Ella's Very Bad Day (January 14, 2013)
I wanted to write down our experience because I feel so blessed with all the little things that happened that kept the situation from getting scary. Such a strong reminder again of how Heavenly Father is watching out for our little family and especially our sweet Ella.
Little Ella has been diagnosed with asthma so little colds turn bad quickly. On Thursday, January 10th I noticed she was wheezing a little bit and watched her closely. Friday afternoon I started albuterol breathing treatments every four hours even throughout the night. She was very miserable throughout the night, panting and wheezing and pulling on her ear. So I took her in Saturday knowing she had an ear infection and wanting advice on how to manage the asthma better. Our pediatrician wasn't it so we saw one of his associates. Turns out she had a double ear infection. He gave her two breathing treatments in the clinic and added an inhaled daily preventive to the granule preventive she was already taking.
Ella's breathing was still labored on Monday morning so I called for another appointment. I wanted to see our doctor this time so I reluctantly agreed to take the only appointment he had available at 4:30 that afternoon. About a half an hour later I noticed her fingers and lips were blue. I called the clinic right away and took her in.
I saw the new doctor who was very nice. Ella's stats weren't so bad when we first got there but as they gave her a breathing treatment her oxygen levels started plummeting. At that moment the adorable MA for our pediatrician walked in. She had heard we were there and wanted to stop in and say hi. She smiled looked at the machine and very calmly said I'll be right back. About 20 seconds later she was there with an oxygen tank. She turned Ella to 100% oxygen, all very calmly, making small talk. She left the room again and came back in a minute later to say, "the ambulance is on the way." What!?
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| her shirt was soaked with drool |
She was diagnosed with RSV. We were fortunate that she only had to stay in the hospital for 24 hours. They needed the room and sent us home with Ella still on oxygen.
Having a baby at home on oxygen had its own challenges. The oxygen machine is so loud, I have no idea how people can sleep with them on. She kept pulling the canula out of her nose, I was so nervous all night.
The next morning I needed to take her back to the doctor to be checked. I could not get the darn tubing out to put it on the travel oxygen tank. It was a total joke. So I hurried and put her in the car to run to the doctor's office without the oxygen, feeling like a terrible mom. Luckily, once we got there her levels were fine and that was considered a good enough trial and we were allowed to stop the oxygen. We were so lucky to put the whole thing behind us in less than a week. Just in time for JD and I to get the flu. JD's was the worst case our clinic saw all winter.
Whew, we are glad that winter is over!
