Done Playing Games

Okay, so we're back.  Aaron has had a cold most of the week.  I thought it was getting better.  Back on Tuesday afternoon, I had to give him albuterol to open up his airways.  On Thursday afternoon, he spiked a fever.  Otherwise, he's been a little higher on his oxygen but no other fevers.  We have had to suction a  whole lot more than normal, but I expect that with a cold.  (And by the way, his first labs are back and guess what?  He tested positive for rhino-virus  yep, that cold.)  We've also had to use a LOT more oxygen when he's had gas, but have also dropped back down to where he belongs pretty quick.

This morning, he was struggling again.  He was high on his oxygen, with a lot of gas bubbles, and really upset.  So I gave more albuterol and some Tylenol.  He settled down and went right to sleep, and that's where I left him when I went to soccer.

As we were on our way home from the game, Deborah called.  Aaron was awake and crying.  And she was suctioning blood.  Yeah, blood, not good.  And it wasn't red, fresh blood (is this too much?).  It was brown. For those who don't know, color in the lungs isn't a great thing.  Yellow/green usually mean some kind of a virus, and yep, we've seen a lot of that this week.  Brown?  Pneumonia, usually.  

I have to admit, I still waffled a little bit.  He was still pretty okay on his oxygen, and we didn't have a fever.  But then he got a little less okay, and a little less after that.  So I threw my hands up, said, okay, we're done here, and called 911.

Good call.  By the time they got there, we were on 8 liters of oxygen (baseline is 1-3).  He did okay on the way up to the hospital, but we suctioned a whole lot.  By the time he got in here, he wasn't moving much air at all and he was running a fever.  They hit him with a bunch of albuterol and some bag & suctioning therapy.  By the time we made it to the PICU, he was actually looking pretty good, although still sick.

So now we're waiting to see what all he does.  He's sick.  We know that.  Where he'll go from here and for how long, that's the big question.

On another note, the paramedic said something that actually made me feel really good.  They got toned out Delta (pretty severe call) for a three-year old (almost) in respiratory distress.  That was all they were given, so he was running through various scenarios in his head on the way.  When they pulled up at the house, he said he felt much better because he knew that mom had this one and all he had to do was what he was told.  To inspire that kind of confidence in someone who helps keep others alive made me feel good.  I'm so grateful for all those who have taught me so that I can have things in hand, as much as Aaron will allow anyway.

Healing is a matter of time, 

but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.

Hippocrates