RSV

Tonight I'm blogging from the pediactric unit of St. James Hospital as Madyson is sleeping. Maddy was diagnosed wiith RSV on Wednesday, was sent home on breathing treatments, and after getting worse Wednesday evening she was admitted to the hospital yesterday.
RSV is nasty and unpredictable. Madyson will be doing great one hour and terrible the next. Just when I thought she was doing well this evening she then came down with a fever and is now miserable and having to work harder to breathe. The doctor on call tonight said we just wait and see what happens next, but as long as her chest is retracting when she breathes she won't be able to go home.

The course of treatment is oxygen, an i.v., respiratory therapy, and cardiopulmonary therapy (i.e. a respiratory therapist beating on her chest and back with a funny looking rubber thingy). Throw in tylenol for her fevers and rash cream for her worsening diaper rash that is caused by sticky green poop that is the result of her sucking in so much mucus and "gunk." Luckily, she's eating better than she was yesterday.

So, here I sit Robert is home with Caitlyn and I miss her terribly. She isn't allowed in Madyson's room. In fact, I feel like my child is a bio-hazard...I'll post photos of her door hopefully tomorrow to illustrate that fact. To give you an idea, there a big sign on her door "CONTACT PRECAUTIONS!"

Last night I went home to pack some things and Caitlyn was convinced she was going to the hospital as well so she packed her Dora backpack for a night at the hospital. The contents of her backpack? A stuffed monkey. Yep, that's all you need to stay at the hospital. Needless to say, her little heart was broken when I had to tell her she couldn't stay at the hospital with Mommy and Madyson.

I feel like I'm rambling and not making much sense. Sleep deprivation will do that to a person. I'm having flashbacks of when Caitlyn was in the NICU, but I'll talk more about that another time.