She's a Trooper!

Its been a rough past couple of weeks for the Jacobs Fam. Last week Maddie got sick on Thurs w/fever and breathing problems (the usual illness she gets every couple of weeks.) She got increasingly worse and I got her in to the dr on Friday. The checked her oxygen levels, they were in low 80s (normal is 99-100% in a healthy person) so they immediately rushed to find an oxygen tank. We did a breathing treatment and she stayed on oxygen the whole time. The dr took one look at her and said we needed to go straight to Children's hospital.

We go to the ER and they tested her for the flu and RSV, did xrays took blood, etc. she tested positive for RSV and her xray showed pneumonia in her right lung. It took 4 diff nurses and 7 tries in 7 diff veins to get an IV in. It was AWFUL! We were admitted to the hospital after 4.5 hrs in the ER waiting on a room to be ready upstairs. Since she had RSV the hospital requires her to be on mild isolation, so we had to gown and glove up to transport her and the nurses had to gown and glove when entering her room. RSV is very contagious and dangerous in babies, so they have to take these precautions.

We spent Fri night, Sat night in the hospital and got to go home Sunday afternoon. She recieved oxygen, breathing treatments, IV antibiotics and fluids to treat her conditions. Fri night was awful with no sleep b/c Madelyn wouldn't wear her mask and I had to hold it near her face all night when the oxygen monitor alarmed. By Sat night she didn't need the oxygen ALL of the time, so it was a little better. Sunday she was feeling so much better, and didn't need the oxygen much at all so we got released. At home was another nightmare in itself b/c she was traumatized from her hospital stay and all the poking and prodding. She would just have absolute meltdowns and scream like I've never heard before over nothing. Each day she got a little better and now she's back to normal. Went to the dr for a follow up Thurs, and he said things look very good.

We had the sweetest 4 yr old girl as a roomate in the hosptial named Sarah. She had RSV too, and that tracheamalacia thing that Madelyn will be tested for when she has her tonsil surgery. She colored pics for us and shared her toys with Madelyn. She was still in and on oxygen, and not sure when she was going hm when we were discharged. I pray that she finally got to go hm. Her family was very nice too. Its always good to have great roomates in the hospital!

This pneumonia episode will postpone Madelyn's upcoming surgeries to April 17 rather than FEb 27. They require her to be off antibiotics from pneumonia for a min of 6 weeks before doing general anesthesia to make sure her lungs are working thier best. It really stinks to wait so long. Was anxious to get it over with, so she can start living life to the fullest.