Noah's trip to the hospital...

2 weeks ago we experienced the fright of our life... Noah came to us, he actually shook me awake, at 1 in the morning practically unable to breathe!!!  He was neither coughing nor choking- just gasping for air.  Immediately I could see the fear in his eyes.  The poor thing knew if he didn't get help right away, the outcome would be grim.  He was having an asthma attack on top of a bad case of croup, which he got because he was sick with some virus( in fact we were all sick that week with the same virus), and a congenital condition he was born with, called Tracheomalacia (click here to read about it) only heightened the matter.  We KNEW we needed to get him to the hospital pronto!  Spencer and I debated whether or not if we should call 911. *  Spencer called the hospital to ask for a second opinion and some counsel while I threw on my clothes in a hurry.  Before he was off the phone with the hospital, I was out the door with Noah and on my way to the E.R.  I had a prayer in my heart the whole way there that we'd make it safely to the hospital and Noah would still be breathing. *We were later told by Noah's doctor that we should have called for an ambulance; he said we were lucky to get Noah to the hospital on time.

I scooped Noah up into my arms and hopped across the dark, wet parking lot in my sandals- stepping in rain puddles. The doctors and nurses greeted me at the front entrance of the hospital and asked what the problem was, but before I could even reply- I began to sob.  In the past I've always been stoic- I've been able to set my feelings aside and stay calm for emergency surgeries, or when my babies have had to be whisked away into the NICU but this time I was broken.  I'm not sure if it's because I've just had one too many emergencies with my children or if it's because I was sick myself and sleep deprived; I'm sure it was a combination of both factors along with the fact that I couldn't forget THAT LOOK in Noah's eyes.  I recognized it immediately- only because I've had that same look in my own eyes before when I've had an anaphylactic attack after eating something with gluten in it... you want to scream out of sheer terror and panic because your body is freaking out and there's nothing you can do to stop it, but you can't scream- you've got to stay calm because screaming and panicking would only make things worse.  The doctors and nurses were able to see for themselves without my explanation what the problem was- they put him on a bed and hooked him up to some oxygen and then started to monitor his vitals.  I was choked up for the first couple of minutes while we were there, but then I was able to gain some composure.  I told the doctors what had happened and about Noah's complicated medical history.  They put him on a nebulizer and gave him some oral steroids and epinephrine.  The had to give him some epinephrine 3 separate times through out the night along with more steroids because he was in THAT bad of condition.  I secretely had hoped that we'd only be there for a couple of hours but I knew better.  His body was slow to respond to the medicine so he was moved from the E.R. up to the Children's Pediatric Unit for more monitoring.  By this time he appeared to be in good spirits, still sick and a little tired.  He was well enough to eat a small breakfast- so we ordered it over the phone from the cafeteria. We ate breakfast together in his bed and watched cartoons.  I tried to catch a nap too but with the doctors and nurses coming in and out of his room to check on him, it was impossible.  Grandpa Campbell was at home watching our other 4 boys; my mind couldn't stop worrying about him.  NOTHING was prepared at home for him to watch the boys... no food was set out for him to feed them breakfast, lunch or dinner- the boys weren't bathed and clothes weren't set aside for Gramps to dress the boys in; to make matters worse- 2 of them were ALSO sick!  Les (Grandpa) showed up at the hospital around 3'ish that morning just after I called him to tell him I was there with Noah.  He sat with me in Noah's room for a little bit before taking off to head to our house- Spencer had Parent/Teacher Conference that afternoon at school and couldn't miss work for anything, so Grandpa took over watching the boys at 6a.m. right after Spencer left for school.  By noon, I was tired and restless and really anxious to take a shower... the doctors were telling me Noah could possibly have to stay at the hospital for another night... I called Les and asked him if he wouldn't mind switching me places- he said sure.  I drove home, relieved Les from watching the 4 little ones, he left for the hospital to be with Noah and I tidied up the house.  I know it's not what I said I was going to do- I was GOING to shower and sleep, but I can't think straight when my house isn't in order and I think better while I'm cleaning it up.  I did eventually shower after I put the boys down for a nap. My mother in law Linda came out at 5 to watch the boys so I could go back to the hospital to be with Noah.  The boys were sure all missing Noah and were anxious for me to bring him back home.  Upon arriving at the hospital, I was told Noah was doing much better and there was a good chance he could go home that evening.  YAY!  By 7'ish the nurse was giving me discharge instructions and I was home with him by 8.  Noah was in the hospital for almost 20 hours!  I realize it could have been worse or his stay could have been much longer, but speaking honestly, 20 hours was long enough!  Noah has later since said that he enjoyed his trip to the hospital-  I think perhaps he just liked the special one on one attention he got from myself, grandpa and the hospital staff--- he didn't have to be bothered by any pesky little brothers.  I must say the hospital staff was pretty fabulous!  That night he came home with us he slept in our bedroom, just so I could keep an eye on him through out the night... I slept on pins and needles all night long.  The following morning, I took him in for a follow up visit with his pediatrician who prescribed Noah steroids and medicine for him to use every day to help him get through the rest of Fall, Winter and into Spring.  So far, the steroids seem to be working- we haven't yet had to make any more E.R. trips.  I've lovingly joked with Noah and told him that by Spring he'll look like The Hulk after taking so many steroids, but truth is, they won't have any affects on his body other than what they're meant to do. 

 Ready to go home!

I LOVE my little guy and I'm counting my blessings from that awful night.  Here's hoping we won't EVER again have to make another trip like that to the hospital!
 *Note:  The irony of the whole matter is that earlier in the day, before Noah's incident, I was reading a friend's blog who posted about a trip to the hospital they had to make with their one year old son due to croup...  I thought then what a relief it was that we wouldn't have to do THAT ever again- mistaking that Noah had outgrown croup... boy was I SO wrong!!!  It had been nearly a year and half since the last time Noah had to be rushed to the E.R. and stay overnight in the pediatric unit for the same exact thing--- the only difference about his more recent trip to the hospital as opposed to his older visits is that now he's actually insured on our group plan!!!  Before he was ineligible on our private family health care plan due to his pre existing conditions... MAN, were THOSE hospital trips EXPENSIVE.  We're STILL paying for them!!!

P.S. Before our scary incident, earlier that evening I took all 5 boys to watch our ward's Cub Scout Pinewood Derby.  Spencer would have liked to have taken them, but he had Parent/Teacher Conferences until 9p.m. that evening, so I chipped in and took them.  The boys ABSOLUTELY LOVED watching the races and they can.not.wait. until they're in Cub Scouts!!!