Adding Another Holiday to the Collection

Yep, you guessed it.  We're back.

I wrote earlier about kicking this one at home, and it really looked like we did.  In fact, Thursday I took him out with me as we ran errands all morning and Friday he went back to school.

He didn't tolerate being off the vent, but we kinda expected that.  It usually takes a little while before that happens again.

Then Friday night he wasn't looking so good.  In fact, once again I felt like we might not make it through the night.  We weren't pulling much out of him, but he was needing a lot more oxygen and his nose was really runny again.  We ramped up breathing treatments again but even with that we had to bag him to get his oxygen back where it belonged.

Saturday morning was more of the same so I threw in the towel.  BUT we also made it here under our own power.  A lot of the time if he's needing to be bagged we do it, put him back on the ventilator and he slides right back down again.  Sometimes it takes longer, like a few hours.  Given that we'd gone about 12 hours between bagging, I figured we'd try it.

So we gave albuterol, bagged him up high again and put him in the car and he did well all the way up here.  In fact, while he was using a whole lot more oxygen than usual (seven liters!) he stayed stable on that for a few hours even after we got here.

All his labs and x-rays came back normal, except for rhinovirus.

We're in the PICU right now as a matter of caution, but they've already written for him to go to the floor at some time today.  The question is whether it's a continuation of the original illness (possibly), a secondary bacterial infection (probably not) or another bug all together (most likely).

So we'll watch and wait.  The Easter Bunny did actually find him up here last night, but more important, it's Easter morning, Resurrection Day.

Once again, a different way of celebrating the holiday, this most High Holy Day than I'm used to.  But actually only a little bit.

The kids did their egg hunt yesterday and I woke up (sorta, didn't really sleep) in the hospital. I'm heading home to go to church with the family and then we'll have Easter dinner before I head back up.

There will be a couple empty spots at the table.  Jonathan is on his mission in Argentina teaching people about the Gospel, the Good News.  And Aaron will be in his room up here at the Hotel on the Hill.  We'll miss them.  It won't be the same.

But the beauty of today is that we won't miss them forever.  They're mine, forever and always, because of His sacrifice.

I woke this morning with the hymn running through my mind:  "Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia."  He is risen, the tomb is empty, He lives.

Christ the Lord is ris'n today,

Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say,

Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high,

Alleluia!

Sing, ye heav'ns, and earth reply,

Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King,

Alleluia!

Where, O death, is now thy sting?

Alleluia!

Once he died our souls to save,

Alleluia!

Where thy victory, O grave?

Alleluia!