X-rays, and IV's, and Suction, Oh My!

As alluded to in a previous post, I took Nathan to the Instacare this week (Tuesday) for his nasty cold, cough, and wheezing that wasn't getting better. As the doctor listened to his lungs, he decided that it was very possible that Nathan had pneumonia, so he sent me (and all four of my kids!) to the American Fork Hospital to get Nathan's chest X-rayed. Crazy. Nathan was a trooper, even with all the big, bad machinery. Fortunately, the x-rays did not show pneumonia and it was eventually decided that Nathan's problem is some sort of asthmatic reaction--which may come back to haunt us at some point, but in the moment that news was a relief. He's now on a nebulizer and seems to be getting better quickly.

However, Isaac's RSV wasn't getting better. In fact, he was getting worse. When I realized that he's been sick for almost an entire month, I called the nurse and told her our situation and his symptoms--one of which was that he was no longer able to eat.

As the nurse heard what was going on with little tiny Isaac, she was very concerned and pulled some strings to make sure he saw a doctor immediately (both pediatric clinics were booked solid, and I wasn't sure if the emergency room was the right choice...)

So, once again, I toted all four kids to the doctor's office. This time there was no car-dropping nor lip-in-door slamming, thank goodness. But as the doctor looked over my little guy, he realized that we had gotten into somewhat scary territory and it was time to admit him to the hospital.

Fortunately, Brian was able to leave work early and come home and take care of the other three kids.

So, once checked in at the hospital, what do you suppose was our first stop? Chest x-rays, of course. I was wondering how on earth they would manage it. When we'd done Nathan's, he had been able to sit on a special cushion on the x-ray table. But Isaac is so tiny and, of course, can't sit on his own just yet. So this is how they do it:



Basically they stuff him into a tube and strap his arms straight up. Oh, how he screamed! I just had to take a picture of it. I think the technologist thought I was nuts, but I couldn't let something so bizarre go unphotographed!

I stayed the night with Isaac at the hospital. It was so crazy. The poor baby couldn't settle down. New bed, new place, and, of course, tubes and IV's and monitors attached to his little body made it impossible to get comfortable. Plus, the nurses were coming in every two hours at least to check his vitals and so on.


Finally, at about 4:45 this morning, Isaac settled down and fell asleep, and so I went to sleep too. So wouldn't you just know it that at 5:30, the nurses come marching in with tubes and needles to draw blood! SERIOUSLY??? At FIVE-FREAKING-THIRTY IN THE MORNING??? It couldn't have waited until, say, 7:30?

Anyway, Brian is in the hospital with him now and I'm at home with the other three little monkeys. We'll just keep switching back and forth until Isaac can come home--and no, we have no word yet on when that will be, but when the doctor looked at him last night he said that he thought it would likely be a couple more days.

(Remember that part about Isaac's life not always being easy?)

Thanks for all the love, prayers, and kind notes on our behalf! We'll keep you all posted.