Josh Hospitalized

We are in the hospital again.

Josh had a really scary night last night (well it was scary for me). We were without a nurse at home and Josh had been de-satting (his oxygen saturation levels were low).

I had him on extra oxygen and even raised his pressure control on his ventilator (to push the air in a little harder) but he was still not getting enough oxygen and his carbon dioxide levels were too high (he wasn't breathing out enough of the bad air).

He had lots of secretions (gunk in his nose and throat, coming up through his trach). It was mostly all yellow - which is usually a sign of infection.

And his temperature was nearly 101. Tylenol and ibuprofin were not bringing his fever down either.

I got him as stable as I could and we slept on the living room couches so I could be beside him all night. We were up at least every 4 hours, suctioning and medicating.

I called his lung doctor's office just before noon and the on call doctor told me to take Josh to the E.R.

I figured they would want to admit him once we got there, so I started to pack stuff and throw clothes in the washer (so my hubby could put them in the dryer and have clean clothes for work). I was also waiting for my sister to bring me some lunch (Josh wouldn't eat). I got all Josh's meds together and when I went to get an oxygen canister to take, we had trouble with the piece that goes on to regulate how much oxygen comes out. It was missing an O ring and would not work. It took a while of trying to look for the O ring, trying to rig one and then finally realizing we had another whole controller new in a box. Once we found it, and got it on, it was nearly 1PM!

Loaded in the van, my sister came with me to help with Josh and his stuff. We were making good time most of the way across San Antonio. But then we hit terrible traffic. So, a trip that should have taken no more than 35-40 minutes took more like an hour. We made it to the hospital just before 2PM.

The good news is, they got us in right away to a triage room.

They did some blood work, swabbed for strep and flu tests and did a chest xray.

The first results were from the chest xray. The doctor said Josh had density in the bottom of both lungs. They didn't know what it was from, but wanted to see it better, so they ordered a CT scan.

After wheeling through the hospital to radiology for the scan and back, it wasn't too long until results were back on it and from the swabs. Josh has pneumonia with some collapse and he tested positive for the flu! He had the flu shot this year, but not the H1N1 shot - not yet (we were waiting for him to get over this cold or respiratory infection - he had already had a course of antibiotics he started 2 weeks ago and had tested negative for flu then).

The nurses could not get an IV going in him, so they were giving him medications by pill and shots (Tamiflu by pill and a 2 big shots of antibiotics - one in each cheek). We are told he will have a pic line placed in the morning and he will receive further medications through it.

Yes, he is being admitted to the hospital. But it is now coming up on 10PM and we are still in the triage room of the ER, waiting on a room upstairs.

Josh is sleeping, though right now. And he has eaten a little and drank alot of gatoraid and some water.

His oxygen saturation levels are still lower than they should be and his ETCO2 levels are too high. Hopefully tomorrow they'll be much better after a night of rest and the antibiotics and Tamiflu have a chance to work.

Please pray for Josh and for me. This is going to be a trying week. Oh, by the way, Tuesday is my birthday - and I'll be spending it in the hospital with Josh.

I'll end this with a happy note, though. Josh's sister, Steffany gave birth to her baby boy Friday night (01-22-10). He was 8 pounds 14 ounces and 19 inches long. He is a beautiful baby boy.

Tonight, both of my children are hospitalized - in two different hospitals - one down the road from the other. Steffany and the baby will likely get to go home tomorrow. Josh, though, will probably be in for several more days (even though I don't tell him that).