Night at the Hospital

When one family member gets sick, they all get sick...a domino effect...one falls right after the other!!!

First it was Beau with fever and sinus infection, then Brock with achiness and tummy ache, then Tytus with congestion and croupy cough....then Cash with cough...more like BARK and more barking! And wheezing and more wheezing! And trouble breathing and heaving chest! And more barking and wheezing and heaving chest and trouble breathing!

Of course the worst of it came AFTER I had already taken them all to the doctor and AFTER Brock left town on a business trip! Monday night consisted of no sleep (for Cash or me), giving breathing treatments, sticking his head in the freezer, contemplating calling 911 or rushing to the emergency room and LOTS of praying!

Now we've done this whole croup, wheezing, breathing treatments, no sleep thing numerous times with the other boys, but this was much different...not only because it was worse and kept getting worser (yeah I said worser), but because I was home alone and in a town where I basically don't know anyone!

By morning Cash was only getting worse. A phone call to his pediatrician led me to load up all three of the boys and RUSH...let me say that again RUSH to the Emergency Room! Four hours later, three breathing treatments, two x-rays, and one IV later, we were in the ambulance on our way to St. Francis Children's hospital. His official diagnosis- Para influenza and Bronchiolitis... in layman's terms- a really bad case of croup with strider (which basically means he was trying to breath, but his airway was the size of a small straw and there was gunk in his lungs! More steroids, breathing treatments, IV fluids, and close observation was just what the doctor ordered! A little over 24 hours later and he was discharged under the care of Dr. Mom. He is much better today...exhausted and a little fussy, but all in all getting back to himself!

And that's our story. Of course I had to snap a few pictures along the way (once I knew he was going to be alright and was in good hands I reached for the camera!)

Poor little sweetie! He was one sick boy, in fact the ER doctor told us that in his 25 years of practice he had only seen 4 or 5 kids as bad as he was.

Big brothers sat in the ER room for about four hours until Uncle Craig could come and help. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THESE BOYS! They did a wonderful job...I could not have asked for them to be more well behaved! I am really proud to be their Mommy.

Cash was very glad to see Daddy walk through the door. It only took a few minutes for him to fall asleep in Brock's arms...the first time he had slept in hours.

I too was very glad to see Daddy! Being alone with a really sick child and trying to make decisions about what to do with him by myself made me realize many things...1. I am so thankful for Brock and his leadership (and gentleness), 2. I am very gracious that I am not a single parent and I pray for constant protection over Brock, 3. I CAN do what needs to be done and be level headed and calm WITHOUT having a moment of freaking out and getting emotional and being mean to Brock and then feeling better after I've let it all out and hurt his feelings!! How immature, 4. God is good to give us the answers when we stop, ask, and be quiet (I'm sure I already knew this, but obviously needed to be reminded.)

Those hospital cribs are nuts...I started having flashbacks to when Tytus was in the hospital as a baby. Cash thought his crib was nuts too, so Brock and I took turns holding him all night.

Without trying to sound too dramatic, it really was a crazy 48 hours! I always knew he was going to be just fine, but the urgency of the doctors and nurses let me know that this was more serious than I thought. Thanks to modern medicine and answered prayers our little chunky monkey is just fine! And thanks to our wonderful family the other boys were well taken care of during our night at the hospital!