the plague

well, we finally caught our fair share of the winter "blahs," and around here they are not to be taken lightly. what started with a headache, sore throat, and cough in my stepson continued on to my husband being laid up in bed with fever and not eating or drinking for a few days. after that madness ensued, I found myself pulling out oxygen tanks and supplies from the medical supply closet that I haven't needed to use for over a year for my son Rowan. but it didn't stop there. a few days later, after returning home from a dentist appointment to find him looking listless and tired but unable to sleep due to the work he was having to do just to breathe, I found myself setting up his ventilator (breathing machine) that has been in the closet for the past 4 months. let me tell you, that is NOT a good feeling. there were definitely some of mama's tears on those vent circuits that night.

since then, we've been back and forth to his lung doctors a few times, they tell us it is not RSV (the respiratory virus most dreaded by all preemie parents), and not the flu. but it IS a virus that tends to hang on for a few weeks and makes kids really sick. they offered to admit him to the hospital, but let me know that they wouldn't do anything differently there than what we are doing at home, provided he didn't get too dehydrated. well, it wasn't easy to keep fluids in him (despite the fact that I have direct access to his gut via the mic-key button), but I opted to try my best at home, because the hospital is just NOT a fun place (I always do my best to avoid it unless I'm getting paid to be there.) and I knew Rowan would get better faster at home. so despite our lack of home health nurses, we stuck it out in our living room. which means we have been giving IMC level hospital care to Rowan around the clock without any break until the home nurse shows up so we can sleep...and sometimes the home health nurse doesn't show up, and sometimes there wasn't one scheduled to begin with... so i guess it goes without saying I am one tired momma.

but i think it paid off, because today Rowan barely needed any oxygen at all, and I was even able to take him back off the vent for an hour or so at a time until he got tired and needed to be put back on. he was playful and talkative, and he even made a few little messes. I have never been so happy to see little toddler messes all over the play-room! he is also tolerating his food without gagging or wretching it up, so I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I think he's turned the corner and is getting better. I have him back on the vent to sleep tonight so he can get some good rest, and then we'll see how tomorrow goes.

I am too tired to come up with a witty ending to this update, so I'll just say goodnight!