A Post from the Pediatric ICU

So I haven't posted for a little while, but rest assured I have a darn good reason. Back on October 24th, The Skink came home from school and everything was fine until around 5:00 p.m. when I kissed her sweet forehead and she seemed hot. Really hot!

I took her temperature and it was a rather disturbing 103.4. As a mom of 3, the oldest of whom is now 16 (can I really be old enough to have a 16-year-old??) I've pretty much been-there-done-that when it comes to sniffles, coughs and the like. I gave her some Tylenol to help bring the temperature down. It's always been easy to give meds to The Skink - she sucks it down like candy. I was thankful she was the one I was trying to medicate. Had it been Iraq, we would now have furniture, walls and ceiling spotted with a sugary, purple goo. Even at age 8, Iraq is NO fan of medicine... but at least I now know how to hog-tie really well!

I was able to get The Skink's temperature down to 101.5 before bed time. First thing the next morning (Tuesday, 10/25) I took her in to the doctor. We saw a physician's assistant who determined The Skink had fallen victim to some nasty little virus. I was instructed to take her home and let her get plenty of rest.

On Friday night The Skink was miserable, so first thing Saturday morning I took her to the doctor again (I'm quite thankful our doctor's office has Saturday hours!). I told the doctor (a real one) that The Skink had developed a nasty cough. The doc listened but said The Skink's lungs sounded clear, but that she had developed an ear infection. She gave us a prescription for antibiotics and instructed me to take her home and let her get plenty of rest. Rest? Both The Skink and I were up numerous times every night - with her coughing and me rushing up stairs to give her more medicine, pat her back or just to be there for her.

So... By Monday evening (Halloween) The Skink's cough was worse, her appetite had completely disappeared, she was barely drinking anything and she was very lethargic. She was clearly too sick to go trick-or-treating. She saw my husband take Iraq to go trick-or-treating and asked in a very small voice if she was going too. Yes - my heart broke. When my husband returned with Iraq after liberating the majority of the neighborhood of huge quantities of candy, he gathered The Skink up in his arms and took her next door to let her say "trick-or-treat!" It made her day, and she managed to reward us with a BIG smile as she recounted her adventure to me when they returned.

On a side note, Iraq dressed as a pirate. 

 

 

Mom simply could not resist the temptation to dress up too, so we got daddy to take some Mother & Daughter Pirate pictures. (What? Doesn't everybody have family pirate pictures?)

Have I mentioned I adore Halloween?

So anyway... bright and early on Tuesday morning the hubby took The Skink to the doctor... again. The same physician's assistant who saw The Skink exactly a week before said (again) it was a virus - take her home and let her get plenty of rest. (Deja-vue?)

On Wednesday The Skink slept all day. She did not eat. She did not drink. She did not play or talk or smile. As soon as Broadway got home, I left him in charge of Iraq and I took The Skink to the ER because I knew this was not just some virus and a little ear infection.

I was right. (Duh - I'm the mom. I'm always right. Right?)

In the triage area they put an oxygen saturation monitor on The Skink. The number climbed to only 87 and stopped. The lady in triage said she must not have put the monitor on very well. We were soon taken back to a room where another monitor was put on. Again, the numbers climbed to only 87 and stopped. An IV was put in The Skink's arm (which I assure you did NOT impress The Skink) and the doctor called for the X-ray machine to be brought. The X-ray confirmed suspicions, clearly showing that my poor baby had a pretty nasty case of pneumonia.

The Skink was admitted to the hospital and my husband came to switch places with me so I could go home and get some rest - It should have been my first uninterrupted rest in a week, but who can sleep knowing her baby is in the hospital with pneumonia? My husband texted me with the number of the room The Skink was moved to.

In the morning I called the hubby to find out how The Skink was. I was talking to him as I was heading out the door to come relieve him from his "night shift," and he suddenly said, "Oh yeah - she has a different room number from the one I texted you." 

Apparently after The Skink was admitted, it was determined her condition warranted a move to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Yikes! 

On Thursday she slept all day. I believe the longest amount of time I saw her awake was about 2 minutes. In the evening the hubby came to relieve me and to take on the night shift.

 

While I don't like that we have to be here, I have to say - I love the layout of the Roanoke Memorial pediatric ICU! It's built into a rounded section of the building, so the unit a giant semi-circle with the rooms lining the glass front wall. The nurses' station mimics the semi-circular pattern so no-matter what room you are in, you can walk out the door and straight to the nurses' station. Cool, huh?

When I arrived this morning, a nurse and a nursing student were checking all the monitors, tubes and wiring. Doesn't The Skink look thrilled?

I can not tell you how much my heart swelled when The Skink saw me and said, "Hi, Mommy!" Her voice was small and weak, but she was awake and aware I was there! And then...

she asked for a drink for the first time in days! And... she drank it!

Getting a drink and about 18 goldfish crackers into her tummy apparently gave her enough energy to find the Angry Birds game and turn it on just so she could listen to the music.

 

Danika and "The Herd."

While she showed a little improvement this morning, she was worn out by the time lunch arrived. She was interested in the pizza... but fell asleep before she had tasted it.

The ICU is very nice, but the view out the window is also quite stunning - even on a rainy day. As nice as the unit and the view are, I am hoping she will be out of here soon.

We know at this point it will likely be a few more days. I'll try to keep everyone posted. Well-wishes and prayers are welcomed!

 

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