Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis, that's what Samantha has been diagnosed with, officially.

After yesterday's appointment, the one where we were basically given the option of having her admitted or not.  Just waiting.  By 3:30 PM, I was ready to take her in.  I was literally getting ready to pack her bags.  She was vomiting both times she ate, she was tired, she was cranky, she hadn't peed since 7:30 AM, the diarrhea was back, and 2 hours after the inhaler, she was grunting again.  I was ready to take her in.

Then, I thought about how hard it was going to be for them to put the IV in.  I talked with Dusty.  We went back and forth, back and forth over what to do.  We decided to give her one more chance.  I would feed her.  If she kept it down for an hour, we would wait another hour, if she threw up, as soon as she did, she would go in.  I thought it was reasonable.  I nursed her.  She kept it down!  YAY!  An hour later, she nursed again.  Again she kept it down.  She wasn't acting as sleepy as she had been and finally she peed.  She kept food down all night.  She was happier than she had been and slowly the grunting started to spread out.

Today was more of the same.  I was instructed to call her doctor today to give him an update on how she was doing.  I waited until about 3 to give him a call.  I wanted to have an accurate description of the day to give him. He called back around 4:30 to listen over the phone to her and talk about how she was doing.

He said that it was clearly bronchiolitis and it will linger.  He said that we have to continue to watch her closely because at the point she will either get better, or many kids take a turn for the worse after they start to get better.  We have to continue to monitor her breathing, and watch for dehydration.  Right now she is going about 3 1/2 hours after the inhaler before the grunting starts.  She is smiley, but you can also tell she is miserable.  Poor baby is hoarse sounding and the cough is just awful sounding.

His recommendation is to keep her home as much as possible as it works its way out of her body.  Today, I had no choice but to take her and Kaitlyn to the store.  I had put it off until last Friday and HAD to go then, we were running low on food.  Then, Samantha worsened and I decided to stay home with her.  Especially since she has only once ever taken more than 2 ounces by bottle and she proceeded to throw that up less than an hour after drinking it.  By today, if we didn't go, we would be eating Top Ramen and lemonade for dinner lol.  Normally, I spend an hour at the store, easy.  I compare prices and I get what we need.  I also make Kaitlyn walk (I have a strict, no strollers after 3 unless it's more than a mile of walking in a short time rule) normally.  Today I broke all the rules.  I got a stroller her and Samantha could sit in, let her play her DS, was in and out in 40 minutes, $300 later.  But, our cupboards and fridge are both full!  So, I shouldn't have to go back for a while.  She is allowed to go to the hospital (of course lol), with me to the gym (since it's just Dusty and Daphne who go and she stays in the stroller), and we have to use the pick up/drop off line to take Kaitlyn to and from school.  She's disappointed, but no roller skating this week :(

So, we're keeping our fingers crossed that the worst is over and we're on our way to recovery!

Great, as I was about to hit send, I could hear/see the diarrhea coming back :(  Boo!!!