Close Call..

Well, yesterday was not the exact day-before-Thanksgiving that I had planned.  Our little Hannah was coughing a lot on Tuesday.  She was up all night long (literally like 10 times) Tuesday night going in to Wednesday.  We decided at about 3:00am that Paul would take her to the walk in hours at 8:00am.  When I got Hannah up and started getting her dressed, I noticed her struggling to breath a bit, retractions in her stomach and neck from breathing, and some wheezing.  Respiratory distress.  Lovely.

Paul got to the Pediatrician's office.  They asked Hannah's symptoms.  They asked to see her belly and immediately pushed him up before the other 8 families already sitting in the waiting room.  The Dr. came back to see them and was concerned at how much Hannah was working to breathe.  They took her pulse oxygen level and it was 91.  Not good.  They did a breathing treatment, pulse ox still at 91, did another and it actually went down to 89.  Yep, Paul said he knew it was time.  They came in, took Paul and Hannah on the stretcher and off to Children's Hospital they went in the ambulance. 

On the other end of town, I'm sitting at home, with Ella and Hailee, about to lose my mind.  The wait to find out what was going on was bad enough.  Ella and I were in the middle of making some turkey cupcakes (Pinterest inspired, super cute, photos later) which I obviously had to put an end to.  I had to explain that someone had to come stay with them while mommy went and saw Hannah at the doctor with daddy.  That did not go well.  Ella started crying, screaming.  Then Hailee started crying.  The poor girls.  Help came to watch the girls and I was off.  I called a friend on the way to the hospital and thinking back on it now, she probably couldn't even understand me.  I was hysterical.

When I got to the hospital, Hannah was sitting there on Paul's lap.  Ok, this was not so bad.  If it were bad enough, she would be on oxygen (I guess she was on oxygen all the way in the ambulance).  She looked sleepy, and sick.  We went through meeting with the resident doctor, then another breathing treatment, then checking her levels more, then another treatment, then meeting with the attending doctor.  He said that she was looking much better, at this time she was playing on the bed, being her happy, silly self.  Her oxygen level was up to between 92 and 93 (still not great, they want it over 95) and her breathing was much slower with barely any retraction.  He agreed to let us go home after one more treatment.  YAY!  He said we seem to have a handle on things and what to look for in reasons to bring her back.  I sure didn't think once I got to the hosiptal we would be leaving so soon.  I didn't think it would be a two week stay like last time, but at least a shorter stay, maybe a few days or so like Hailee had last time.  The breathing treatments obviously helped.  We have an inhaler at home and are required to do them here once every four hours.  Hannah is also on some liquid breathing medication for the next four days.  Both doctors did say this is related to asthma.  She most likely already has it and these breathing problems are something we will have to deal with for the next few years with her.  The problems can come on fast, like they did yesterday, and can be mild or severe.  The thought of this happening over and over again makes my stomach turn.  *If you are wondering what I am meaning when I say "last time this happened", read this post from less than a year ago.

I just kept thinking to myself "Hannah cannot go through this again, I cannot go through this again, my family cannot go through this again".  I am thankful we are home.  It's been a rough week for other reasons as well and all I feel now is thankful.  Something somewhat major happens, and once again things are put into perspective. 

Today is Thanksgiving.  I hope everyone reading this is thankful for the love and family in their lives.  Life is way to precious to take for granted.  Give your kid an extra hug today, tell a family member you love them, and your spouse how much they mean to you.  I know I sound all wishy-washy right now, but hey, it's 5:30am and after yesterday's events all I can feel is thankful.  The Lord puts us in these situations for whatever reason, to make us stronger, to test us, to help us depend on Him.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving today.  I will post photos later of my girls in their ribbon turkey shirts I made them and some of my other Pinterest inspired crafts and food I've been working on.  *I have no idea where all of this creativity came from either.  But we've sure had a fun week or so preparing for this glorious day!



Our sweet girl in her hospital bed yesterday.