Here we go again...

Unfortunately, Joshua caught a cold from someone this past weekend. Too many loves and kisses with lots of family, I guess :) I hate that he's sick, poor little guy, but part of me is enjoying the break from trying to keep up with the busy, busy bee and enjoying the more cuddly, subdued version of my monkey. Does that make me a bad mom? I hope not... I'm giving him lots of loves and TLC, I promise!

We're home!

Joshua did really well last night and this morning the doctor said he could go home today. YAY! He ate his breakfast and they unhooked him from the monitors and took out his IV. The gave him one last breathing treatment before we left. We have antibiotics to give him for a few more days and we will probably check in with his pediatrician next week to make sure everything has cleared out of his lungs. I asked the respiratory therapist about any lasting effects Joshua might have from this, like if he would be more likely to get lung infections in the future, and she didn't think he would, especially since he didn't have any problems with his lungs before this illness.

So the official diagnosis was RSV, a common viral lung infection that caused bronchiolitis. Some spots on the x-rays looked like it could be pneumonia, as well, so they treated him for that, too.

We are so glad to all be home again. Now we have to get back to real life and keep Joshua eating and drinking normally again. He is feeling so much better, though, and it is wonderful to see him be his usual happy, playful self. Also, I am so glad to be able to sleep in a real bed again!

We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support! We are grateful for our wonderful family and friends!!

Updates

So in my post yesterday, I thought Joshua was going to have to spend another night in the PICU, but he was doing well enough yesterday to move out of the PICU and to a regular room. He was on 100% oxygen Sunday night, then they weaned him down to 2% yesterday morning before moving him out of the PICU. He is still on IV antibiotics and fluids. We've tried to get him to eat or drink something, and last night he was only interested in the grape popcicles. Last night they took him completely off oxygen and he seems to be able to keep his oxygen levels up on just room air, so that is good. He also ate another popcicle this morning, and a little later ate some yogurt, a piece of cheese and a couple pieces of turkey, which is good improvement. He mostly just lays in his crib and sleeps a lot. He's starting to show a little more interest in moving around, so that's good, too. Starting last night he has had breathing treatments every four hours or so that are supposed to help him cough up all the junk in his lungs. They seem to be working and his breathing is much better.

On Friday when he had his first chest x-ray, the urgent care center diagnosed him with pneumonia. While he was in the PICU Sunday night to Monday morning, they did a couple nasal swabs for additional tests and determined he was positive for RSV, which is a respiratory virus. It's a pretty common thing, and most people get it. For adults it just acts like a bad cold, but in kids under 2 years old, it really knocks them out. You just have to help them out as much as you can while the virus runs its course.

We are grateful for the doctors and nurses that are taking good care of Joshua. Adam and I don't like hospitals, but we have noticed that children's hospitals are a little more tolerable than most regular hospitals. We are also grateful for the support of our family and friends. Thank you to all who have prayed for Joshua. We really appreciate it and ask that you continue to keep him in your prayers.

So, yeah

Apparently, 2009 did not appreciate my letter below because it continued to mock me by putting Joshua in the PICU last night.

I'll try to make a kind of long story short. As Adam said below, Friday night Joshua and I were at the Urgent Care Center and the Mary Bridge ER, where they told us he had pneumonia and gave him breathing treatments and sent us home with antibiotics. On Saturday, the antibiotics seemed to be helping a little, but there wasn't rapid improvement like the doctors said it should be. After church on Sunday, a friend in our ward came over to help Adam give Joshua a blessing. Later that afternoon, we noticed his breathing seemed to be getting worse, so we packed up and went back to the Urgent Care Center. They gave him a few more breathing treatments and antibiotics, but his oxygen levels were still kind of low. They consulted with Mary Bridge ER and decided to send us over there. Luckily, it is just right next door. The ER nurses and doctors were pretty concerned when they saw his labored breathing, and eventually we ended up in the Pediatric ICU. Joshua has been on oxygen and IV antibiotics and fluids all night and this morning he seems to be breathing easier. I'm sure the fluid is helping him, too, because he wasn't interested in eating or drinking much at home on Saturday or Sunday.

Needless to say, Adam and I are stressed, but I am mostly relieved that Joshua is getting the oxygen and fluids that he needs that he wasn't getting at home. It sounds like he's going to stay another night in the PICU, and then I'm not sure how long he will stay in a regular room after that. Please keep the poor little guy in your prayers. They will be much appreciated!

An Open Letter to 2009

Dear 2009,

Can we please start over? I really don't like the way these first ten days have started out between us, and I would really like the chance to start afresh. I know the new year that you represent is supposed to bring new beginnings and refreshed hope for things to come, but I'm just not feeling it yet. Just for the record, ear infections and my child getting pneumonia are NOT the way to make a good first impression. Just so you know, spending my time in the ER with Joshua until the wee hours of the morning is not my idea of fun, for future reference.

So I call for a do-over. Let's turn back the clock and start over with a more healthy new year. Please? What do you say?

Thanks much,
Lisapants