the education of henry

Sick Again...

2013-01-20

Picking up where I left off last week...

We went to Urgent Care on Sunday and the nurses thought I had an ear infection and maybe the beginnings of pneumonia. They prescribed antibiotics and sent me home. I didn't get any better on Monday. Or Tuesday, so I went to the clinic to see my doctor. She did a test and said I had RSV, that it was a virus so she couldn't give me any medicine to get rid of it, and that I should get better in three to five days.

Mommy and Daddy cancelled my birthday party.

On Wednesday I was very lethargic and I was having coughing fits so bad I had trouble breathing - and I wasn't eating much. When Daddy got home from work, he took me to the emergency room with Mommy. There we found out my oxygen saturation levels were low, and an x-ray showed possible pneumonia in one of my lungs. And I still had a fever. And I was still coughing. And I was getting dehydrated.

Wednesday morning at breakfast.

Wednesday at dinner time.

I feel worse than I look.

The ER doc called my doc and she had me admitted to the hospital. Mommy and Daddy got us settled in, and Daddy went home to get some stuff (since we hadn't planned on being admitted when we went to the ER). I've been getting my fluids through oral syringes, my food out of pouches, and some supplemental oxygen for a few days now. Apparently this RSV stuff knocks you on your butt.

On Thursday morning Grandma Wynne came to help, and she held me so Mommy and Daddy could have a break after staying up all night taking turns trying to get me to sleep and stay asleep while holding an oxygen mask to my face (I wouldn't let the nurses put in the thing that went up my nose and I wouldn't let Mommy or Daddy use the strap to hold the mask on me, either). Grandma Wynne is still here (she's been sleeping at the house but spending the days with us at the hospital).

Grandma Wynne is wearing a mask so I don''t get her sick.

On Friday, Grandpa Al came to see me. He was already planning to come see me on Friday because he was going to watch me while Mommy made cupcakes for my party. I think that would have been more fun. We looked at truck books and took naps. Grandpa came to visit on Saturday, too.

Taking a nap with Grandpa.

I haven't been out of the room since Wednesday when we arrived. Lots of people with the flu in the hospital, so I'm trying to not get any sicker.

Mostly I've been snuggling and sleeping with Mommy and Daddy, who take turns holding me through the night while they try to either stay awake or fall asleep.

Sleeping with Mommy.

Friday night was the worst for coughing and being miserable. On Saturday morning I was starting to feel better, good enough to play in the crib in the room. It was nice to not be on someone's lap for a change.

Auntie Kara and Uncle Josh sent me a care package. Well, there was some stuff for Mom and Dad, too. I got a cool new book about building a road that has lots of construction equipment in it.

Reading my new book from Auntie Kara and Uncle Josh.

The boys - looking at truck magazines.

By Sunday morning I was off the oxygen and feeling pretty good. The doctor thought I was okay to go home in the morning, but Daddy said we should wait a few hours to see if my oxygen levels were still up. Good thing we waited. By late morning I had a fever, and when the doctor looked at me again, I had an ear infection and a temperature of 101.7. Now I'm taking an antibiotic for the ear infection, which should also take care of any other bacteria that might be causing me trouble.

Even though I am sick yet again - this time without even leaving the hospital first, I am not as sick as before. I ate some food and played in the crib. But I was very tired in the afternoon.

Trying some chocolate milk.

Somewhat happy again.

Where did those beets go?

Right now we don't know when I can go home. Tuesday might be the earliest since i have to have my oxygen levels up for 24 hours before I can leave, and with my second round of being sick, they've dipped a little.

Thanks for all the cards for my birthday! It would have been better to get them in person so I could see everyone, but I was in any shape for a party on Saturday afternoon, even if I was feeling better.

Daddy says we are going to celebrate my half-birthday from now on, and skip trying to have a party during a month where flu, ice storms, and freezing temperatures are the norm.

Take care everyone - hope you had a better week than I did. My next week isn't looking so hot right now either, so hopefully you'll all have a better week than me next week, too.

P.S.

Mommy said I should clarify something from last week. When I said the doctor saw something on the EEG, what I meant to say was what the doctor saw on the EEG was evidence of the seizures that Mommy and Daddy have been seeing for almost eighteen months now. The doctor was able to see that I am also having seizures that Mommy and Daddy aren't seeing. Next month I'll be having an MRI so the doctor can actually "see" my brain and not just its electrical activity. I may even get some genetic testing done after that, if we can talk the insurance company into paying for it. Otherwise we'll need to have about twenty more garage sales to pay the bill.