While trying to recover from Scarlatina Strep, just two days later (1/19/12)
Landon was having trouble breathing so we started back on the Xopenex nebulizer
treatments. He was still struggling to breathe even after the six treatments. I
took him back to the pediatrician where they did two more treatments and gave
him an oral steroid. Still no change. The doctor then sent us to the ER at Children’s.
While in the ER, Landon did a nebulizer treatment of Albuterol and Atrovert and
a double dose of an oral steroid. He was responding to the medicine so we were
sent home (10:00 pm).
I put Landon on one end of the couch to sleep so he could be elevated and I
laid on the other end. After a little while though, he kept hitching for
breath, like you do when you've just been crying; I could tell he was in a lot
of distress. He started retracting so I called the Nurse's hotline and was told
to give him a couple more breathing treatments and to come into the office
first thing in the morning. (Needless to say, I hadn't slept at all)
The next morning (1/20/12) Jeff and I took Landon to the pediatrician's
office. He was almost ghost like. As soon as we got to the office, Landon's oxygen
level was at 82 percent and he was immediately put on oxygen. He was in
respiratory failure. A normal oxygen level for children is defined as between
98 and 100 percent, with a saturation level of 97 percent considered borderline
normal. Anything 96 percent or below is considered abnormal.
With the oxygen, he was given more treatments. Our room had filled with several
nurses and two doctors. 911 was called to have Landon transported back to the
ER at Children’s via ambulance. It was the hardest thing in the world. I felt
so helpless and scared. To see your baby struggling to breathe, knowing you
can't help, and seeing the doctors having difficulty helping him, was almost
unbearable. I still feel like crying when I think about it. I feel guilty about
not taking him back to the ER sooner and thinking about how much discomfort he
was in.
Plano FD and Rescue came and took us on our first ride. We were put in the
same ER room as the night before. Landon continued the oxygen and was given
more treatments. After a few hours we were finally admitted and moved to a room
for our two nights and three day stay (1/20-1/22/12). Landon was put on IV and
continued treatments every four hours. His oxygen level stayed between 92-95
percent. He was diagnosed with Reactive Airway Disease, Respiratory Distress
and Bronchiolitis.
The day after we were home (1/23/12), we went back to the pediatrician's
office for a follow up and Landon appears to be doing well but by all means is
still not in the clear. We are to continue nebulizer treatments every four
hours along with an oral steroid Prednisolone for nine days. He is to stay out
of daycare and not be around any children for a week as the slightest cold could
make him relapse.
I have not slept since last Wednesday and I am exhausted, mentally and physically. Hopefully, I can get some rest. Here is my sweet angel.
The doctor let Landon get away from the IV for a few minutes so he liked playing in the window sill.
