Waiting on our Christmas Miracle

I went home last night.  Didn't quite "hit a wall," but yeah, I took a brief break.

Aaron did manage to stay on the floor, but it was by the skin of his teeth (and the fact that the PICU is busting at the seams).

I hand picked my nurses, nurses that keep their cool, have extensive trach/vent experience, and absolutely adore Aaron.  He was in good hands.  And I slept in my own bed, saw my other kids and my husband.  It was very needed.

I woke this morning with some different ideas and called the doctor.  His lungs are bronchospasming.  In English, that means he was having spasms, or sudden tightening of his lungs, which makes it just a tad hard for him to breathe and certainly difficult to get that good ol' O2 into his cells.  Ever have spasms in your back?  Yeah, same thing, but in the lungs.  Not fun.

We've been treating him with his rescue meds around the clock, but I questioned if he was really getting his full dose.  See, most inhalers are prescribed for 1-2 puffs, maybe three if you're really in trouble.  We start with 6. And then sometimes go up from there.  Then there are oral steroids.  While there can be some nasty side effects with steroid use, it does help relax the tightness.  I don't know, side effects plus breathing vs no side effect and not breathing.  I vote for the first one.

And so far, we think it might be working.  He's certainly better than he was last night.  The doctor actually told me as I left last night that she would not be surprised if he ended up in the PICU before I made it back.  They'd call if/when it happened.

They didn't call, and he was in the same place that I left him.  But I'd talked to his doctor and nurse earlier this morning and gotten the steroids on board.  It's been a few hours now, and we're already seeing some positive signs.  His air movement in his lungs has improved, his oxygen needs are dropping.  I think we're going to adjust the vent fairly soon.  It's working, it's really working.

And the power of prayer is so real.  Just after our cry for help went out, hundreds of prayers came pouring in.  This child that was on the fast track back downstairs stabilized, then improved, not by much, but that was all we needed.  We needed a little wiggle room, and that's what we got.  Such a blessing, such love.  We are so grateful.

"Christmas will always be as long as we stand 

heart to heart and hand to hand."

Theodor Geisel