Guess where I am in this picture? While you think on that awhile I will catch you up to speed. Mommy should have known that we all got off too easy with this cold. Around 2 am, Marianne said I started coughing and couldn't stop so I was awake most of the night. During the day, my parents started the steroid treatments again and then kept my HME on me all day. I was really junky but the coughing wasn't too bad until I would lie down for a nap. Needless to say, I didn't really get any sleep during my mid-morning nap. Sarah was supposed to work from 2-8 today. She was running late and didn't arrive until almost 2:45. My parents had put me down for my afternoon nap and I was just about asleep but the activity got me up and going again. My parents ran off to do a few errands and have dinner. At 5:30 they headed back home to check on me. When Mommy walked in Sarah informed her that I still had not slept and I was coughing uncontrollably. Mommy gave me another steroid breathing treatment and I was starting to relax a little but Sarah insisted that I go to the ER. My parents sent Sarah on her way and then bundled me into the car. So did you guess where the picture was taken at - that's right - the UC Davis ER, our home away from home!By the time we got to UC Davis, the coughing had let up quite a bit. They got me into a room right away (one of the few advantages of being a child with a trach - ER preference) and got me started on a albuteral treatment since I was working pretty hard to breathe. After the last URI my parents had a pretty good idea of the process. Thus began the discussion of will they or won't they - admit me that is. This is a new game my parents play while they wait in the ER. After the breathing treatment it was time for a chest xray. The doctor on duty thought it showed signs of pneumonia so my parents had to wait for the radiologist to read it. The tide was turning towards an admission. The doctor came back a little later to let my parents know that the xray didn't show any sign of pneumonia - the tide has turned back - admission was unlikely. Time for another breathing treatment. This time I fell asleep during it. The doctor came in to say that they could admit me but there wasn't much more that they would do that my parents couldn't do at home. Since my parents were pretty comfortable with dealing with this type of viral infection from last time, UC Davis felt okay sending me home as long as they agreed to bring me back if I showed any further signs of respiratory distress. The paperwork was finished and we just needed the nurse to take a final set of vitals before we could leave. The nurse was very busy talking with her coworkers so my parents waited and waited and waited - about 1/2 hour. Finally she came in and had to disturb my first sleep in close to 24 hours with a rectal temperature. She looked a little concerned because it registered 101.7. She told my parents to hold off leaving until she talked to the doctor about the high reading - now it was looking like I might be admitted after all. When the doctor came in she had the nurse give a dose of Motrin to help with the fever and then sent us on our way - whew - that was close!
The ride home I slept and when I got put in my crib I stayed asleep - but not for long. Daddy stayed up with me tonight and we had a rough night together. I needed more Tylenol and more breathing treatments. Mommy's shift will start in the morning so Daddy can go to bed. It's been a long day for everyone and it is looking like my surgery on Wednesday is going to get cancelled until I am feeling better.
Peyton Nicole Smith
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