After last week's appointment in Ohio, we had a few days at home trying to sort out Samantha's new med/vent schedule. On Monday morning our girl woke up seeming to be her usual self.
And, then the sneezing started.
I probably should have counted the sneezes, as I have never witnessed anyone sneeze quite as many times as she did that morning. Within a few hours, she was just plain sick. By three PM Samantha was feverish, coughing and not keeping down her fluids. Sam looked like most of us would look after weeks of being sick. At 8 PM we reached out to Dr. C to see what he thought we should do (knowing full well what his answer would be). He recommended we go to the ER to start IV fluids.
It probably seems silly to most to take a sick child to the ER after just a few hours of not keeping fluids down. But unfortunately, that's what the doctors feel would be best for Samantha due to her mitochondrial disease. With typical kids, you would take them to get IV fluids IF they were dehydrated. In Sam's case, you want to avoid dehydration at all costs (both for the immediate affects on her body, and to possibly avoid future progression of her disease).
So, for the second time in less than two weeks, we went to the ER. As usual, Samantha did great in the intake area, but began to cry as soon as she saw the room with the bed in it. She hates the ER, and staying in the hospital. The attending in the ER agreed that IV fluids were necessary and admitted Sam. Due to Samantha's trach/vent, all hospital stays begin in the PICU.
To sum it up quickly, it was three days of a sad, sick kid and mommy in a bed. If mommy tried to leave the bed, the kid became even more sad. Therefore, mommy did not leave the bed.
Medically speaking, she tested positive for rhinovirus (a cold). Samantha was given IV fluids for a little over a day and then they began to taper them off as her feed levels were able to be increased. By Wednesday Sam was cleared to move to the PCU. (The Progressive Care Unit--which although still considered critical care, is a step down from the PICU at our local hospital.) We were able to come home on Thursday night.
Samantha is still struggling with the lingering affects of her cold, but she is definitely much happier now that she is home.
It's been a long few weeks for all of us, and Val and I are hopeful that things will begin to settle down soon.
Until next time,
Monica
