Our Sick Baby

Sick children have consumed a lot of my time lately. I've been wanting to post for quite some time. Now we have lots to say.

Unfortunately, we have had a crazy, stressful, emotional week. Thanks to the prayers and support of family and friends we feel emotionally supported and have kept our sanity! We serve an amazing God, and we know that Elsie is in His hands as she regains strength and health in the days to come.

It all started last week when Ava became sick with a fever and viral respiratory illness. Being on maternity leave, I kept her home with us M-W. Unfortunately, Elsie's little body caught the virus and became sick on Sunday, the 21st. By Monday she had quite the cough but still no fever. I made a doctor's appointment for Monday and was told that she had a cold, but lungs were clear and given comfort advice and sent home. Tuesday things started to change as far as appetite and behavior but still no fever. I watched for dehydration signs and called a nurse for advice. By Wednesday morning, I was not comfortable with her actions, appetite, sleepiness and color. I got a morning appointment and upon arriving, her vitals were terrible. As I unloaded her from the car seat she appeared much more lethargic and was so weak that she could barely cry. Little did I know that the reason her coughing was less was because she had no energy to cough. She had a very pale complexion and her lips had begun to turn a purple-blue color. It was definitely the scariest thing I have ever experienced.

The nurse taking her vitals was sure that the machines were not working properly as her temp read 93.9 and her blood oxygen level was in the upper 40's to 50's (they like to see 95-100%). She switched out the machines and found that they were in fact correct. The events following were pretty much all a nightmare. They took her to a treatment room within the clinic to administer oxygen and called 911. The paramedics arrived very quickly, and she was transported to St. Elizabeth ER. It was a crazy experience to ride in an ambulance traveling with lights and sirens.

Elsie was so tired and weak from the virus she was fighting, so the attempt to improve her breathing was unsuccessful. The ER doctor made the decision to intubate her and put her on the ventilator. =( Since they needed to do this, the best place for Elsie was in Omaha at Children's Hospital. They sent a pediatric team which consisted of a nurse practitioner, nurse and driver from Children's Hospital to Lincoln for her transport via ambulance. I've been told Children's is the best hospital in the Midwest for her! They staff a medical doctor ("intensivist") on the PICU floor at all times. This is so comforting to know there is always a doctor a few steps away! Below is a picture after they loaded her into the infant life support unit.

Getting ready to head to Omaha...I'm a big girl so it was a tight space!!

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Children's Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska

Look at all my tubes and equipment!
I look sooooo tiny in my big hospital crib - this is how I get to spend my 1-month birthday

Back in Lincoln, she tested positive for RSV, which is a virus that adversely affects infant children. For an older person, it would present as a bad cold. However, babies do not have the ability or immunity to fight it like we can.

Currently, she is at a stable status in the critical care unit. Her stats and levels are looking good. We were told that she will remain on the ventilator for 5-11 days. After she is taking her own breaths and completely weaned off the vent, she will move up to the 4th floor before being discharged. At this point we don't know how many days to expect to be here, but it will be at least a week before she leaves. They want her completely healthy and the virus gone before she leaves. I will keep updating this blog as I have the time and energy!

Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers!!