be in any respiratory distress. We were allowed to go home.
So, we've been doing the nebulizer at home every 4 hours. Katie actually likes it now. She'll sit on the floor and share her albuterol mist with Thomas or whoever else she has deemed 'sick'. Here is video of one of the first treatments we did at home. She didn't like the medicine in her eyes.
Katie is still coughing but her breathing is pretty normal, as far as I can tell. It's hard to gauge when she won't stop running in circles. The ER doctor told me to keep her home for a few days so that she could relax and not cough on other kids.
We go back for a follow-up with her primary doctor tomorrow. I'm hoping that we get the green light to get back out into the world.
Wouldn't you know it, the forecast for tomorrow is rain. Sigh.
