Ben's 1st Visit to the Hospital

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Last Saturday Ben woke up sick and was having trouble breathing. I had never seen either child like that before - it looked like asthma. I needed to get a diagnosis and so I took him into the Pediatric Urgent Care Center. They said the virus he had gave him croup and that it was all in his throat. I left with instructions for cool mist humidifiers, cool drinks, steamy bathrooms every 3 hours, and instructions to go to the ER if I couldn't control it with those things. Sunday morning he was beyond my help, so we took him in. In the car on the way there, Ben used the little breath he had to show us his new word - "Pa-pi". In his whisper voice he carefully pronounced both syllables. This just about melted our hearts.

After walking through the doors, it was literally 15 minutes and he was relaxed and asleep. They put him on a nebulizer laced with epinephrine, and then gave him a steroid to relax the muscles in his throat and get him breathing easy. Of course he fought this all tooth and nail, so it was not fun. It was especially tormenting for me who has worked so hard to keep him out of hospitals and free from interventions.

It was a kind of letting go and trying to trust the system again (for those of you who don't know Emma was born cesarean in Methodist Hospital and Ben natural in a Birthing Center) I was happy with the treatment he got and the speed in which he was helped. I would recommend Methodist Children's Hospital Emergency Room. The Doctor was excellent.

They sent us on our way 4 hours later with some more steroid for Monday. He woke up wanting to play Monday, improved a little each day, and is 100% himself today. We appreciate Ben more than ever before and are so blessed to have him with us. I remember now not to take him for granted.

Thank you for your prayers. I really could feel them working. I mean that. Thank you.