The madness that was the the HOSPITAL

Two weekends ago, Malachi started to feel bad and was getting a cold. Ezekiel got the cold the next day, then Daddy, then me. When Z gets a cold, his asthma flares; so we start to do breathing treatments to try to keep it under control. This was only the 2nd time that he had been sick since his surgery in April. The firs time, we were able to keep it under control with about 2 days of strict treatments. This time didn't seem any different. On Monday (2nd week of school), I took Malachi to school (since he didn't have a fever), and Daniel and Z stayed home b/c they were both pretty puny from the colds. They both were able to rest ad seemed a little better. Tuesday morning, Malachi had a dentist appointment to take care of 2 fillings (of the 5 cavities). Since I had already planned to be late for work, I decided I would take Z and then take him to the doc after the dentist visit for Malachi. We left the dentist at about 9:30am. Z wasn't feeling well and having a more difficult time breathing than a few min. before, but I thought he would be ok for about 30 minutes. I drove Malachi to school. When I took Malachi into the school office, Z was really pale and threw up in the office. He had been screaming in the car. It was about 10 more min. to the doc.

When we got there, I paid my money and asked if he could be taken to a room for a breathing treatment. He had been asking for one, and I knew he was due soon.As soon as she saw him, she rushed him back to the room and was starting to fuss at me for waiting so long. Really, woman, he hadn't been like that for long, and he'd never gotten pale like that before with an asthma attack. They pulled his doc out of the room that he was working in. They ordered him a breathing treatment quickly and called for an ambulance! I wasn't sure that they were really doing that until the paramedics showed up. His blood oxygen level had dropped to the low 80s. It's supposed to be 98-100. 95 is ok for a child having an asthma attack. Low 80s are not!So, Z and I got our first ambulance ride! Found out later, it was the first time the dr. office had to call for an ambulance, too.

Anywhoo, they didn't turn on the lights or siren, but we were heading to the ER with oxygen running into Z to keep him stable. If he didn't have a treatment or oxygen running his blood-ox level would immediately drop. I called Daniel and my work on the way. Since, I was planning on coming in for the 2nd half of my day, they had to get teachers to cover the last 3 classes. Daniel was quite upset (as I was when the tables were turned) and had to stop for gas but arrived at the hospital about the same time as we did int he ambulance. They monitored him from about 11:15 to 2:15, when he was released. He shouldn't have been, but he was doing some better. They gave him a steroid shot and sent me home with more prescriptions for stuff we had at home. Daniel dropped me off at the dr. office to get my car, and I went in to talk to the dr. I made an appt. for Z the next morning at 8am.
He didn't sleep well that night. We had to do treatments throughout the night and his breathing was really labored. I went into worked exhausted that morning and let Daniel take Z, thinking that he would be fine. Right as the kids were coming down the hall, I noticed I had a text from Daniel. The doc was sending Z back to the hospital but bypassing the ER and going to the Pediatric ICU. They could keep a good eye on his blood oxygen levels and other vitals that were dipping and rising with inconsistency. So, then it was my turn to be upset. I went to the office and told them what happened and that I needed to leave. They were totally ok with it, and reassured me it would be fine. I was very blessed to have a wonderful friend working next door who made "plans" for my class, and a sub picked up the absence for that day and would be there soon.
The doctor said that Z never should have been released from the ER the day before and just needed to spend a night in the hospital with breathing treatments, oxygen, and extra monitoring. His blood oxygen levels had to level out and improve. He was admitted around 10am to the PICU on Wednesday, Sept 1. They did X-rays, blood tests, and gave him an IV b/c he was a little dehydrated. He was put on a continuous treatment. He didn't really eat much that night. None of us got much sleep that night. Daniel and I both stayed at the hospital, and Malachi was picked up and taken care of by my wonderful school friend. He thought it was fun to have a sleepover on a school night with a 2nd grader and an almost 3 year old. Daniel went home for a few hours that night but came back later b/c he couldn't sleep.

The next morning, it was evident that we weren't going home that day. I went home to shower and pick up some late breakfast for Daniel and I. Thursday afternoon around 3pm, he was moved to a normal pediatric room with a simpler machine to basically just monitor heart rate and blood oxygen. They wanted him to get up and go walk and play in the toy room. It was a good idea b/c he was beginning to feel much better by then. He got pretty good at playing with toys with just one hand, since the other one was splinted with the IV.


When he took his nap, finally, around 4pm-ish, without oxygen assistance, his blood oxygen level dropped, again. They had to put the oxygen on him while he slept. We were looking at ANOTHER night in the hospital if he could not sleep at night without oxygen assistance. Lots of people were praying from all over the world, and we felt those prayers that night. Daniel took Malachi home and would take him to school the next day, while I stayed with Z. He slept all night long and kept his blood oxygen level around 95! He never had to have oxygen! What a miracle!!!

Since, he did so well, we were able to be discharged from the hospital on Friday morning and were able to leave around 11am. But, there's more... Daniel took Malachi to school. He walked him to the cafeteria for breakfast. Malachi walked in, and Daniel left. A few minutes later, Malachi walked out of the cafeteria and up to the front of the school looking for his Daddy. The teachers/staff out front noticed him crying and took him to get breakfast, which he declined it all (b/c he couldn't eat most of it). When he complained that he was still hungry, they took him to the nurse and hey gave him a granola bar with almonds. Then, they noticed all of his food allergies and called us. I told them he's never had almonds, but if he wasn't complaining of feeling nauseous then he must not be allergic. She called me back on the way home from the hospital to say that he needed to be picked up, and he was complaining of ear pain.

I asked Daniel to pick him up b/c I was in the car with Z and needed to get him home for a breathing treatment. I, then, called the dr. and set up an appointment for Malachi at 1pm. So, I got home at 11:30. Daddy and Malachi got there at noon. I, then, got a quick shower and left the house at 12:30 to take Malachi to the dr. We both thought it would be nothing but homesickness. The doc looked in his ears, and he had an infection in each ear, not super-horrible, but infected. His cold had finally given him ear infections, and we hadn't seen him enough/noticed him enough to know that he really was "sick," too.

All went well until Saturday afternoon. Z started limping and still had a fever. Sunday, he was pretty bad at church, so I left early to take him to the urgent care. They said it was just exhaustion. Monday was Labor day, and we just chilled. He was still limping everywhere. Daniel took him for a follow up on Tuesday morning. The wonderful doc said it was a virus and may have been what caused the horrible asthma attack. The virus was set to last 7-10 days. It is now, at least day 10. He has refused to walk since he got up Friday morning. I guess he is going back to the dr. tomorrow.

Tuesday also marked the time that Malachi began crying, screaming, and chasing me out the door every morning at school. We kept trying other stuff, but nothing worked. We're initiating plan Q tomorrow morning by getting his 2nd grade friend to hang with him and take him to class. I can't take another week of this. This past weekend was rough. I was feeling some depression coming on from all the stress. I missed 4 days of school in the 2nd week of school. All 4 days of the 3rd week began with a crying, attached 5 year old. Saturday, I was able to get a last-min. babysitter, so Daniel and I could go out. Sunday was restful, just watching football and doing laundry. I'm praying that God will revolutionize this week because I've just about reached my breaking point.