PICU Day 18 ~ Full Update

~Smiles after being told we were going home!!~

Today started like every other hospital day with the Lovenox shot at midnight, a bottle, a few hours of sleep, and then labs and another bottle at 4:00a.m.  I was especially anxious to get this particular set of labs over since they were planning on doing an arterial stick in the hopes of getting a more accurate reading for the blood gas.  The arterial sticks are more difficult than even the regular ones they take each day; and at Baptist, the nurses are not allowed to do them.  So a respiratory therapist came and tried once, failed, and they decided to simply do a regular blood draw from the vein.  Thankfully, we had a good nurse who had been able to do it in one try the previous night and again got it in one try this morning.  We were especially looking forward to these results since they would tell us the CO2 level in her blood and let us know whether or not we were on our way home.  Mid morning brought an x-ray, but this was different than all the other x-rays which we had had done at the bedside (with a machine they wheel around the hospital).  Instead they brought in a wheelchair with an attached oxygen tank, had me hold Noelle while seated in the chair, hooked Noelle up to the tank, and then took us up one floor to the radiology lab to have a fully detailed x-ray done.

~Final hospital snuggles with Daddy~

~Almost ready to go...~

Poor little Noelle did not know what to think when they strapped her to a board with her arms above her head and took pictures with her lying flat and then on her side (she was strapped to the board and her face was quite funny as she was "suspended").  Late morning, the medical team finally made their rounds and had three great things to report to us: 1. The CO2 level was still on the high side but was significantly better than the previous day, 2. The blood clot in her leg was completely gone and thus the Lovenox shots would not be required any longer, and 3. We were going home!!!  That news was music to our ears, but we could not rush out the door as there were reports and prescriptions and final procedures to complete.  The news of the blood clot was an extra special praise to us as it could have been quite serious and caused some damage, but it was also a praise since it meant we would not be required to continue those shots at home (which I was dreading, even though I would have figured out some way to deal with it...without doing it myself!).   It was also one less thing to concern us and to watch closely, amidst the many other issues

~A friendly reminder to well-meaning people~

for which we were already facing extra doctor appointments and close following.  The rest of the day was spent with the typical feeding schedule, vital signs, filling prescriptions, speaking with various specialists and other medical staff, visiting with a dear friend from church, getting discharge instructions, scheduling follow-up appointments, and packing up everything from our 2 1/2 week stay.   By the time we had done all of that, signed our discharge papers, made multiple trips to the car with our stuff, connected Noelle to our own portable oxygen tank, and situated her in her carseat, it was after 8:00p.m.; but we did not care since we were going to be going home!!  With some final snapshots and a few goodbyes, we were on our way; and walking through those hospital doors to the outside world felt like true freedom.  I had not stepped outside that facility in five days and had made it home only a few times during the entire 18 days, so I was especially looking forward to having my family all together in our own space once again, with no more midnight shots, no 4:00a.m. and 4:00p.m. labs, no more x-rays or ultrasounds, and so many other things.  The sleepless nights would continue~that is just part of being a parents; but we would still get more sleep than we did in the hospital, and it would certainly be more restful.  We made it home around 9:00p.m. and

~Fully enclosed & ready to ride~

~Ready to leave our room~

connected Noelle to her oxygen machine and pulse oximeter, unloaded our vehicles, fed her, and readied for our first night home.  It was an adjustment~mostly because the pulse oximeter decided to false alarm multiple times through the night.  However, Noelle rested very well without the usual interruptions she was used to experiencing, and the smile she gave me first thing the next morning melted my heart and made me so thankful to God for bringing us through this event in the manner that He did.  It was not without fears or struggles or tears; but it was also never without true peace, and the fears and struggles were dealt with best when left at His feet. 

~Sweet smiles after the first night home~

So now what?  We continue to make the adjustments of being home with a baby that is on oxygen, a monitor, and multiple medications while also making multiple trips a week to various doctors; but while challenging, it is worth every effort~especially when we consider the alternative.  This trip through the ER and PICU was certainly not easy, but we also saw many other children in those places who did not walk out the hospital doors and who will not walk out those doors with the same results which we did.  It keeps things in perspective for us, even as we walk our own road.  We have been warned that more hospital stays are likely in our future, given the severity of Noelle's lung condition; however, we also know that we will not end up there again without God's sovereign allowance.  So we walk through these days with caution, with protection, and ultimately with trust, knowing that He has gone before us; and we look forward to the days when we can "relax" and deal with the "easy" things such as teething, trips and falls, stitches, broken bones, and the various emergencies that "normal" children and parents face on a daily basis.  In the meantime, we do not take one day for granted and continue to thank God for this precious miracle that grows more and more dear to us each passing day.  May God richly bless you for your fervent prayers on our family's behalf.