Story of a Sickie II

Before/During Emi's breathing treatment:


AFTER the breathing treatment(showing the kitty cat how to use the inhaler):

Emi is having a heck of a time. It's 1130 at night. I can't go to sleep 'cause my little girl is sick, and I'm scared it's going to get worse tonight. =(

We went back to the pediatrician today because altho Emi started on a different antibiotic on Friday, she is only getting worse. A lot worse. The fevers are still up; the coughing is worse. The wheezing.... O2 sats were low again, respirations high. Working to breathe. Ordered a breathing treatment, another chest xray, adding an inhaler, an additional antibiotic, and we are to return every day to see the doctor, unless they admit her.

3/15/10 XRAY Report:
INDICATION: Pneumonia, not responding to therapy
COMPARISON/CORRELATION: 3/12/10
FINDINGS: Upright PA and lateral views of the chest are submitted. Lung
volumes are low, decreased compared to prior study. The lungs are remarkable for significant worsening of infiltrate on the left. Involvement is more extensive
than before but remains confined to the upper lobe. The consolidation appears
more severe but that is at least partly related to volume loss. No pleural fluid
seen. The heart is normal size. The mediastinal contour is normal. The hila are
unremarkable.
IMPRESSION: Worsening of left upper lobe infiltrate.

We were at the doctor's for hours today. After the breathing treatment, and assigning of new meds, the doc and I agreed that she would only call me tonight if they found something concerning on the xray. We weren't even 15 minutes out of the xray when she called. And in that amount of time the xray had been read, dictated, signed by the radiologist, sent to the pediatric doc, and called to me.

So here I am. Now 1146. I'm listening to Emi breathing as I'm writing.

She did seem to do better for a few hours after the breathing treatment. It was nice to see her back with a little bit of spunk. Since we've been home tonight, she's successfully used her inhaler, and shared with the kitty cat. We were hoping that the inhaler would just help get her thru the next night or two or three while the antibiotics go to work. But that fever is creeping back up, and that seems to be the clincher to bring everything else back down again.

1211... not sure how much sleep I'm going to get tonight. I'm really very much wavering on taking her to the ER tonight. I can deal with a throwing up kid, a crying kid, but it's the gasping for air kid that is totally unfamiliar to me. Darn.

1215: edited to add: she just giggled in her sleep. I think I'm going to take that as my queue to try and catch a few winks. =)