Hospital stay #2

A few days after the Monster Truck show, Caden started getting a runny nose and cough. 24 hours later, we had one sick little boy. He wouldn't get out of bed, which is highly unusual for my active little 2 year old. I called the doctor and got an appointment that afternoon...and about 30 minutes after we got there, he sent us over the hospital and that's where we stayed for the next 7 days! Yes, you read that right, 7 days!!!! This illness hit him so fast and hard. If you recall, his first visit to the hospital was at 7 months old and we were there for 8 days, so I guess we improved a little, but I want to improve to ZERO days!

Grammy came over and stayed with us while he was in the hospital and then some...Thank goodness for Grammy! I will say that this time was a little easier since he was older and is very much into movies these days. However, Grammy, Scott, and myself all got sick of watching Marmaduke (his fave movie at that time). He was very good though and didn't get out of the bed until about day 5. He was attached to so many monitors, IVs, and an oxygen tank that it was hard for him to move around.

Caden had pneumonia with some complications, one of which was a pneumothorax (where the air leaks out of the lung into the cavity around the lung). The pneuomthorax was kind of scary since they said it could cause his lung to collapse and if it didn't fix itself, they would need to go in and surgically relieve it. Luckily on x-ray 2, it appeared to mostly go away and on x-ray 3 was gone. He was on three different antibiotics, steroids, breathing treatments, and tamiflu (in case it was a flu strain). After the lab tests came back a week later, he actually had RSV again! The same virus that hospitalized us before.

He was also much smarter this time around. He didn't cry much the first time they put the IV line in, but when they had to redo it, he sure remembered that room and the screams could have been heard for miles. He also realized that the nurses were the ones sticking him, and giving him yucky medicine, so he was anxious everytime they entered the room. But he was happy to see them leave and said "bye-bye" each time. (Mommy was thankful for the wonderful nurses...truly takes special caring people to do that job!). The little booger also started to realize that people kept bringing him presents and then he started to want a present every time one of us came and went. So, we had to get spare presents to hide in case of a temper tantrum (the things parents will do to calm their sick child).

So many people sent us well wishes! Thank you! He loved them and helped us pass our time with him being cooped up in that room all day.

From droid pictures

Presents!

From droid pictures

Finally about day 5, he started to feel a little better, so the pediatric wing had wagons that we could take him on rides in. We took him on rides (and let me tell you, that was no easy feat with all of that equipment...we jokingly called ourselves Caden's entourage, since it took all three of us to go for a ride). He loved it so much, that he decided to stay in it when we got back to the room and eat his dinner there, watch his movies, etc...

From droid pictures

Day 6, they unhooked him from the IV and told us to see if he would walk around the hallways...well he would, but he wanted to pull the wagon...

From droid pictures

We were very glad to be able to go home on Day 7.

Grammy stayed with him at home the week after and all seemed to be going well. He was easing off of steroids and antibiotics and was doing good (hyper, but good). His follow up appointment was three days after he got out and the doctor said his lungs sounded good. He also gained 4.5 lbs in one week from the steroids! Poor little guy!

Then that weekend, I wanted to cry...he started coughing and sneezing...then that Monday, he started a congested cough. We went back to the doctor and sure enough, he had pneumonia again! How could this be?!? He either relapsed or caught another virus. So, back on steroids and now the fifth antibiotic and more chest x-rays. Neverending in the Harrell household here. So, we are now on week 4 of Caden being out of school. Thank goodness for Grammy and Pops helping us out during the day so that we can continue to keep him out of school. He is not contagious, but his little immune system has been so weakened that he could catch something and be down again! We have another follow up x-ray in the morning and our pediatrician has now referred us to a pediatric pulmonologist down at Shands to see why he is so susceptible to all of these respiratory viruses and why they knock him down so much! So, continued prayers as we continue to heal our little boy and figure out how to prevent this going forward. He is a little trooper!