Our visit to CHOC: Part 1

Please pray with us.
Heidi was admitted to the PICU for pneumonia at CHOC.

We are on day 5 in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Children's Hospital Orange County (CHOC). I wanted to write this out a few days ago, but it's been a bit crazy around here. I think the facts and emotions are still raw enough to get the whole picture.

My heart was breaking watching them so sick

So, Capri (3 in May) was sick last week. It lasted about 5 days and she was better. Just as she was getting better, Heidi came down with it. Fever, spiking to 104, cough, clear slightly runny nose, wheezing, no appetite. By Tuesday (day 3) she wasn't showing signs of improvement. I took her to our family doctor Wednesday morning. By this point she hadn't eaten or nursed since Sunday and her fever was getting to 104.3, but coming down with alternating Tylenol and Motrin, and giving baths or washcloths cool downs. The doctor said her lungs sounded ok and no signs of ear or throat infection. Try giving Pedylite for hydration. Watch fort the next 24 hours and let him know how she is.

Wednesday night my mom came to stay and give me a little break. At 3am, she brought Heidi to me to nurse. Her breathing was really bad. I laid with her for about an hour and half, I was getting overwhelmed by her breathing and fever. I took her back to my mom to wake Bobby up and talk to him about what we should do. I told him something didn't feel right. I thought she needed to be taken in. My mom came back in a few minutes later saying the same thing.  When we got in the car, she was gagging and dry heaving. It took a few attempts to get her calmed down enough to get into her car seat. I really wanted to go to Loma Linda but I wasn't sure she could make it. We decided to take her to Parkview ER. They saw us within 10 minutes, did a chest X-ray, got her starred on an IV. The X-Ray showed pneumonia.  She needed to be transferred.  They tried to get us into LLUMC but their PICU was full so they sent us by ambulance to CHOC.
I really pushed for LL but no luck!

Tugs at he heart strings!

 I should add that this was also Jeremy's 5th birthday! We had all kinds of things planned: treats for his school, his birthday Act of Kindness, and he was riding in a Trike-A-Thon fundraiser for his school. (Blogs on each of those to come in a few weeks) Bobby was supposed to be working, so we decided he would stay at the hospital with Heidi and I would go to spend the morning with Jeremy and meet up with Heidi in the afternoon. This was such a hard decision! I was really torn. I had to choose between kids! Thankfully, after the TAT my mom was able to stay with Jeremy and Capri while Bobby and I figured out what Heidi needed.

He Totally Rocked it!
Follow this link to see details!

I arrived to CHOC at about 1 pm. They ended up putting Heidi on the regular Peds floor, instead of the ICU. She was severely dehydrated and really out of it. I tried to breast feed her. She did take one side but really wasn't interested. My mommy heart was breaking for her. She was so weak.  We found out a few minutes later, the doctors didn't want her to eat because they were really worried about her aspirating. I remembered this from her NICU stay with pneumonia. Oppps. . . .

The "cloudiness" at the bottom of her lungs is the pneumonia.
I love that you can see her little teeth ready to come in!

 They had her on a high flow nasal caneula, blowing 15 liters ( the max) at 80% oxygen. The fluid in her lungs, the pneumonia, had made he lungs sticky. Making it hard for her to inflate then on inhale and get enough oxygen to breath. By giving her SO much oxygen, it was forcing the lungs to stay open while the oxygen went in.  She was not able to sustain her breathing when they lowered the oxygen, about 6pm they decide to move us to the PICU. Heidi was maxed out on oxygen and flow. The felt she needed to be watched closely though out the night. They were preparing to put her on a CPAP or, possibly intabate her. Those are scary words for a mommy! I was really worried about my milk supply. I was worried about the length of time she would need these breathing options, would her jaw fuse and she wouldn't be able to breast feed? What damage would intabating do to her long term? My mind was swirling with "what ifs" and the unknown. I needed to take time to give it to God and not worry but things were moving too quickly to take a breath! I called on all our prayer warriors to help me through! The plus side of being moved to the PICU? We had our own spacious room, a bed-type-couch thing to sleep on, it was right next to the bathroom and a play/ family room.
Thankfully, God was listening to us all! Although, she was requiring a lot of oxygen help, that was all she needed. They slowly, very slowly weaned her off.

That's her nasal canula and Daddy snuggles

My mom brought the kids out to visit us on Friday evening. The hospital is completely interactive! They have quite a few fun things to do. My mom snuggled Heidi while bobby and I played games with Jeremy and Capri and had dinner. They said the kids cow;don't visit because they were worried about getting Heidi sicker or getting the kids sick again. They were so heart broken. I headed to Auntie Donna's to get a good night sleep while bobby stayed with Heidi.

Talk with Crush!
Wagon ride around the hospital
Piggy back and shoulder ride

Bobby had a good night with her but she refused to take a bottle. So, by 8am, she was hungry! Which was a GREAT sign! We found out that day, it's a matter of opinion if the kids could visit her. We decided they had already been exposed the week before. Heidi seeing them so so great!

Heidi waking up to a visit from her brother and sister! SO sweet!
Capri playing Doctor
Snuggles with Gigi

This hospital stay was much more stressful then the NICU stays. I HAD to leave the NICU as I couldn't stay the night or sleep there. The babies slept most of the time and didn't know when I left it was a bad thing. Here, when Heidi wakes up she KNOWS I'm not there and gets scared not knowing the nurses and doctors. Since she is contagious she is in isolation, os the doctors and nurses have to wear gowns, gloves, and masks. Each time they come in she gets scared and ask for milk! Nursing is her safe haven. I love it! BUT she will no longer take a bottle! 3 days ago she did while we are on a date but now she won't. She knows! I feel bad going to the bathroom or getting food or just getting outside for fresh air! I only go when she is napping but what if she wakes up, alone, with no body here to hold and comfort her!
More updates to come tomorrow!

We got out for some lunch
Her whole set up