{RSV}

It's been quite the week for us. Our little Macy was admitted to Phoenix Children Hospital Saturday afternoon for RSV. We got to finally come home last night (Tuesday). We are so happy to be home!! 

As most of you know, Maggie got sick over a week ago. I think it is because she has the Craven tounge and she has a really hard time keeping it in her mouth...for instants licking the walls at Macy's 1 week Dr. appointment-- I think that did it for her, or was it licking the door at Cold Stone....? Either way, we all got sick. We tried really hard to keep Maggie and Kaiden away from the baby. It was a dificult week trying to seperate a new baby from the family. The kids did well at not being around her, not touching her and kissing her, but I think we all knew that she would probably get sick. We were hoping for the best. 

Macy started to get stuffy last Thursday night and started showing bigger signs that day and especially Friday night. Friday night actually scared me a bit,  she started coughing and would lose her breath. I stayed up with her all night long with her on my chest. I sat with her in a steam shower several times, that really seamed to help. First thing Saturday morning I called the Dr. and they said that I needed to go to a Specialty Urgent Care, because that is where they could run test on her, the earliest they could get me in was at noon. I was there at noon, they put me right into a room and did an quick evaluation on her, ran some test and then came in to tell me that she needed to be admitted to the hospital she was positive with RSV. I said alright, signed some papers and took her in. Of course when we got there they said they didn't have room for her, they were slammed!! (What is my luck with being no room when I need a room at the hospital?? I have greater respect for Mary! ) So they put me in a tiny ER room while they tried to find a room for her. In that little room she got her first breathing treatment and meet several doctors. Our little ER neighbor was a boy who I think broke a bone, maybe his arm. He kept on yelling "MOM! DON'T LET THEM TOUCH ME, THEY ARE GOING TO KILL ME. THEY WANT ME TO DIE!!!! " It broke my heart!! After being in that room for 5 hours they moved us upstairs to a shared room. 

Our first roommate was an African American 5 month old baby with RSV, she was a loud little gal, but not as loud as her mother!!! Before I got into the room, while walking down the hall I could hear the MAMA! She was young, I think still in High School, and was obviously caught up with some bad people. Her stories while on the phone with her HOMMIES, were kinda crazy. For instants right before her daughter was admitted she got in a fight and slashed someones tires and went to find her stolen gun...it was an interesting 2 days! She was sweet and substituted a very frequent swear word with the word SUGAR for me,  that was nice of her!!! :) I was happy to see her go...only hours later we got a new roommate, a 5 day old baby girl with RSV. This baby was quiet compared to the other little girl, but when this baby got hungry she got really MAD, I have never heard such loud cries from such a small little thing...but at least when she wasn't hungry she was quiet. I actually slept better the two nights we shared. We have lots of stories from all of our roommates! :) It kept things interesting!

While we were there Macy got suctioned lots and lots, she was on oxygen and had a hard time keep things down. There isn't much treatment you can do for RSV, they don't prescribe antibiotics, because it is a virus. All they do is monitor oxygen levels and keep the airways as open as possible and they do that by doing different types of suctioning. The first two days she couldn't keep her oxygen levels up on her own, she would go an hour or so but then she would drop back down. Finally on Monday afternoon she was able to stay off off oxygen. 

The criteria for going home is to be off oxygen day and night and not be deep suctioned for a 12 hour period. Macy needed lots of suction. She also ran a fever on Sunday night, so Monday we spent our day running test, and they even threatened a spinal tap, luckily they ended up not doing it. Monday she also started throwing up, which was concerning. Monday she stopped breathing for a quick minute and I nearly lost it. She was purple so I called for help and she was able to breathe and then puked. So we stayed another day because of that scare. They actually gave us the choice last night if we stay or go. We opted to go. She could of used a deep suctioning last night and she had 3 episodes of puking yesterday...but everything else look good so the Dr. said if we were comfortable being at home with her we could go. Jake and I counseled and decided she would sleep better and get better quick if we took her home, so they discharged us. 

She did great last night and is doing wonderfully today. We are so happy to have her home and have our family back together!!

I also requested an ECHO while we were there to check her heart murmor, they did it Monday and it looked great. Nothing to be concerned about! Yay!

This week was tricky. Kaid and Mags were sick so we couldn't pass them off to friends down here so Jake and I could both be there with Macy and so Jake could go to work. So Jake ended up taking Monday and Tuesday off of work to be with Kaiden and Maggie. There is a rule at the hospital that NO CHILDREN 12 YEARS OR YOUNGER can come to visit the hospital. We wouldn't of taken them in anyway because they were sick, but it made things kinda difficult. Jake wanted to be with Macy, the kids wanted to see me, I wanted a shower and maybe a nap...so this is how we worked it.

Jake would call and and say he was on his way (it's a 30 min drive) I would gather my stuff together and wait for his call again. He would call I would get the nurse to sit with Macy and I would run down to the main entrance round-about and swap places with Jake. He would run upstairs and I would take the kids home.  I would shower and get some stuff done around the house, spend sometiem with the kids, and close my eyes for a minute, then I would load the kids in the car and do the switch again. Jake came twice a day with the kids, he would relieve me for a few hours each day and then bring me dinner each night (the graham crackers and peanut butter weren't' cutting it for me) so Jake would usually meet me in the parking lot and I would eat dinner in the car with the kids while Jake went and said good night to Macy. I spent most of the time and everynight with Macy, Jake held down the fort at home. I asked Kaiden how Dada was doing at home while Mommy was with Macy at the Hospital. He said "Not good, he don't do the ironing, or clean the clothes, or clean the house" I had to chuckle...I guess that is what Mommy does. I was grateful for Jakes help at home and his flexibility, I think Jake has a better appreciation for what Mom's really do. He said "This is why MEN are not MOM'S!!" 

Jake told me when they came yesterday that when they pulled up to the Hospital Maggie said "wook Dad! It's Mommy new house!"

It's been a long week, the most Jake and I have interacted is a quick kiss in the parking lot....it's nice to be home and have all 5 of us together again. 

We feel very blessed that Macy is on her way to health and doing very well. She is such a sweet baby, and though it all she has been amazing. I am grateful for the preisthood, prayers, fasting and great family and friends. Theses trials are here to make us stronger, they wont make us weaker, only stronger! We are truly grateful and blessed.

Many thanks to everyone and your support! 

(Our Utah trip has been delayed again, but we hope to be there soon!)

She was so sick...I felt so bad for her.

This is how little our curtain room was.

This chair I am sitting on was my bed for 3 nights.