I'm going to try to write down as much as I can recall about the past 24 hours...its been intense, but know that everything now seems to be under control.
Jack started to have very labored breathing late this afternoon in daycare along with a bad caugh. The cough wasn't nearly as concerning as the fact that he was wheezing so bad that his breaths could be heard clear across the room. And all of this happened very quickly-- getting worse by the hour. The first sign something wasn't right was when Jack started to have no interest in eating (and eating by far is Jack's favorite thing to do-- Put it this way: If he was able to prioritize his activities, this would be the clear #1 thing on his list). So, his school called me at 5p and said that Jack wasn't feeling well and suggested I leave work a little early, which I did.
When I arrived, they explained in much more detail, why they were concerned about Jack. They probably didn't want to freak me out before I got there, which, being a new mom chalked full of nerves during what may be our first health scare, was a great call by them. It was obvious that Jack wasn't doing well-- every time he took a breath, you could just tell that it was really difficult for him. He was really using his abdominal muscles to make his lungs work. They suggested that I call the pediatrician on call and let me know that he may need to be seen tonight (i.e. ER Visit). They were right-- that's exactly what my pediatrician told us to do. Off to the nearest ER we went.
We went to the closest ER to us and Jack was seen right away. I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not. Yes, it was nice to not have to wait in the waiting room like the rest of the people there, but kinda concerning that they felt Jack's breathing trouble was significant enough to have him seen by the ER doctors so quickly. They tried their best, but it quickly become evident that they have a lot of experience working with babies. Were they nice and attentive? Yes. Was it painful to watch them try to work on Jack? Asbolutely. Granted, we were both nervous and no parent feels good about watching their baby get an IV or have blood drawn for testing etc. Add to those nerves watching the medical staff struggle to find veins, have to draw blood multiple times b/c it coagulated too quickly the first time (b/c it took them so long to draw it)...and, well, Mike & I were kinda holding our breath too (pun intended). Their bloodwork showed that it didn't appear he had a respiratory virus, so they did a chest x-ray and diagnosed him with bacterial pnemonia. Gasp. At least we caught it quickly and he was about to get treated.
The ER Physician let us know of their diagnosis and let us know that he needed to be admitted so she was calling for transport. Transport??? I thought? Why not admit him at THIS hospital?!?!? Well, turns out the hospital that we were at doesn't have a pediatric ward. Huh? Anyway, we were a bit confused and frustrated (as the hospital has a Rainbow Babies emblem above the ER sign....but thats a story for another day). Mike went home to pack a bag for us and the Cleveland Clinic's Mobile PICU ambulance was called. Again, I was nervouse and scared and concerned...but also thankful that "the experts were coming and Jack would soon be in great care."
Then came "Baby's 1st Ambulance Ride"...another thing I don't think you have a space for in the baby book It was amazing how much better the Clinic's pediatric EMTs addressed Jack's breathing problems. They arrived and worked on Jack for about 90 minutes before they loaded us up and drove us downtown to Children's. When they arrived, you could see concerned and intense faces on each of them. They did an assessment and Jack's oxygenation level was 84%. I'm not a medical professional, but I do know that this number is supposed to be 98-100%. His was low. They gave him a breathing treatment and then put the littlest baby oxygen mask on him. Once they saw his numbers improve, we moved into the ambulance. I felt 10 times better with Jack being treated by these folks. They were way more confident and Jack was getting what he needed.
When we arrived at CC Children's Hospital, a room was ready for him and a number of doctors, specialists and nurses were inside this room waiting for us. I don't know what they said when they called to let them know that Jack was going to be a patient, but they seemed to be very eager to get him better asap (I'm thinking it had something to do with that 84% number and him being so young). The Pediatric Respiratory Specialist looked at his x-ray and disagreed with his original diagnosis. So off to Radiology we went-- so that Jack could have his chest x-ray done on a machine made just for little ones. They thought from the very beginning that Jack was suffering from Bronchiolitis, caused by a respiratory virus, like RSV. This type of virus seems to really attack an infant's lungs and in little babies can cause a lot of trouble if not caught quickly.
Once they did all of the tests they needed to start as they worked to find out exactly what was wrong with Jack, we settled in. The nurses were really great, as were the respiratory specialists...and they were in our room constantly throughout the night. Jack is going to be in here for a little bit-- but I know that he's getting the best possible treatment...so its not nearly as scary as it was when this all began. We'll know more tomorrow once the tests come back. For now, they are aggressively treating him as if he has RSV, which what they think is causing his bronchiolitis. Here's hoping tomorrow's a better day :)
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