Up in the Air

Three days at home.
Dang.

The issue is with Fin's breathing again. He's happy and doing great while he's awake, but as soon as he goes to sleep, the trouble starts. His bronchioles get plugged with mucous and that causes him to work overtime to breathe. The first night at home was fine but the second and third were spent making sure he was getting air. Sometimes, he wasn't. So we took him to the emergency room at 3 am on Sunday.

No one is sure exactly why this happened. One of the doctors said it looked like an asthmatic event, which we sort of expect due to his chronic lung disease. Many people have suggested allergens or irritants in our home air. It could be time to take a serious look at changes in our house. One of the main things we can do is lower the number of pets. This makes the most sense, but it's a hard decision to make, for many reasons. The girls don't want to lose their cats. I don't think we could possibly part with our dog. Part-time, trial-basis relocation of the animals is a possibility. We just aren't sure. For now, we have HEPA filters in two rooms and have replaced the carpet in the living room with a new floor.

After Fin was admitted to PICU, they started doing blood work and respiratory viral tests. The CO2 level in his blood was 117. It should be around 40. They put him on constant nebulizers and he started to look better. He was awake, clapping his hands, and having a grand old time. The doctor whipped out his camera phone and took a picture. He couldn't believe a kid with a CO2 level that high could possibly be laughing and enjoying himself. He wanted to document the moment to confound his medical students. By lunchtime, Fin's heart rate was normal and his CO2 had dropped to 59.

So he went to bed and we went home. In the morning, he was working to get air again and his CO2 level started to climb. He had another rough night trying to breathe and plugging up. His lung X-Ray looked better but he was all junky and wet with thick mucous secretions. They suctioned him constantly and put him back in his little nebulizer tent, this time at a higher dose of medication. He slept fitfully in there, struggling with everything from his chest PT to his medication. Everything indicated that he was fighting something, his CO2 level, bone marrow, heart rate, all the numbers were off. And again, when he woke up, he was happy, smiling, laughing, saying "Dadda". He had a bath and Jess dressed him while they continued to suck yellow junk out of his airway. The kid must really like the hospital or hate his parents, I don't know which. Either way, we need help! Fin needs help! He needs to breathe and sleep!