Oh how we LOVE Children's Mercy Hospital.....

Can you tell the sarcasm??? Seriously....we should just rent out a room here. This is our 7 th overnight stay in a year and a half. We have spent several Holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays in a hospital. Oh well. It's worth it, right?? Anyways, both girls started getting coughs last week, by Tuesday they both had runny noses. Wednesday night, Natalie's O2 sats were 95 so I put her on a little bit of 02 help while she went to sleep. At 10:00pm she woke herself coughing. So I went and gave her another treatment, and checked her sats. She was down to 90. So I boosted her 02 to 1.5 liters. By 12:30 am she wasn't doing so well. Her sats were as low as 80. I freaked!! Oh my! So I quickly said a prayer, and within minutes I was waking Erich to let him know what I was doing, packing a bag as quick as I could. Erich got her oxygen tank all ready and hooked her up. I loaded her and everything else up in the van. As I was driving, she really didn't make much noise, so I would call her name, but no answer. So I flicked on the light, she would then move or make a noise. I arrived at the hospital at 1:45 am. Erich had called to let them know that I was coming, and told them that Natalie was having respiratory problems. They quickly got us into an ER room. I would have to say that this was the first time that we have had such good care in the ER. Seriously! I was so grateful for the nurses and doctors that asked questions, showed that they cared about Natalie, and took exceptional care of her. They drew blood, took x-rays, gave her an hour long breathing treatment which helped a ton with her breathing. Her white blood count was 32 which was too high. It's supposed to only be 12. Her right lung was hazy, they were thinking that she had pneunomia but weren't for sure until a radiologist took a look at the chest x-rays. The nurse was even able to put in an IV on the first try, that usually doesn't happen. She needed 5 liters of oxygen help, which in a mask is 10 so for several hours she was on a mask. We were put in a room (the same room we had after her VP shunt was put in). at 6:30 am Thursday morning. They asked if she sleeps in a big girl bed or a baby bed. Because she is not quite old enough to sleep by herself, they said that I could share the twin bed with her. So comfty compared to the pleather bed, I would have to sleep on. After getting all settled in, we both slept for the next couple of hours. Can you say EXHAUSTED!! Seriously, I haven't been this tired in months. I LOVE this floor and room that we are in. We are on the floor where babies/kids come after they have a Shunt surgery. The nurses are wonderful and so personable. Many of them even remembered Natalie from when she was here for her shunt placement.

By late afternoon, her doctors came in and said that she didn't have pnuenomia. But whatever she has is asthma related. Earlier that morning, she was coughing so much and so hard. She threw up. Her breathing had changed, she became really sweaty and was struggling to breathe. Poor girl. We have been following her asthma action plan that we received a year ago but they are going to change her plan and rewrite it to help her to stay out of the hospital. By Thursday evening, she went down to 2 liters on her oxygen help. She slept well that night.

Yesterday, she was really spunky. She was quickly getting back to herself. We had a wonderful nurse that day who took good care of us! :) Natalie got to take a bath in a really HUGE tub. She loved every minute of it. Daddy and Eva came to visit for lunch. Natalie was so happy to see her sis. She even hugged and kissed her. While Daddy was here, they wanted me to attend a asthma class. I really learned a lot. I learned about the triggers. I knew some of the triggers like, cigarette smoke, mold, cat/dog hair, and weather changes. But the list was huge. A year ago when she was put on an asthma action plan. We were told to give her pulmicort just while she is coughing and then an additional 10 days (twice a day) and stop. But now we have to do it once a day no matter what. I learned that flovent (pulicort) inhaler is the controller and the albuterol is the quick reliever. Flovent is what is going to keep her lungs clear. Albuterol is what helps the wheeze and cough to go away. Gotta love having an action plan that will work.

So here's the plan.....
GREEN ZONE- Feeling good, no cough, no wheeze- Use the controller every day (morning and night).

Asthma Episode- Has a wheeze and cough. Use the quick reliver every 20 minutes for the first hour.

If your child looks and sounds better Go to YELLOW ZONE If they don't Go to RED ZONE.

YELLOW ZONE- A cold has started or before you will be around an asthma trigger.
Use Albuterol inhaler every day morning and night for 1-2 weeks then go back to GREEN ZONE.

RED ZONE- Sinking in ribs, neck and finding it hard to breathe.
Call doctors office or Take child to ER.

So does all of this make sense?? I totally get it, now. I can't believe that we were told to stop using Flovent/pulimcort after 10 days. For the past year, she has been sick every 2 weeks. Not very fun for a little toddler. Here's to hoping that this new action plan will work.

Last night before bed, Natalie kept asking for her blankie. Daddy had taken it home to wash. This pink blankie is the one thing she chews on to fall asleep. She has never be without it while sleeping. Daddy brought her other fleece blanket but this one isn't the same. The one she chews on, has silky edges, this one does not. So she doesn't like it as well. She eventually fell asleep snuggling with me.

Today, Natalie was a lot of fun! She was full of smiles. She was even weaned down to 1/2 liter of oxygen. Although when she sleeps she needs a little more. Her doctors mentioned that if she could go 6-8 hours without an albuterol treatment, then she would possibly go home tomorrow with oxygen help at home. I hope!!! :) Well her last treatment was at 9 am this morning. This afternoon, Daddy and Eva came to visit. Since Natalie was napping. I took Eva, Daddy stayed with Natalie. We went grocery shopping and I did a little bit of birthday shopping for Eva. What fun we had together. She sure loved letting me know how much she missed me, by pulling my hair.
When I got back to the hospital, as I was walking into the room. Natalie's face lit right up. She said, Mommy, Sis. Gotta love that girl! She ate dinner, bathed, and eventually fell asleep 9 pm. She really really wanted her blanket. But it was still at home in the wash. She is out sleeping, and started dipping in the low 90's at 1/2 liter, they moved her up to 1 liter. So far so good. I sure hope we can go home tomorrow. I missed being home with my hubby and Eva.