Lindy’s Hospital Stay

For the first time since the kids came home from the NICU, we went back to the hospital for a sick stay.  We go there all the time for appointments, but neither kid had ever been back in-patient. 

Where did it all start?  I’m not really sure!  Will was sick two weekends ago so I think she probably picked that up from him.  She was congested some during the week but we had been outside a lot and I was thinking it could be allergies. 

Things changed on Saturday night though.  I came home from dinner and she was coughing a lot in her bed.  She was asleep but coughing pretty badly.  I decided to take her in the guest room with me so that Drew and Will could sleep. We were up all night.  The coughing just didn’t let her get hardly any sleep.  As soon as she’d doze off she’d be coughing again. 

I obviously wasn’t taking her to church but Will went on with Drew.  She was up for a little while but then we went back to the guest room because I could put the tv on the night stand and she could lay around and watch tv.  She ended up falling asleep pretty quickly and slept most of the morning.  But her breathing started to get more rapid and shallow as the morning wore on.

I had called the pediatrician at 9am but they couldn’t get her in until 2:30pm.  We were getting a little anxious so we got there a little early.  The first thing they did was check her oxygen saturation and it was 88.  I knew that was bad.  We watched the kids’ oxygen saturations for months in the NICU!  They want it over 93 but should be up around 100!  They immediately gave her some O2 and a breathing treatment and that did bring her back up – until they turned off the O2 and she drifted back down.  They said she needed a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia so we needed to head to the hospital – via ambulance!  Drew and Will were with us so Drew dropped Will off at his brother’s house (on the same road as the hospital!) and came to meet us.

We spent about 5 hours in the ER and they took the check x-ray and something did show up.  They did end up admitting her because she was needing oxygen.   You could tell she was not feeling well.  She sat still – something Lou doesn’t do too often!  GrandBob and Suzette came up to see her and couldn’t believe how still she was!  They started an IV on her and she did great with that.  She really did great with everything they did to her. 

Once we knew they were admitting her, I ran home and took a shower and got things to spend the night.  I got back and Drew headed out to get Will and get him home and in bed.  Lindy and I had quite the night.  Oh my, it was rough!  She slept horribly and monitors were beeping and nurses had to come in to check her.  She was still coughing as well.  She ripped the nasal cannula and tape off her face at one point and then she ripped the IV out of her hand.  She was bleeding everywhere!!  They had to start another one on her in the middle of the night.  It was a long, sleepless night! 

Drew took Will to school and then came to the hospital.  He stayed until he had to leave to get Will.  He got Will and picked up lunch and brought them both back to the hospital.  The kids haven’t spent the night away from each other very often in their life.  I can only think of one time (when Lindy and I went to MO for a wedding).  I think Will missed Lindy, but he really just wanted to come to the hospital to watch TV.  He thought Lindy got to take a cool ride in the ambulance and watch TV all day.  Drew took Will to his brother’s for a little while Monday afternoon and then they went home for dinner and Drew had a meeting and just took Will.  Then they headed back to the hospital.  Will and I were heading home and Drew spent the night with Lindy.  We could see Lindy was starting to feel a little better throughout the day but she was still pretty content to stay in the bed.  She ripped her second IV out of her hand around 5pm that afternoon.  They said she could leave it out if she’d eat and drink.  I had to make her but she did pretty good.

While Will and I slept great that night, Drew didn’t!  They had taken Lindy off O2 in the evening but ended up having to put it back on around 2am.  He said he finally fell asleep around 3:30am. 

Will and I were back to the hospital Tuesday morning around 9am.  They took the leads off Lindy and the cannula off that morning and the girl totally turned around.  She willingly ate breakfast and she was ready to rock and roll.  She was off the bed and wanting to explore the room.  That room seemed smaller and smaller as she started feeling better and better!

Drew left and took Will to hang out with Katie and Claire and while he was gone the pulmonologist came in and said she was fine with us going home.  That was about 11:30am and then we finally walked out around 3pm.  We picked Will up and headed home.  Both kids fell asleep on the way.  Will woke up once we got here but Lindy took about a 2.5 hour nap on Drew. 

We were happy to get home and we all slept great Tuesday night.  None of us even stirred!  She is on an antibiotic and is acting pretty normal.  She still has a cough but she is acting great.  We kept her home from school yesterday but I took her to music class at 12pm. 

The pulmonologist said it was probably something viral but it could have been the beginning of pneumonia.  She said her preemie lungs just had a tough time with it.  Not sure why it hit her so hard this time because she has definitely had other colds and coughs over the years.  The funny thing about the pulmonologist is that 4.5 years ago she was a resident in the NICU when the kids were there.  When she walked in Drew and I both knew she looked familiar and then she said her name.  She said that when the doctors were doing rounds and they said her name she remembered her!  She brought up her chest x-ray and showed us her preemie lungs.  She said you can definitely tell she is a preemie because her lungs are hazy, compared to normal kid lungs.  Chronic lung disease.  sigh. 

Hopefully this was a one time thing and this isn’t the start of many hospital trips (which is what I’m most afraid of).   We did pretty darn good keeping out of the hospital the last 4 years but I guess our luck had to end sometime.  Thankfully it wasn’t super serious and she rebounded quickly!

Sunday morningSuper sick little girl!Getting first breathing treatment at the doctors’ office.In the ambulance with EMT.Hanging out in the ERLittle girl in a big bed in the ER.Finally moved to room 832!  Another big bed for the little girl.Monday morning eating some sherbet.Will visiting for the first time.Will watching the cranes and construction out Lindy’s window.Lindy got balloons from Mimo.Monday evening we could tell she was starting to feel better when she started punching the balloons!These balloons have provided many hours of FIGHTING!!  Will missed his sister!She fell asleep Monday afternoon but wouldn’t let go of the balloons!So sweet!So little!Feeling much better on Tuesday!  She started playing nurse.Checking Mr. Quackers’ temp.Covering Daddy up with her blanket.Finally home – but pooped out!All better on Wednesday!