Thank You

We have been gone for 4 days,
4 looooong days.
Nope- not on vacation....
(though I am sure it costs as much as one, lol)
We spent the last 4 days up at Primary's with our Jacky.
He had RSV and asthma attacking his lungs at the same time,
And they just couldn't keep up.

It started last Wednesday,
Jack woke up with a "seal-like" barking cough.
I thought nothing of it,
We just took it easy all day.
We started his nebulizer treatments that night.
He was up all night.
Thursday morning he was much worse,
so we called Dr. Charlie.
We had an appt at 1:45, but Jack just kept going downhill.
He was breathing so fast
(about 72 times a minute- normal is about 20)
and he was just limp in my arms.
I broke down and cried for my big man to feel better.
My Mom ran up with a steroid (which he threw up)
My Dad ran over to take Max to school,
and I rushed over to Charlie's.
Charlie gave him another steroid and a neb treatment,
and he improved a little.
He told us to get a chest Xray,
and if he got any worse- he needs to go to the ER.
We got the Xray and Jack threw up all over my car.
We went home and he just wasn't better.
We waited until 8pm and he was still breathing so fast.
So I took him up to Primary's.
For some reason, as soon as we got there- he looked like a million bucks!
Well, maybe not a million bucks, but he looked great.
We spent 6 long hours there and they told us to go home.
(Luckily my Dad came up at about 11pm and kept us entertained,
Did I mention I have the best family ever??)
We thought he was better.

Friday morning he was yucky again,
so we gave him the 2nd dose of steroids,
he took a nap- woke up and was CRAZY.
He was running around in a circle and looking like he felt great.
He actually ate some ravioli's without throwing up- he was awesome!
That night was rough again- he was up all night crying.
We had to do the neb treatments about every 2-3 hours,
which is just too much.
Saturday morning, I called Charlie again.
He said go ahead and give him the last steroid and again, if it doesn't help- you need to go up to the ER.
We gave it to him and waited an hour- he looked worse.
(in fact- he looked like this *below*)
I started to cry and said- We have to take him in.

Luckily, the waiting room was empty this time,
and they took us right back.
His oxygen level was good, but he was breathing fast (about 45 times/min)
So they sent us back to room so the doc could check him out.
They gave him a 45-min "double neb"
After it was over, his oxygen dropped 89,87,85,81...
(normal is about 90%)
And his Respiratory rate was about 65 times/min.
I said- Matt! Grab the nurse!
She came in with oxygen and Jacky was screaming!
His oxygen kept dropping 80,78,75,71...
My heart was beating SO FAST.
Finally we got the oxygen in and his levels rose up.
The doc came in and said- we need to keep him.
I started to cry again.
I knew he would be well taken care of,
but I couldn't believe he was this sick!
We got him to calm down and after 5 hours in the ER,
We were sent to room 3037

They suctioned his boogers (which is awful)
And they gave him an IV

He started to calm down and so did I.
I just layed next to him in the hospital bed and held him.
That night was
THE WORST NIGHT OF MY LIFE
I watched the monitors all night-
his pulse was HIGH, his oxygen was LOW, and his Respiratory rate was HIGH
His whole body was helping his lungs to breath in and out.
He was not smiling or talking,
He looked and felt awful.
All night I thought-
What if we waited too long?
What if he can't pull out of this?
I cannot live without him!!!!!!!!!
I prayed and prayed and prayed,
Promising to do anything as long as I got to keep him.
Finally at about 5am,
his vitals were getting back to normal.
I fell asleep for about an hour,
because his machine wasn't beeping.
The next morning he looked like this *below*
He felt awful, but his oxygen and breathing were controlled.
I FINALLY got him to smile a bit a few hours later.
It was the best!!
He found the remote with BUTTONS!
And loved messing with that :)
Matty got the first BIG smile out of him.
He loved punching him, ha ha
Oh the day may have been filled with
Booger suctions (with Jacky saying OK! OK! OK!)
Neb treatments,
Yucky medicine,
And nurses constant poking and prodding,
But my little man was getting better!!
He was sleeping so good
We gave him a sponge bath and he LOVED IT!
We had so so many visitors and again-
WE HAVE THE BEST FAMILY EVER!!!!!!
He started eating again and we KNEW he was getting back to his old self :)
He gives the BEST HUGS!!!!!!!!!
And he loved all of his visitors :)


Tuesday, we got to take his oxygen off!!
He loved it.
He got to sit up and play all day,
and he is soooooo good at his neb treatments!
I had to go to an Asthma Ed course at the hospital,
The thing that hit home the worst for me was
The majority of people that die from Asthma think that their Asthma is mild.
(because it is untreated)
That is a slap in the face for me, and I will never take Jacky's mild asthma for granted again.
We will treat it everyday to keep him out of the hospital or away from bad attacks.
I met a little girl in the hospital that went in to cardiac arrest from her asthma.
Luckily she is ok, but easily she could have died.
Last night- we came home!
We were so excited to see our Maxxy.
Jack feels SOOOO much better.
Still taking it easy, but a wild man of course :)
I LOVE YOU JACKY!!!!!!!!!
And I am soooooooooooooo happy you are back!
I just want to say:
THANK YOU to Matty for supporting me and entertaining me in our little room 3037
THANK YOU to my Mom and Tony for being there that first night, taking care of Maxxy, and checking up on us a million times.
THANK YOU to my Dad and Beth for taking Maxxy for 2 days, sitting in the ER with me the first time, and taking care of our doggies.
THANK YOU to Patti for bringing us ANYTHING we needed, and keeping us entertained for hours watching Pawn Stars, LOL :)
THANK YOU to my wonderful family and friends that came to visit, brought sweet gifts, and said so many kind words of concern and hope.
THANK YOU to my little Lindsey for all her millions and millions of texts :)
THANK YOU to Dr. Charlie for taking care of us and making sure we were taken care of.
And especially:
THANK YOU TO PRIMARY'S AND ALL IT'S WONDERFUL NURSES!!!!!!
(sorry for my millions of questions and my un-showered body)
I am so proud to be apart of a family that supports festival and this hospital.
It is seriously amazing.