The Good & The Bad

So poor little Anna has RSV. She is four weeks old. None of my other kids have gotten this and I knew it was bad, but I'm freaking out a little bit and praying a LOT for her to get through this without getting worse. I took her in to the doctor on Wednesday morning because she had been projectile vomiting all night (six times to be exact). She also had a fever. The doctor we saw (never saw before) at BAMC (Army hospital) was worried it had to do with late onset Group B Strep infection since we both had issues with it at Anna's birth. She wanted to admit her to the hospital that day for another week of antibiotics. They tortured her with a needle (I mean, drew her blood) and tortured her with a tube (I mean, used a catheter to get her urine) and those test results did not show an infection. I really did not want to spend a week in the hospital with her for something she probably did not have, although there is always that thought, what if? What if she did have it? I've been doubting my mothering decisions lately (gotta love these post pregnancy hormones) and this isn't helping.

Anyways, after four hours in the doctor's office, we were sent home with what to look for to have to take her to the ER. Basically, a fever of 100.4 or higher. We also had an appointment to take her back the next day. So that evening, she had a fever of 100.7 and I took her to North Central Baptist Hospital ER. They were great, tested her for RSV and the flu right away (they never tested her for that at the doctor's office). She tested positive for RSV and the doctor said that she'd likely get a lot worse before she got better and sent us on our way. We were there for about an hour and a half. They called BAMC to get the lab results (awesome that they did not torture her again for those...the doctor's hubby worked at BAMC so they could break the military barrier to get the results). They also did x-rays of her lungs, bringing an x-ray machine in HER ROOM! That is high tech baby, not military type health care! Anyways, we went home with instructions to see a doctor everyday and take her to the ER if she had trouble breathing. We went back to the BAMC doctor yesterday and she looked a little sicker, but still could breathe through her nose...yay! She has a horrible, croaking/squeaking cough and wasn't eating quite normally, but still breathing well. This morning (Friday), at about 4AM, she was breathing funny, taking very long breaks from breathing (5-8 seconds) and then struggling a little bit to get her next breath, so I took her back to the ER. Once we got there, she was breathing better of course and her oxygen saturation level was 100%. So, with instructions to stop watching her every breath and to get some sleep (I was sleeping on the floor next to her in the bouncy seat for part of the night with my hand on her belly), we were sent home with me feeling like an over reacting mom. The doctor said I'd be able to hear her struggle for breath from across the room if she was really having trouble breathing, and be able to see her ribs from the effort her body would be making. So here we are, Friday afternoon and she's been sleeping all day, with small bursts of painful crying and not eating so well, but still eating well enough I think.

I have been praying that she not get worse, and really, the anticipation of how bad I've heard it can get is really making me crazy. She's on Day 4 and I've been told days 4-6 are when it is the worst, so hopefully we just need to get through the weekend. She has another doctor appointment tomorrow (Saturday) at BAMC (weekend clinic hours!). For now, I'll just keep holding my sweet baby girl and praying that this is as bad as she'll get.

The other kids likely have RSV as well (the doctor said), which basically means a mild cold in them since they are not babies. Cough and runny nose. No decrease in energy level with them at all. In fact, because I have even less energy, it seems like they have more! Actually, they seem to be over it now, just a lingering runny nose with Leah.

We've missed both MOPS and co-op this week and that is important adult time for me :o( I certainly don't want to spread the germs to the other babies out there though.



Okay, now onto the good news...while I was at the ER with Anna on Wednesday night, Chris' new squadron commander and his wife stopped by our house with this...


My wonderfully awesome husband will soon be a MAJOR in the Air Force. Well, soon is an overstatement. His line number is 886 so he'll be able to actually wear that rank (and get the pay raise) in about year. One guy in his squadron has the line number of 2977, so 886 doesn't look too far away compared to that. It's based on when he got commissioned and his number is lower than he thought it would be, so yay!