I remember a time when I could take time to write more than twice a year, but that was a different time. I also remember a time when my posts were about happier things like the lastest on The Bachelor, or my favorite trip to Ireland, or how much fun we had at a school function. Once again, different times.
I will start my sad, dark tale 4 weeks ago, right around Valentine's Day, when I noticed Shaun starting to cough. All bad stories in this house start that way. He coughed and sniffed for a couple of days, and I thought very little of it, but that he had a cold. Fast forward 1 week to our mid winter break (a stupid week long break where Michiganders fly south to forget their sorrows) to where Shaun is now coughing to the point of vomiting. He would throw up 2-3 times a day, so I took him to the dr. where I was told that it was a cold that was exasterbated by asthma, and I should give him his inhaler. I rolled my eyes, but did as I was told, knowing that there was something more to it. I also took the baby in at this time because he was coughing a bit, and I just figured it was the same thing that Shaun had. Wrong. After 3 breathing treatments, and a trip to the ER, they found out it was RSV. Awesome!
Does it end there, my friends? No it does not.
Nathan started school at the beginning of March, and I drive him every morning the 15 minutes to get him there by 8:45 so he can eat breakfast and play for an hour and then I take him home. They are working him into it, so he doesn't get overwhelmed, and it makes life a bit busier.
We like to be busy around here.
Shaun was still sick, so I called the dr. and she said to keep up the inhaler, and put him on an oral steroid as well.
Rachel started coughing at the end of the week, and by Monday, she too was coughing to the point of vomiting. I just knew that it was the same thing that Shaun had so I started the treatment for the 'asthma' symptoms and gave her Triamenic to calm down the 'cold' syptoms.
On the 11th, I fought the familiar fight with Shaun to tell him he had to go to school because he didn't act sick except for his cough, and that he threw up last night because of his cough. Its asthma, I told him, then he coughed and threw up at me. Ok, you can stay home, but we still had to take Nate to school. So we dragged all the sickness outside, and run to the car (we were already late), where we find the window shattered, and our GPS stolen. Sweet. But we were late for preschool, so we rush off with the frigid air blasting all 4 kids in the back. That probably made them feel better. I am the best mom. We then had to go through the huge ordeal of insurance and police nonesense. But thats over.
On to this past Monday. The kids were both still coughing and throwing up, so I make out another appointment just because I'm sick of them being home form school, and not because they were any worse than before. We got in there, and I was most worried about Shaun, so they start with him. Pulse-ox:95. Solid. Breathing:clear. He's looking good, but he was the one that threw up twice that morning. I was annoyed once again that his symptoms were not showing up at the right time. So on to Rachel. Pulse-ox:88. Very bad. Breathing: wheezing and crackling. I had just given her a breathing treatment before we left, so that couldn't be right. 4 hours, 3 breathing treatments and a chest x-ray later, we are told that we have 2 options. ER via ambulance, or via car.
Steve was on 30 hour call this day and seeing how I couldn't take Shaun with us, I had to drop him off to my dear friend, Tracey. Luckily Nathan was already being watched by another friend, Wendy, so we just drove as fast as we could and jumped out of the car and rushed into the waiting abyss we know as the UofM hospital.
Rachel was a bit excited by the thought of it finally being her chance to spend a night in the hospital, so that kept it happy until she found out that she needed an IV. Things went pretty bad the rest of that night, but once the antibiotics kicked in, her oxegyn was good, and got her appetite back. They diagnosed her as asthma exasterbated pnuemonia. 2 days in the hospital, with a lot a sitting, she was happy to leave. She did tell everyone that it was cool because she got to choose what to watch on tv, whenever she wanted, and what to eat whenever she wanted.
She still coughs, but she is 100% better. She even went to school today, and played over at a friends house. Its nice to have our sweet girl back to her sweet self.
Shaun was diagnosed with an ear infection and a sinus infection, and now that the antibiotics have kicked in for him, he's doing 100% better, too. After all that, they just needed some strong meds, and now I need a vacation.
