Never a Dull Moment

Isaiah has been battling breathing issues since we arrived in KY. We did breathing treatments for a few days, and he seemed to be better. It felt like we had avoided a hospital visit. This morning was a different story. He woke up coughing and wheezing heavily. We did a breathing treatment with no results. We headed to Urgent Care. His pulse ox was 87-89(should be in the 90s). His heart rate was extremely high, fluctuating between 150-190. His respirations were also very high ranging from 50-70. They immediately sent me to the ER.

They got us right in and started working feverishly on him. It was pretty scary. Finally they got him stable. They drew blood, gave him steroids, breathing treatments, put him on oxygen, and kept him on monitors.

He was not happy about being at the hospital

While he was in the ER, Cody, Lauren, Abby, and Sam came to see him. It was emotional for them to see him in the hospital. It warmed my heart to see them care so much for their little brother.

His breathing mask was a chicken!!

That was so appropriate since chickens are his favorite.

After about 5 hours, they got us to a room. All of the nurses on the peds floor immediately fell in love with him. He won over every one of their hearts. He has been treated like a king. They got him snacks, juice, stickers galore, and a little stuffed bear that he named, "George."
When he discovered that we were not going home, he was pretty upset. So, I told him that we get to have a sleepover. Rick rented Toy Story 3 for us and brought us some popcorn. Instant movie night!!
When they brought us his dinner, it had all of his favorites: PB & J, mac n' cheese, french fries, banana, and ice cream. He ate very little of it, but it made him feel special to have his favorites available.

We had a moment today that broke my heart. As we were heading to urgent care, he said to me, "Mom, are you going to leave me there?" I said, "No, sweetie, I will not leave you." It made me feel so sad to think that he even had to worry about that. We know that he had breathing issues when he was in Africa. We also know that many children are at the hospital by themselves there. He may have had an instance where he experienced that and is remembering it. Either way, I am thankful that he is with us now, and I get the privilege of staying with him in the hospital.

I got in his bed with him.

He cuddled up to me and said, "Mom, I love you."

He is very affectionate, but says the "I love you" words very sparingly.

They mean so much to me when he does say them, because I know that he means it.

He had lots of visitors:

Uncle Brian and Aunt Ashley

Grandma

Of course Daddy was here lots

Grammy came and brought him a Webkinz Turkey and balloon.

When he saw it, he said, "I love it so much!!"

Tonight, I get to sleep with him in his hospital bed. We will see how that goes. I am a light sleeper. I am expecting the 'round the clock noises and interruptions to complicate things. Hopefully a nap on Thanksgiving day will be an option.

Being in the hospital in KY is inconvenient, but it is nice to have our family around. It is good to have them visit and also have them to help with the other kids. I believe this will be a solidifying experience for him as he experiences the love and care of his extended family. That was one of my prayers for him as we came on this trip.

We are hopeful that we will go home tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Either way, I feel very relieved that we are here, and he is getting the care that he needs. I told him tonight that lots of people are praying for him. He said, "Really?" He gets it, and every experience like this that he has is part of the healing process for him as he works through the pain that he has experienced in his life.