oh the week...

It's been quite a week. I'll start with last Friday, one week ago. Grace went to school in the morning and to a birthday party that evening. It was a fun day and she was feeling great! Saturday morning she woke up with a little cough. I wasn't too worried- seriously, Grace gets little coughs all the time. We headed out to the movie theater to see a cheap screening of Madagascar. The cough turned into gasping and labored breathing that got worse and worse.
The swine flu is rampant in the little city we live in, and our best friends had just had it the previous week, so I was quite certain... she had swine flu! We loaded up and headed to the immediate care office since it was Saturday. I was expecting a flu diagnosis and a script for Tamiflu- in and out! We never made it to immediate care. On the way there, Grace's breathing became much worse and we decided that the emergency room was in order. Her stomach and throat were collapsing terribly with every breath. It was so so scary. We arrived at the ER and I explained that she must have the swine flu. We were outcast to the end of a long and lonely hallway to wait. Thirty minutes passed and Grace became very sleepy and unresponsive. I marched back up to the desk and explained that she needed to be seen NOW! The receptionist explained that there were many patients ahead of us, but after I made it clear that I wasn't sitting back down, she came to see what bad shape my little Grace was in. She agreed, went to the back to talk to a nurse, returned and told us we would be next.
First, they took her temp - it was 99, not really too bad. Next, the flu swab... ughh... it went so far up her little nose, we had to hold her down while they did it... poor baby. They immediately started steroids and breathing treatments and then sent her for a chest x-ray. The breathing treatments helped immediately and the steroids were right behind. Her temp dropped back down to normal and she never had a fever again. Her flu test was negative and her x-rays were clear. Her breathing was still very short and strained. And then, we waited... a long time. After the medicine had time to really be effective, the ER doc returned to reevaluate her. He thought that her breathing had not improved much and admitted her into the hospital. The diagnosis was bronchitis and an underlying restrictive airway disease (asthma!).

Night 1 at the hospital

Although her breathing wasn't great, she felt fairly decent with the steroids and breathing treatments and wasn't upset to be in the hospital. Night 1 was rough once she went to sleep... lots of moaning and waking up crying... oh, and waking up for breathing treatments all night. When the nurse checked her at 1 a.m., her oxygen level was low, so she had to have tubes put in her nose for some extra air. Oh, she hated that! I had to literally hold her down for 20 minutes until she gave up trying to rip it out. We made it through the night and the next day was better. Her best little friend, Meredith came to visit the next day which was very exciting for Grace!

Grace really felt much better on Day 2, but we couldn't go home until she made it through the night with out needing oxygen. She really kinda liked her stay though. There were hours and hours of coloring...

and even a new light bright...

Grace with her new friend, Zippy

Night two went much better than the first and she was cleared to go home on Monday. We are all so happy to be home and to have Grace feeling better. I think she would go back to the hospital tomorrow given chance... she loved the visitors, get-well gifts and even the hopital food!)... but she has been sad about missing school and dance. We are ready for next week!

Grace returned to the doctor this morning for her check up visit. Doctor M said she sounded good and we're going to continue breathing treatments as needed and try out Singulair to fight off allergies.

***Are you wondering where little May May was during all of this?? Our friends adopted her for the weekend, so she was well taken care of. Thank YOU so much!!!! :)