Kids in the hospital








It's funny the things that kids can remember. 

When my kids were little, they were hospitalized 12 times for asthma.

Even though daughter Kitty is in high school now, she told me she can still remember the last time she was hospitalized at age 7. She said she was SO MAD that she had to be in the hospital AGAIN!

Kitty and Son #2 both had pneumonia (as is our usual winter activity...) and were both VERY sick. We had already:

And they were still getting worse. Son #2 was the first to end up in the hospital. He was admitted one night around 3am (they always get worse during the night.....)

Neighbor was at home while we were getting Son #2 admitted. and she was watching Kitty. When I returned from the hospital at 4am, i gave Kitty another breathing treatment. As soon as the doctor's office opened, I was on the phone to get them to look at Kitty.

Pediatrician listened to her lungs, reviewed her medications, and said, "Well, if she gets worse, you can bring her back tomorrow." I replied, "She won't be here tomorrow, she'll be admitted tonight."

I surprised myself when I said that. I don't know how I knew....I just knew.

I watched her all day and watched for the signs of an asthma emergency  

I knew she was getting worse. The final straw was when I was using the oxygen monitor that night.


It had been steadily dropping and had reached 91 (you should be close to 100.) I knew from past experience that our hospital will admit my kids if they have all the signs of an asthma emergency and their oxygen level drop to 90 or 91.

I called Hubby at the Pediatric Unit and said, "I'm bringing Kitty down to get admitted. Meet me in the ER." By this time, I had learned "the ropes" of having a kid in the hospital for asthma.
 
As soon as we entered the ER, they took us right back to a room and could see how sick she was. I told the ER Doc that her brother was admitted the night before and I felt she needed to be admitted too - it was time for the professionals to take over. She said, "Yes, good idea."  

I asked ER Doc to call up to Pediatrics and move Son #2 to a double room so he and Kitty could share a room. (See? I told you I had learned the ropes....)
 
This is the part where Kitty gets mad because she has to be admitted to the hospital.....again. But, she got to spend time with her brother and they were able to battle pneumonia together. Until he was discharged a day later, and she was stuck there for her 7th birthday. (The birthday story can be another post on another day.)
 
It's always funny to hear what kids remember. She was mad that she was admitted to the hospital again, but doesn't remember the story leading up to it. 
 
Well, Kitty....now you know!  

My Life as an Asthma Mom! Sometimes I wonder how I have survived all the stress over the years....

Comments

  1. Ugh I have pancreatitis again. It hurts so much and I keep throwing up and my vision is getting blurry. If I'm not feeling better by tomorrow I will have my fiance take me to the ER

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  2. It's so funny what kids remember. My daughter is our asthmatic and she remembers when she had to be in the hospital on Easter and the easter bunny visited her there. I love reading your blog and can't wait to read the birthday story. I enjoy learning new information and reading stories that make me feel not so alone in this journey through parenting an asthmatic.

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    1. Kelsey, so sad you have to go through the same thing! It does get better......I have 2 sons in college and my daughter is in high school, and they are getting better. They still struggle with asthma from time to time, but not like when they were little :(

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  3. My fiance took me to the hospital the next morning. They determined I was in diabetic ketoacidosis which explains my blurry vision. I was in ICU for 2 days and I'm back in the general area. My pancreas are completely useless now. I already took enzymes for CF and they must've been all gunked up. My doctor is considering a pancreas transplant but that wouls mean I would have to be on immunosuppresants which isn't good.

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    1. Oh wow! That's scary! Glad your fiance took you in to the hospital!

      When will they decide if you need a transplant?

      Email me at stressedasthmamom@gmail.com

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