Sick Sam

This week was a week of many firsts, and hopefully lasts for Sam: his first sickness, first trip to the ER, first ambulance ride, and first hospital visit for sickness.

It all started on Monday when Sam woke up with what Ned thought was a little rattle in his chest. I didn't hear it, so we assumed it was his reflux. By mid-morning, our sitter said he was coughing, and when he woke up from his afternoon nap, he had a fever. I left school and found him looking and sounding terrible, so we headed straight to the doctor. He had symptoms of croup (the barking cough) but also symptoms of something respiratory (slight wheezing). The pediatrician gave him a steroid shot for croup and a nebulizer treatment in the office. The nebulizer helped but resulted in Sam and Avery crying. Anrae said we'd be in for a long night and encouraged me to sleep close by. I planned to stay home the next day and slept in the guestroom. Sam coughed some in the night but never woke.

He seemed to be much better Tuesday. I checked in with the doctor to see if I needed to continue breathing treatments and only did 2 instead of consistently every 4 hours. He was eating well and playing with Avery, so I thought we were through the worst.

He woke up around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, and Ned went to check on him. He called me over the monitor because his breathing didn't sound good. A treatment and a trip outside (a humid night is no help) did not make me feel better about his breathing. Ned said he would take him to the ER since I would be getting up to go to work. We took Avery to the ER for croup when she was 4 months old, so I assumed Sam and Ned would be back in an hour or two like we were with Avery. I of course couldn't go back to sleep and even got up and did some school work because I didn't know what they day would bring. Ned kept me posted through texts and said that they had done more breathing treatments, more steroids, and an antibiotic in case of secondary infection. A chest x-ray was clear, so I thought they'd be coming home soon.

Ned then texted a little before 3 a.m. and said that the ER doctor was still not pleased with the way Sam sounded, and that he wanted him admitted somewhere. Our hospital in town does not admit children, so he would need to go to the hospital where our doctor is affiliated or to MCV in Richmond. No one around here wants to hear that someone is being sent to MCV, so I was immediately in a panic. They talked to our pediatrician, and she recommended going to MCV since she could ultimately admit Sam then send him to CHKD in Norfolk.

I was of course in total panic at this point. I got up and did school work for the 2nd time before 4 a.m. There was no way for me to switch places with Ned without getting someone to stay with Avery, so we decided I would get her to Jennifer's and then come to Richmond. At 5:30 a.m. I started packing for Sam, Ned, and me. I got Avery up at 6:30 and put her right in the car with her pajamas on. My mother-in-law came to get Sammy the dog, and Ned texted that they were there as we were leaving.

I dropped Avery off at Jennifer's, got my laptop cord at school (isn't that terrible to have to think about work?), and left a key at my parents'. I arrived in Richmond around 9 a.m. I had talked to Ned a few times and knew that Sam was doing well other than refusing the hospital bottles and not sleeping...at all. I had no idea where I was going and Richmond and thought I could just follow signs. There are a lot of signs in a small area with lots of small, one-way roads, city buses, and general city confusion. I literally thought I was going to lose it when Ned couldn't really tell me where they were and I couldn't find a parking garage that I could actually drive into. I finally pulled into a valet line and figured out I was where I needed to be. The hospital was bustling to say the least, and I was thrilled to finally pull a curtain back and see my buddy. He looked and sounded so much better and gave me a big smile.

I immediately fixed Sam a bottle, and he was eating when a whole team of doctors came in. MCV is a medical college, so Sam had lots of people interested in his condition. The doctors were sure it was a bad case of croup, were pleased with how he looked and how he was eating, and wanted a clear throat x-ray and for him to sleep before we went home. Once he ate I held him for about an hour while he slept, and he was not happy to have to wake up for an x-ray. Ned said that was the first time he had fussed.

We got some lunch, Sam ate again, and another doctor came in and told us we could go home. Someone was happy to hear that.

He fell asleep playing as we waited for his discharge papers and even continued to sleep as the nurse removed all his hook-ups.

We left Richmond around 1:30 p.m. and willed ourselves to stay awake in the car. My mom brought Avery home, and after dinner, Avery and I went to dance. Life must go on! Sam is doing much better now, and we are so thankful for all the prayers from our families and friends. I teared up over each Facebook comment, text, and phone call. It is overwhelming to be prayed for when you really need it.