We went to Ft. Worth back in Jan. (15-17) to see Kyle's ag mechanics students at the stock show. When we were on our way home that Sunday (the 17th) we stopped in Post for gas and I decided to get Zoey out of her seat to give her break. Upon picking her up I realized she had a fever and then she decided to throw up all over the both of us. Took her to the doctor that Monday to figure out she had a stomach bug, she mostly had diarrhea for the week, but every afternoon she would have a good spell of vomiting and Kyle and I would literally hold her over the trash can, yes it was that bad. She wasn't eating, we would get in maybe 10 oz a day and we pushed pedialite. It was a very long week and it didn't help I also caught the bug and didn't eat from Tuesday - Saturday.
She seemed to be getting over the stomach bug and we had her 4 month well check on Monday the 25th, she weighed 12.9 the Monday before, but weighed in at only 12.1 for her well check. Everything seemed to be good and we went home. Zoey went to daycare on the 19th and that Tuesday night she started coughing, it was barky, nasty and not like anything we had heard before. We ended up back in the docs office on Wednesday (the 20th). She tested negative for RSV, but the doctor said she had viral croup and had to stay home the rest of the week.
We kept her out all week, but she didn't seem to be getting any better. She was still running fever and her cough was getting worse so we went back to see the doc on Tues. Feb. 2nd. Dr. G diagonsed her with pneumonia and we went for an xray, which then confirmed pneumonia was in her left lung. We were doing breathing treatments every 4 hours, using saline and sucking her nose out every time we turned around and were doing our best to try and get her to eat. Thursday came and we were back in the doctors office because we couldn't get her to eat and her cough had not improved. They monitored her 02 sats and they decided to do a deep suction, and let me tell you, that was heart wrenching. I had to hold her down on the table while they took a nearly 2 ft. tube and stuck it down her nose and throat, and although awful it really did seem to help. After the deep suction and a breathing treatment she ate 4 ounces! Doc said 5 years ago she would have sent us to the hospital for fluids and oxygen, but today there are certain markers that have to be met and we just didn't meet the markers. So she was doing everything in office she could.
That Thursday night was rough. I got home from work and I think I was just exhausted to the max. I just started to cry. Zoey was struggling and I felt like I was doing nothing. I called my dearest second mom and just cried and we talked things out and I just kept going back and forth on taking her to the ER. Got off the phone with her and Kyle and I decided I should take Zoey in a hot shower. That was one of the things Dr. G said would help. Zoey and I literally sat in the shower until the water went cold, I think it was the best thing for the both of us. Zoey's breathing calmed down and she slept peacefully in my arms as the water fell on top of us. I cried some more and then I too was relaxed. Once we got out of the shower we were both relaxed and were already scheduled to go back to the doc that next day (yep you counted correct that was 3 doc visits in 1 week) so we went to bed.
Went back to the doctor that Friday and we did another deep suction and breathing treatment. Zoey seemed to be doing better. Of course they said if anything seemed to change over the weekend to call, go to the pedi clinic, or take her to the ER. The entire week/weekend we were doing breathing treatments every 4 hours, taking shifts through the night. When we held her we held her right side down, left side up. We were doing the T cup pat or whatever on her back throughout the day. Still using saline and the suction bulp. Let's just say it was heart breaking and exhausting.
The weekend came and finally Zoey had a good day. So good that we finally did 4 month pictures, only 2 weeks late, but better late then never. That Saturday (Feb. 6th) she was eating and happy and laughing and talking and we couldn't get enough of her.
Zoey Corlis Pate
4 months
12.1 lbs
23.2 inches
size 2 diapers
3 month clothes
We really thought we were on the up hill climb, and then the week came. I don't really remember Sunday or Monday (Feb. 7-8), I'm guessing they were pretty normal. I think she ate ok etc, I just remember Saturday being amazing.
Monday came and went and then Tuesday (Feb. 9th) I got home from work and my dad said he had to hold her the entire day b/c anywhere he would lay her or sit her down she would just cough. I have class at the gym on Tuesday night and to give my dad a break (he had been in our house for a week and half) I had him drive me and drop me off so he could go to Cabela's and walk around. As my class was coming to an end I got a text from Kyle saying "hurry home, Zoey needs a hot shower." We hurried home and literally I walked in the door and then stepped in the shower with Zoey. After a 30 minute shower and a breathing treatment her breathing was still very short, shallow and rapid. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew something wasn't right. It was 9:30 that night and I decided to call the nurse. Dad was rocking her and I was talking to the nurse and she had us count Zoey's breaths/minute. At that time she was 63 breaths/minute. We also had to look for retraction, this was something new for us, but every time she took a breath her skin would sink in around her ribs and it looked like a big hole was in her chest. The nurse told me she was working to hard to breathe and we needed to take her to the ER. I literally chuckled and said "I've never had to go before, what do we do? Where do we go?" The nurse was so good and explained the entire process to me. Poor Kyle was in the shower and had no idea what was going on. As soon as he got out I told him we had to take Zoey to the ER, yeah his face was a bit priceless.
We actually had a good ER experience. We arrived at the ER around 10:30, filled out paperwork and within 10 minutes we were checked in and in a room. The doctor came in and we told him she was diagnosed the week before with pneumonia. He told us he was going to check for RSV and order an Xray and if she came back positive for RSV or if the pneumonia was worse and not better we were going to be admitted. I'm pretty sure neither one of us were thinking we would be admitted to the hospital. We didn't even take anything to stay in the hospital, thankfully I at least had my pump with me. By 11:30 we knew she was RSV positive and the pneumonia had moved from her left lung to her right lung, we were being admitted. It was by far one of the hardest nights of our lives. We had to hold Zoey down so they could put in an IV and draw blood. Every time she would just get comfortable they would come in to do something or check something. Finally around 1 am we were being moved to a room upstairs. Got up stairs and had to tell her story all over again to the hospitalist, or what we call the doctor. Kyle ran home to grab some clothes and my tooth brush etc and he got back around 2:15. We met our nurse for the night, Zoey was put on oxygen and her temp was 102.4 so they gave her tylenol and finally at 2:30 we all got settled. No more poking or prodding and I slept in her little crib bed with her and Kyle slept on the couch. I think I ended up with 1.5 hours of sleep that night.
The worst part about RSV is that the virus gets worse before it gets better. Doctors kept telling us day 4 or 5 would be the worst, with the virus lasting up to 10 days. However, we had no idea what day we were on, because she had been sick for so long we had no idea when RSV started. I really think it was either that Sunday or Monday, just because Saturday was such a good day!
Wednesday (Feb. 10) was a pretty calm day. Zoey stayed the same, always having great O2 sats and her breathing remained steady. They took her off IV fluids Wednesday morning as she was, thankfully, eating really well. So Thursday the goal was to try and bring Zoey off the oxygen. They had her at .3, but we woke up that morning and Zoey was in distress. Her breathing was up to 80/minute, not good. So instead of going down we had to turn her oxygen up to .5 and her breathing calmed and she spent the day eating and sleeping. Thursday afternoon a respiratory guy came in and to be nice he was a pompous a$$ hole. He said Zoey looked good and he wanted to turn her oxygen down and see how she did, not saying a word he turned her down. As he was walking out I asked if he had turned her back down to .3 (thinking that b/c that is where we originally started) and he smarted back nope .2. When I asked why he replied, "I like to live life on the edge." Needless to say it wasn't even 20 minutes later and Zoey was in distress. I walked the hallways to look for him, but instead found our nurse and she upped her back to .3. Looking back I should of done things differently, but it was done and over. Friday we got up and the doctors came in and we decided to slowly wean her down. We satyed at .2 for most of the day and then made it to .1. While she was at .1 she kept riding the line of needing more oxygen, but with continuous suction it kept her breathing controlled. We woke up Sat morning and the doctors said her lungs were sounding better and we were going to try her on room air. 6 hours later and she had passed! Her breathing would go up in the 60's, but her body would compensate and after a few minutes bring it back down. The doctors said that could on for days and we didn't have to worry unless she had sustained rapid breathing for 15 minutes or longer. So at 5 pm that afternoon we were finally headed home. It felt so good to be off the 3 ft. leash we had been on the entire week. I'm not sure who came up with the length of the oxygen line, but seriously it needs to be longer then 3 ft!!!
As much as I didn't want to spend the week in the hospital, it was the best thing for Zoey. Her body needed the oxygen and overall we had a great experience. The night nurses were so good that I wouldn't hear them come in. I only woke when Zoey would go into a coughing fit. We really don't have plans to go back to the hospital, but I really can't say enough good things about Covenant Women's and Children's Hospital!
In the midst of all the craziness I ended up with the stomach bug, twice, Zeke had 2 different viruses and somehow Kyle stayed healthy through it all. I'm guessing his immune is nice and strong being around high schoolers all day. With Zoey only being 4 months old I hadn't really accrued much time to take off and the kids were missing so much daycare that I was stressed to the max. Thankfully my dad retired this past Oct. and he was so kind and offered to come up from Houston. He got here on Sunday Jan. 31 and really had plans to stay a week, until Zoey went into the hospital. Then his 1 week turned into 2 weeks. He was a trooper, keeping both kids while they were both sick, taking care of me when I had the stomach bug, cooking dinner etc. We really can't thank him enough! Dad headed home Friday Feb. 12th and after our follow up visit with Dr. G on Monday (Feb 15) we needed to keep Zoey out of daycare one more week. So my mom came up and spent last week with us. Again, we were so thankful Nanna could sacrifice and stay a week! In 5 weeks Zoey went to school 1 day.
It has been a very emotional, stressful and exhausting few weeks, but I'm very thankful for my parents and their ability/willingness to help us out. We couldn't have done it without them. So today for the first time in 5 weeks, I dropped both kids off at daycare. It was a rough day for both me and Zoey, but we survived!
Now Zoey is 5 months and maybe, just maybe we will have a better month.
Praying for healthy kids and finding our normal again!
Kyle + Mary + Zeke + Zoey
Zoey Corlis Pate
5 months
12 lbs 12 oz
size 2 diapers
3 month clothes
Loves to growl
Loves to take baths
Rolls from tummy to back
Bottom 2 teeth are coming in
Is a slobber bucket
Loves to laugh at her brother
Loves to sit up, although she can't sit by herself yet
Loves oatemal
Hates rice cereal
Loves to bite her bottom lip
(I'm not normally one for bows bigger then her face, but I just couldn't resist) :)
Random, but somehow we managed to take a few Valentine's pictures. Of course I had big plans to send valentine cards to our family because I did it for Zeke's first Valentine, but we were in the hospital so we took these on Valentine's day. None the less I still got her some pictures from her first Valentine's day! :)
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