First of all, the title is misleading, hopefully (fingers crossed), we are on the upswing of all this illness!! My poor sweet darling has been sooo sick. It started off with the crud. This developed into a terrible cough and then pneumonia and RSV.
IT.WAS.AWFUL.
Jackson went to the nursery last wednesday like normal and when Dan picked him up, the ladies told him that Jackson had been coughing terribly. We went ahead and called Dr. Weiland and they just told us to give him Robitussin. Then Thursday, around 10:30, Mrs. Penley called with shocking news: 102 degree fever, would not eat and had not had a wet diaper (which is very unlike my little darling). I PANICKED. When I got there, he was sooooo pitiful. We went straight to Dr. Weilands. Nurse Jodi took one look at him and said "I bet he doesnt go home tonight. Looks like he will stay." More PANIC. They needed to do a chest scan thing (excuse the medical terminology) to confirm the pnuemonia. We had heard about this contraption that they use to get a clear picture of the baby's chest. They literally put my baby in a tube. It is the most barbaric thing I have ever seen. Its a tube that keeps their little arms up by their ears and they tighten it with a leather strap. It really scared me. The technition assured me that it was more painful for the parents. She said that all babies cry because they just dont understand what is going on. That it was completely fine if he screams. So here I am, prepping for the worst. Telling myself that "its hard on me, not on Jackson. It will be over in a second. This is all for the best." They strap him in and here goes>>>...
He doesn't make a peep! Just looks at us with those sad eyes. Then he starts licking the tube. He is so stinking precious. Even when he is sick, he has the best disposition. We were admitted on Thursday and released Sunday afternoon. Once we got some pedialite in him, he was so much better.
He was even so sweet to write a note to another patient! Sweet Aunt Jan was in the hospital in Jackson having her appendix out.
On another note that I feel needs to be discussed: We are so glad to be home. We ALL needed some rest. We are so thankful that our little boy was (eventually) taken care of and is now well, but our stay in RR Hospital was atrocious. I slept in the crib with Jackson the first night. I am 5'10"- you see the problem with that? The second night, Dan and I took turns sleeping in a chair and on the floor. We begged for a bed, cot, chair- ANYTHING!!! We were delirious. Having a sick baby wears you out on its own, but not being able to rest a few precious moments when he is sleeping will knock you over the edge. So Saturday night, I am walking downstairs for some fresh air and notice thru a crack that the room across the hall looks much, much bigger. I returned to the room and ask the nurse "Is that a bigger room? with an actual hospital bed??????????" She says "oh yea, they are bigger on that side." My eyes grew three sizes. "What would it take to move over there????????" She says so nonchalantly "oh, you can move over there if yall want."
The heavens parted and angels sang. This room has a crib, a hospital bed, a fold out bed and a rocking chair!!!!!!!! this.WAS.heaven!!!!!! My excitement was immediately curbed by my thoughts that this woman watched me lay down on the floor of a hospital and never once said "ten steps that way is a BED!"
This, coupled with broken equipment (they re-stuck my baby twice because the machine broke down, the scale was broken, the thermometer was broken- see a pattern?), no initial treatment for almost 7 hours (Dr. W ordered breathing treatments every 3), and general lack of common sense. We will not return to RR for treatment. We love our pediatrician and even the pediatrician on call- Dr. Fairchild. But the hospital, no way.
Update:
Sorry, been working on this post for a while! We saw Dr. W on Monday, and we are all good! Back in the nursery, almost 100%! yay!
