Happy New Year!
I hope that you enjoyed your New
Year celebrations in a joyful, festive manner
surrounded by family and friends!
I distinctly remember Peter and I toasting the New Year
with a mug of steaming honey water surrounded by cough drops and tissues.
We came home early from our New Jersey
vacation because Sunny came down with
a bad case of the flu with a high fever of 105
while Peter and I caught RSV.
The day after Christmas Sunny started with symptoms
and we took her
and we took her
to emergency because of her high fever.
The next day we decided to make the long trip back
so that we could all be in the comfort of our own
home while being miserable and not have to
worry about getting others sick.
For a solid week Sunny held her high fever and
refused to talk, eat, or move. It was so scary
seeing our highly energetic two-year-old
become a vegetable on the couch.
Peter ended up with a mild case of RSV and was well
 |
| Sunny getting a relaxing sinus massage. |
enough to care for the rest of us, though he was
very exhausted.
My case was plain miserable and turned
into bronchitis and a sinus infection.
I thought I caught strep because of how painful my
throat felt through the whole sickness.
Last Wednesday I hadn't slept all night from
feeling like I caught the flu on top of the RSV
and taking care of Sunny while Peter
took care of Dainty who was starting with sniffles.
My friend took me to the doctor and I remember
telling the nurse that I couldn't breathe and felt that
I would die if I actually fell asleep.
The doctor said it looked like the flu and
exhaustion and prescribed Tamiflu.
I went home and felt at least validated.
In the meantime, Peter took Sunny to a check-up
and it was discovered that she had a massive
ear infection that was causing her to not want to
eat, move, or talk and she was given meds.
Wednesday night was one of the worse,
I counted how much sleep I got on one finger.
Sunny was still miserable from her ear,
Dainty only slept when Peter walked with her
upright, and I spent the night in the bathroom
worshiping the porcelain throne and caring for Sunny.
At one point I tried to nurse Dainty and
realized that I had a full-blown Mastitis
infection on both sides (which explained the flu-symptoms).
I immediately called my on-call midwife
and had a prescription faxed to the nearest pharmacy.
I remember it was 2am when Peter left to pick up my medication.
It didn't get better after that because I couldn't keep down the med.
We send out prayer banners through facebook and email
and called our parents for prayers.
It wasn't until I saw my man tearing that
I called my parents and asked them to come
and help out. (Peter was determined to stick it
out because we didn't want anyone, especially my
parents with 5 young ladies still at home, to catch it).
I had a revelation at about 8am
and remembered that I still had my anti-nausea
med from pregnancy. I called up the midwife
and got confirmation to take that to help keep
down the Mastitis med.
BINGO!
It worked.
My Mom and sister arrived around 11am
and they helped us clean up a bit and
got me to eat some broth.
My Mom was generous and took Sunny
back with her so that we could try to get better
and care for Dainty, who was sounding worse.
An awesome friend also stopped by to help
with chores and made us dinner. I was so
tired that I fell asleep as soon as I put my head down.
An awesome friend also stopped by to help
with chores and made us dinner. I was so
tired that I fell asleep as soon as I put my head down.
That night I slept at least 5 hours, which totaled up for
the past week. Peter must have had less sleep
because he said he paced for hours and hours with Dainty
upright to help her breathe. She also started with a fever.
First thing in the morning Peter took her to the
pediatrician who said that if her breaths per minute
equaled more than 60 to take her to emergency.
Only a couple hours later she got worse and
we quickly packed simple things for Dainty and
headed to emergency.
We were frightened and stopped twice
when she struggled to breathe.
The emergency was packed with sick people,
but once we were finally admitted they sent her
to triage right away and started her on a nebulizer.
When she didn't improve, they kept giving her oxygen,
 |
| Dainty gets a nebulizer treatment and oxygen |
but when they would take it away, her numbers would drop
again. They admitted her overnight and the kind nurses
kept watch and lent me a nursing pump to help
with my mastitis. Dainty couldn't breathe to eat on her own
and they wouldn't let her have it for fear of choking.
I think that peter and I got maybe 3 hours of sleep that night.
First thing Saturday morning the doctors said that they wanted
to send her to Tufts in Boston because they have a
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and they
would know how to best care for her.
She was given an oxygen tube in her nose
and an IV for dehydration.
A kind priest came and gave Dainty The Sacrament
of The Sick and Peter and I blessings. Then Dainty
and I were escorted by ambulance to
Tufts. I'm glad that I took my anti-nausea med
for that trip!
Dainty was taken right up to the PICU at Tufts
and was given an upgraded oxygen tube.
The poor baby would freak out every time
they had to poke her or check her vitals and
it would only make her worse.
We were very impressed with the care of the PICU team.
We were given the opinion of several doctors
who reassured us that they see RSV cases like this
frequently and know just what Dainty
needs. One nurse told us,
"I am the most expensive babysitter you
can get... go take naps!"
The nurses told Peter he looked deathly pale
and sick and my eyes were
red and bloodshot from lack of sleep and
I could barely keep my head up.
I remember that we ordered lunch and I
told Peter that I was going to put my head
down and asked him to bring in the tray when it
arrived. When I woke to Peter bringing in
the food, I thought it was hours later,
but it had only been 15 minutes!
The rest of Saturday we spent taking naps in turn
and then left Dainty to the care of the kind
nurses overnight. They said there was no sense in
us staying up with the baby since I couldn't nurse her
anyways and she had all the care she needed.
Sunday was spent taking turns napping again.
Dainty's oxygen was upgraded several times
and she had to be tightly swaddled because she kept wriggling
her arms out and ripping out her oxygen masks.
The nurses gave her the nickname "Little Monkey."
They were very pleased to see that she was feisty
and fought them tooth and nail for everything.
They administered frequent chest therapy
since they found a bunch of guck in a chest xray
that threatened pneumonia. They started her
on an antibiotic to keep pneumonia at bay
and kept giving her tylenol to help lower her
fever (I saw a high of 102.5 poor baby!).
It was hard seeing her with wires and tubes coming
from every limb and her torso.
Peter held her a few times above her isolette
to comfort her, but she couldn't go far
because of the wires.
Monday was spent trying to wean her off the oxygen,
repeated chest therapy, and trying to keep her
busy with a passifier since she was starving and
wanted milk BADLY. She was so mad at the passifier
and I couldn't hold her because she wasn't strong enough to
nurse yet and would get mad if I held her.
Monday night she was tested with an ounce of my
bottled milk and did well.
Tuesday she showed so much improvement
and finally started weaning off the oxygen
and drank lots of my bottled milk.
She was even interested in the toys that
the "toy nurse" brought. She stared and cooed
at the mobile ALL day! The "toy nurse"
even gifted a pretty blanky.
That night I was able to nurse Dainty
for the first time in 4 days!
Since Dainty's blood pressure had been
high during her stay, the doctor ordered
frequent blood-pressure checks
and an ultra-sound of her liver to make sure
that there wasn't another underlying illness
going on. The doctor informed us
that depending on her results,
we may be looking at a few more days
in the PICU and then a few final days
in just the Pediatric Care.
Tuesday night we checked ourselves into
a neighboring hotel for showers and
a night in a REAL bed.
Try to imagine two full-sized adults sleeping
on a cot together for one week...
not exactly the cozy or romantic experience
when both of us were plain exhausted!
We both took two showers during our stay to make up
for the lack of them the past week (EWWW).
Wednesday morning (after our second round of
beautiful showers) we headed back to the hospital
to get the scoop on Dainty and prepare to face several more days
in the hospital. Image our wonderful surprise
when the doctor told us that we could take her home
THAT DAY!
The doctor ordered her more antibiotics to fend
of pneumonia and a visiting nurse
to come to our home to check Dainty's
blood pressure every two days for the next two
weeks. She isn't to leave home for two weeks
and needs to check in with her pediatrician
once a week until she is clear.
It took a few hours to wait for the discharge papers
and get our things packed up.
The only trouble we had getting out was the parking.
Apparently it costs $20 a day to park at the hospital
and we totaled $100! Fortunately,
we got parking validation and a discount from
the garage and ONLY had to pay about $70...
Boston, that is just too low,
we are complaining to your mayor!
Once we got home we had to get things into order...
such as throwing out a week's worth of spoiled food,
groceries, and disinfecting every surface.
We were so blessed when a friend called to set up a
meal-train for next week and a sibling bought us pizza for dinner!
Yesterday, Thursday, Peter drove up to NH to pick up
Sunny from Meme and Papa's house.
Dainty's nurse came to check her vitals
and blood pressure and we took a long nap.
Today, Friday, Dainty had a check-up
and was recommended saline for her poor stuffy
nose. She slept well last night and has
a ravenous appetite that mama can
hardly keep up with.
Sunny has lost a lot of weight from not eating,
but is starting to make up for it with her
cravings for pizza and eating everything she can get her
little hands on.
Another awesome blessing from these few
weeks of sickness is that mama lost weight too
and can now fit into her pre-pregnancy clothes
*YES!*
Peter is finally able to enjoy the
specialty cheeses I bought him for Christmas
and is basking in the snuggles of his
baby girls.
This man of mine is awesome.
I am amazed with the support,
tissues, and "no-quit" attitude
that he showed during all the chaos.
This husband of mine kept telling me he loves me
and how beautiful I am in spite not showering
or combing my hair for a week. Amen and
Thank you Jesus!
We are so so so so so grateful to everyone who
offered prayers and support during
the past weeks of sickness and insanity.
I'm sure that Peter and I would have lost our
minds if it wasn't for the love we were shown!
Grazie Tanto!
~Michelle
 |
| Dainty with oxygen tubes. |
We were given the opinion of several doctors
who reassured us that they see RSV cases like this
frequently and know just what Dainty
needs. One nurse told us,
"I am the most expensive babysitter you
can get... go take naps!"
The nurses told Peter he looked deathly pale
and sick and my eyes were
red and bloodshot from lack of sleep and
I could barely keep my head up.
I remember that we ordered lunch and I
told Peter that I was going to put my head
down and asked him to bring in the tray when it
arrived. When I woke to Peter bringing in
the food, I thought it was hours later,
but it had only been 15 minutes!
The rest of Saturday we spent taking naps in turn
and then left Dainty to the care of the kind
nurses overnight. They said there was no sense in
us staying up with the baby since I couldn't nurse her
anyways and she had all the care she needed.
Sunday was spent taking turns napping again.
Dainty's oxygen was upgraded several times
and she had to be tightly swaddled because she kept wriggling
her arms out and ripping out her oxygen masks.
The nurses gave her the nickname "Little Monkey."
They were very pleased to see that she was feisty
and fought them tooth and nail for everything.
They administered frequent chest therapy
since they found a bunch of guck in a chest xray
that threatened pneumonia. They started her
on an antibiotic to keep pneumonia at bay
and kept giving her tylenol to help lower her
fever (I saw a high of 102.5 poor baby!).
It was hard seeing her with wires and tubes coming
from every limb and her torso.
Peter held her a few times above her isolette
to comfort her, but she couldn't go far
because of the wires.
 |
| Daddy holding Dainty who is connected to lots of tubes and wires! |
repeated chest therapy, and trying to keep her
busy with a passifier since she was starving and
wanted milk BADLY. She was so mad at the passifier
and I couldn't hold her because she wasn't strong enough to
nurse yet and would get mad if I held her.
Monday night she was tested with an ounce of my
bottled milk and did well.
 |
| Her first bottle after a few days of not eating milk. |
and finally started weaning off the oxygen
and drank lots of my bottled milk.
She was even interested in the toys that
the "toy nurse" brought. She stared and cooed
at the mobile ALL day! The "toy nurse"
even gifted a pretty blanky.
That night I was able to nurse Dainty
for the first time in 4 days!
 |
| Dainty hypnotized by the toy mobile. |
high during her stay, the doctor ordered
frequent blood-pressure checks
and an ultra-sound of her liver to make sure
that there wasn't another underlying illness
going on. The doctor informed us
that depending on her results,
we may be looking at a few more days
in the PICU and then a few final days
in just the Pediatric Care.
 |
| Catching a nap with Peggy Doll |
a neighboring hotel for showers and
a night in a REAL bed.
Try to imagine two full-sized adults sleeping
on a cot together for one week...
not exactly the cozy or romantic experience
when both of us were plain exhausted!
We both took two showers during our stay to make up
for the lack of them the past week (EWWW).
Wednesday morning (after our second round of
beautiful showers) we headed back to the hospital
to get the scoop on Dainty and prepare to face several more days
in the hospital. Image our wonderful surprise
when the doctor told us that we could take her home
THAT DAY!
The doctor ordered her more antibiotics to fend
of pneumonia and a visiting nurse
to come to our home to check Dainty's
blood pressure every two days for the next two
weeks. She isn't to leave home for two weeks
and needs to check in with her pediatrician
once a week until she is clear.
 |
| Happy to be going home! |
and get our things packed up.
The only trouble we had getting out was the parking.
Apparently it costs $20 a day to park at the hospital
and we totaled $100! Fortunately,
we got parking validation and a discount from
the garage and ONLY had to pay about $70...
Boston, that is just too low,
we are complaining to your mayor!
Once we got home we had to get things into order...
such as throwing out a week's worth of spoiled food,
groceries, and disinfecting every surface.
We were so blessed when a friend called to set up a
meal-train for next week and a sibling bought us pizza for dinner!
Yesterday, Thursday, Peter drove up to NH to pick up
Sunny from Meme and Papa's house.
Dainty's nurse came to check her vitals
and blood pressure and we took a long nap.
Today, Friday, Dainty had a check-up
and was recommended saline for her poor stuffy
nose. She slept well last night and has
a ravenous appetite that mama can
hardly keep up with.
Sunny has lost a lot of weight from not eating,
but is starting to make up for it with her
cravings for pizza and eating everything she can get her
little hands on.
Another awesome blessing from these few
weeks of sickness is that mama lost weight too
and can now fit into her pre-pregnancy clothes
*YES!*
Peter is finally able to enjoy the
specialty cheeses I bought him for Christmas
and is basking in the snuggles of his
baby girls.
This man of mine is awesome.
I am amazed with the support,
tissues, and "no-quit" attitude
that he showed during all the chaos.
This husband of mine kept telling me he loves me
and how beautiful I am in spite not showering
or combing my hair for a week. Amen and
Thank you Jesus!
We are so so so so so grateful to everyone who
offered prayers and support during
the past weeks of sickness and insanity.
I'm sure that Peter and I would have lost our
minds if it wasn't for the love we were shown!
Grazie Tanto!
~Michelle
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