Wow, has 2011 hit our family full force with infectious diseases! We have been hit with enough ID bugs in January to build up our immunity for the rest of the year..we hope!
The first week D started his new job out of state, big M got sick with an upper respiratory infection and fever/ear infection. He didn't sleep well, which meant I didn't sleep well. By the end of the week, I was exhausted and little M was starting to get sick. When D arrived home for the weekend, he noticed the baby sounded bad and felt hot and recommended that I take him to the ER.
I took off to the ER at 12:30 am on Saturday with the baby and was a bit in disbelief in what was occurring. Maybe it was sleep deprivation or maybe it was just shock that the baby was so sick. I texted a few of my med student friends for input on the symptoms and tried to make the best of the situation. Staying calm and comforting my baby were my only responsibilities at the moment. After alarming, yet (later declared) false lab results and a positive respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) test, little M was admitted to the hospital. I convinced the doctor to save us a couple Gs and opt out of the ambulance ride.
At about 6:30 am on Saturday, I arrived at the hospital in the snow and less than twenty something degree weather. Baby M was already registered, so his room was ready at admission time. Blood was drawn to confirm the lab results from the ER and all that was left to do was wait. My friend (and fourth-year medical student) Anne stayed with me and let me know what to expect. She was very comforting and informative. We tried to nap a bit, since we both had only gotten an hour or two of sleep all night. Later, another friend arrived to keep me company while I waited for information from the doctors.
D was home with big M and couldn't feel more helpless. He wanted to visit little M, but I recommended that he stay home and not bring a toddler to the hospital. Reluctantly, he stayed at home. Little M seemed to be getting worse--which is what is supposed to be normal for RSV--and I had no idea what to expect. I searched my iPhone for diagnosis and treatment (http://www.cdc.gov/rsv/) and listened to the doctors, nurses, and respiratory technicians to soak up as much information that I could.
By Sunday, little M had improved in some ways and gotten worse in others. His breathing had not improved, yet his O2 saturation was still above 90%. The only thing to do was try to loosen up the mucous and make little M as comfortable as possible. Daddy arrived in the afternoon so I could run home to shower and see big M. Unfortunately, little M had an IV and was receiving room oxygen in his nose. The tubes were alarming to D and he was pretty upset. By the time I returned, little M looked worse and there were talks of moving him to the ICU.
On Monday, not much had changed. Little M was better in some ways and worse in others. He had slowed down on nursing (I had also been feeding him less since Thursday night to encourage him to keep the milk down and stay hydrated) and really just wanted to sleep. He was not improving and it was time to move to the ICU for better monitoring.
Tuesday was a bad day for big M. He had a fever at daycare, so D took him back to the pediatrician. Daycare policy keeps kids home for 24 hours without a fever. Apparently, the antibiotic given the prior week hadn't been strong enough to treat the ear infection, so we were given another prescription. D then had to keep big M home on Wednesday and couldn't visit little M.
On Wednesday, we were given the okay to move out of the ICU and back to the floor unit. Unfortunately, there were no beds available, so we had to stay put another night in the ICU. D arrived on Thursday and we were moved to outpatient waiting to make room in the ICU for a sicker patient. Little M was discharged midday and we were able to take him home.
We spent the next few days trying to catch up on sleep and ensure that little M got well. Unfortunately, our bug battle was not yet finished. I woke up very early on Sunday with an upset stomach. D was preparing to fly back to work for the week, when I started running to the bathroom. All I'd had was coffee with milk and my stomach was not happy. I was miserable! I tried to drink a lot of water to flush out my system and stay hydrated, but it didn't want to stay down either. I had been hit with a stomach virus! All I could do was sip ginger ale and nurse the baby. Eventually I ate a few crackers, but they didn't stay with me long. I rested and D got Keata to help with big M so he could finish packing.
Later on Sunday, I received a call that someone was interested in seeing our house. D had already left for the airport and I convinced Keata to come back and clean the house while I rested. Once big M got to bed, I felt like I could relax a bit. I was weak, but still managed to try some more crackers and ginger ale. I picked up a bit and decided to rest as much as I could.
Monday morning arrived and I was in minor crisis mode. I was feeling better, so I finished prepping the house to show. Keata arrived and finished cleaning. She was a godsend, for I couldn't have gotten the house ready without her! I darted out of the house and off for errands the rest of the day.
On Tuesday I awoke exhausted and did not feel like eating. Apparently my stomach virus was not yet finished with me. I spend Tuesday and Wednesday drinking ginger ale and praying for the weekend to see D.
I went to work on Thursday to say goodbye to everyone and finish up a few tasks. It was a bit bittersweet that I was leaving a job I had been with for two years and the University that had employed me for over 11 years! As I left for the day, I looked outside to see snow. At least an inch had accumulated and the weather was not improving. I took my time getting home and realized that I was still a bit drained from my bug.
As Friday arrived, it was time to clean the house and prepare for little M's baptism. I managed to straighten up and vacuum and watch the kids--both lengthy tasks. What a whirlwind two weeks it has been!
