RSV, etc...

Well, Ellie started having a cough on Fri. Jason and the baby also had a cough/cold so I wasn't too worried about it.

On Mon night I had to add oxygen to her bi-pap and also Tues. She was also cying off and on so I thought maybe it was an ear infection.

I took her to the pediatrician on Tues morn. He said no ear infection. He said her throat was a little red. He tested for strep and it was negative. He said that her breathing was a little rattly.

He wrote for blood work and a chest x-ray.

Ellie had an appointment at Primary's to refill her baclofen pump later that afternoon. So I did the blood and x-ray at Primary's since we were already there.

The pediatrician said that if the x-ray showed pnemonia that we should go to the ER.

The x-ray showed pnemonia starting.

So about 5:25 PM we checked into the ER at PCMC.

They ran blood cultures and checked her snot for RSV.

She tested positive for RSV and also Human Metapneumo Virus. The second one is very similar to RSV.

They admitted us. THey said that RSV is raging right now. They put us in NTU (Neuroscience Trauma Unit) because the Medical Unit was completely full. They said that they are double and triple bunking kids upstairs right now. Ellie has her own room

The parent bed in NTU are WAY WAY better than medical. They are more like a futon.

We finally got into a room at 10 PM last night. By the time we got settled in it was midnight.

They said that RSV peaks around 4-7 days. We are at about day 5.

Today we have weaned her O2 to 1 liter (down from 2).

SHe is still coughing occasionally. She is doing well. SHe has been awake and comfortable.

This morning she spiked a fever of 101.8. It came right down with tylenol and an ice water sponge bath. Her temp has been stable for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow morning they are going to recheck her cortisol and thyroid (Remember she had some weird readings on her last hospitalization).
also a CBC and blood gas.

Yesterday her white blood cells were lower than they wanted. I said "don't your blood cells go higher when you are sick?" They said that they can go higher or lower. Today her white blood cells came up a little bit. So that shows that she is fighting and getting better.

Nothing has grown out of her blood cultures.

She doesn't have a focalized pnemonia which would indicate a bacterial infection.

WHat they saw on x-ray was the RSV. She does not have RSV and pnemonia.

SPRING WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!?

We're doing fine. We'll be home in a few days.

As a side note... Tabitha had a cough and it got better. Then Millie just came down with a cough. They went to the Dr. today and he said that if Ellie has it, then they have it too.