A Very Happy Halloween

For those of you who are not on my mom's email list/prayer chain, let me fill you in on the past few days. From the last post, you'll know that we took Erin to the ER on Monday. Tuesday, we got up to go to her 15 month checkup and have her shots and she was still just laying there with her head on Chris's shoulder, breathing hard and looking so so sick. When the PA took her pulse and oxygen level, it was way out of whack. Her oxygen level was in the 80s (we want it to be in the high 90s) and her pulse was up to 180, which means she was working way too hard to breathe. He put her on oxygen and it went up a little, but dropped back alarmingly low when he took it away. The skin between her ribs was sucking in with each struggling breath. They called an ambulance to transport her to the hospital. The EMTs strapped her carseat (and her) into the gurney and put the oxygen next to her face. She slept the whole way to the hospital. My HC went home to grab some clothes and stuff and met us at the hospital. All that day, we battled fevers, lethargy, and low oxygen levels. I held Erin in my arms all day with an oxygen mask next to her face. They tried to put some nose prongs with oxygen on her, but she got too upset and her pulse got too high again. So we waited. She got breathing treatments every four hours. That night her O2 levels got too low again so they put the nose prongs on. She sort of left it alone. Every time I checked her, she had pulled it out and put the prongs on top of her nose. We went back and forth like that until they took it out on Thursday.

Finally, she started feeling better and getting more and more active, though she hasn't really eaten much for about a week. Gramma and Papaw sent her some balloons that were batted around a lot and a stuffed bear that she hugged in her little metal crib at night. They also sent some pretty flowers that were a constant reminder of love and hope. It was pretty dodgy for a while, as we thought they might have to hook her up to an IV. To my everlasting relief, it was not necessary. She managed to drink enough to fill a couple of diapers and we were spared. When her oxygen levels were acceptable, it was necessary to "wean" her off of the oxygen. Last night she was monitored and found to be okay. Today we were discharged and came home!! Finally!
It is so good to be home. Don't get me wrong, the cable was nice, but I missed being in the middle of family life. My wonderful HC held down the fort at home (it was spotless when we got home today (!!!))and drove over every day with Ian to see us. Ian and I went for some great walks so I could get some fresh air.
Erin was so thrilled to be outside today.
Since she does still have RSV, she is contagious for as long as she has mucus in her lungs. So until she quits coughing, we have been ordered to stay away from babies, old people and anyone who may have lung trouble. Sheesh. Some coughs linger forever. But it looks like church is out for us on Sunday.
So we got home and it was flight of the bumblebee to get Ian's Halloween costume ready for the Main St Trick or Treat that started at 4. He wanted to be a robot.
I Googled for ideas (yes, Mother) and got some great ones. Then I headed for Dollar General to see what I could find. I got an LED light to attach somewhere, some metallic quick dry spray paint and some duct tape. And I made a robot. Oh. Yeah. Unh!
Today was Ian's field trip to the pumpkin patch and he was so excited when I picked him up from school. Me too. We ran home to see if the spray paint was dry on his costume and proceeded to add the finishing touches. Then we ran/waddled/carried Ian's costume on the bike stroller to Main St. Erin was kept quarantined inside the enclosed bike stroller. We didn't know anyone else who could have taken Ian trick-or-treating, so we just went anyway. He only tripped and fell over twice. Boy was it a good thing that I brought the duct tape and scissors with us. We had a couple of blowouts. Then we got the hookup at the ambulance table and got our pumpkin bucket filled to the top. Ian was over the moon. Then he proceeded to get a sugar high the likes of which the world has never seen. And it was given to him by an EMT. Of course they cleared out before detox. Cowards.
It took a long time to get him calmed down tonight, but he still had fun. I let him give the trick or treaters candy in their bags. He was very meticulous (and stingy!) about it.
So now everyone is in their own bed (with no beeping or interrupting rectal temperature taking), sleeping like little logs. And I am trying to catch up. But my bed is just looking too too good right now. It'll feel good not to have to go to bed fully dressed. It'll feel good to go to bed, period. So I will.
Thanks to everyone with encouraging words and prayers for us. They were felt and much needed. I thank God for all of it and know that my strength came from Him.