RSV and the flue

Glen is comforting Elizabeth just before we take her to the hospital.

Elizabeth at the hospital on oxygen.

I just thought I'd give you all an update, I know I have been sadly neglecting my poor little blog.  As you can see Elizabeth took a trip to the hospital.  When she was 3 weeks old She started with this yucky sounding cough.  I took her in the next day for her check up and our Dr. said her lungs sounded ok and not to worry unless she started having a hard time breathing or eating.  That was in the afternoon.  By the end of the day I thought she might be having a hard time breathing, but I wasn't sure.  That night she didn't wake up often to eat, she had no wet diapers, and she needed to be held the whole time.  By the next morning I was worried.  She was coughing even more, but she didn't have the strength to cough or cry.  She ate hardly anything, and she was definitely struggling to breath.  A call to the Dr. sent us to the ER where we went from the back of a line of about 20 people to the very front and immediately got a room.  She was hooked up to oxygen, an IV, heart monitor, breathing monitor, O2 monitor, and swabbed for an RSV test.   After the Dr. came in he told us she had RSV and we were being admitted.  We had to wait for about 6 hours to get a room, the hospital was jam packed full of kids with RSV.  We were in the hospital for 5 days ( 3 of which John stayed home with puking boys) before being sent home with Elizabeth on oxygen.

It just broke my heart to see my little girl hooked up to all those machines, so weak and so pale, and me helpless to do anything.  She has been steadily improving while we have been home, we were almost sent back once, but it was a false alarm.  He nose had gotten really swollen from so much suctioning and when we gave her a break she started breathing easier.  Hopefully with in the next few days she will no longer need any oxygen.

I, needles to say, am exhausted.  Sleep has been in small amounts, and what sleep I do get is quickly interrupted by one child or another.  Elizabeth is eating well again, but that means more wake up calls, and she still wants to be held because she is uncomfortable.  I have been functioning on 2-5 hours of sleep for about 2 weeks or more now and it is really kicking my butt.  I sent my kids to bed with books at 6:45 tonight because I just couldn't handle it any more.  My husband is super helpful when he is here, but unfortunately with school and work that is not very often and I am left to bear the brunt of this on my own.  Thank goodness for such wonderful neighbors who are always willing to help.  Without them I think I may have been admitted myself...into a very comfy little padded room.  :)

Well, I think my little family has had plenty of sickness to last us quite a while and I am very ready for a break.  Here is to a few months without so much as a sniffle!