and something tells me, it won't be our last. We had to take Nathan into the ER at Methodist Children's on April 12th. I woke up about 4:30 that morning to Nathan making a strange cough. I had Paul look at Nathan in his bassinet, and Paul reported to me that he was fine. I could still hear his cough, and it just didn't sound right. I had Paul bring me Nathan, and I could tell right away that he needed a breathing treatment. Paul was out of bed and in the kitchen before I could even get out of the bed. While we were giving him a breathing treatment, he started with a cough...the barking cough unmistakable for croup! We called the RN hotline and after asking us a few questions and listening to Nathan over the phone, she instructed us to take him to the ER.
Mom came over quickly to stay with Katie, and we made our way to the hospital about 20 min from our house. I sat in the backseat with Nathan, watching him on the ride over. Of course, he hardly coughed on the trip. In fact, he smiled and played with his hands. He was the picture of health once we were seen with the exception of throwing up after eating. He was just too congested and was spitting up and drooling a lot more than usual. The physician told us that we did all the right interventions at home and to keep doing the steam showers, humidifier and breathing treatments as needed. Croup can be caused by various things, most likely Nathan’s was the result of his allergies. I hope we won’t have to deal with this very often because it sure was scary. Thankfully he was good as new in two weeks.
Showing posts with label Hospital Visits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hospital Visits. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Hospital Visits....
Yes, unfortunately, that is a pleural "vistis" for me...this early in my pregnancy, too. Ugh.
On June 1st, I caught the stomach bug that was creeping it's way through our family. I got so sick I was unable to keep down water and was having trouble urinating. I knew that meant I was seriously dehydrated and off to the ER Paul and I went. Five hours, two bags of Normal Saline, and a $2000 bill later I was nice and hydrated. Oh goodness.
I was hoping that would be the end of the excitement for us, but unfortunately it wasn't. On June 21st, I was getting ready to go to bed and I started having fast palpitations that wouldn't go away. I have gotten these before, but they usually only last 3-4 beats and then go away. My mom gets them, and so does Grandma apparently, but they have never been bothersome. I even had an ECHO done when I first got pregnant with Kaitlyn to make sure everything was okay for the pregnancy.
This time, however, they didn't go away. They were still there in the morning when I woke up but were WORSE. I was having a lot of trouble breathing and was very diaphoretic ...I knew this wasn't good. So off to the ER I went again. When they checked me with a 12-lead EKG, my heart rate was 220!! They immediately moved me from triage to Trauma Room 8. I was either in SVT or A fib with RVR....the treatment of which is drugs or shocking. Fortunately for me, the arrhythmia went away on it's own, but I had a lot of PVC's and PAC's for several hours. They kept me overnight, placed me on telemetry, drew serial troponins and performed another ECHO. All of my lab work came back normal, and they discharged me on the 22nd. What a scare! The cardiologist told me that I likely was experiencing Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, and there really isn't anything for me to do other than return if the palpitations and chest pain return.
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Really, really hoping this is the last I see of the hospital until this baby is ready to deliver...after November 17th, of course....
**I know I used a lot of medical jargon. Please follow the word link for more info.
On June 1st, I caught the stomach bug that was creeping it's way through our family. I got so sick I was unable to keep down water and was having trouble urinating. I knew that meant I was seriously dehydrated and off to the ER Paul and I went. Five hours, two bags of Normal Saline, and a $2000 bill later I was nice and hydrated. Oh goodness.
I was hoping that would be the end of the excitement for us, but unfortunately it wasn't. On June 21st, I was getting ready to go to bed and I started having fast palpitations that wouldn't go away. I have gotten these before, but they usually only last 3-4 beats and then go away. My mom gets them, and so does Grandma apparently, but they have never been bothersome. I even had an ECHO done when I first got pregnant with Kaitlyn to make sure everything was okay for the pregnancy.
This time, however, they didn't go away. They were still there in the morning when I woke up but were WORSE. I was having a lot of trouble breathing and was very diaphoretic ...I knew this wasn't good. So off to the ER I went again. When they checked me with a 12-lead EKG, my heart rate was 220!! They immediately moved me from triage to Trauma Room 8. I was either in SVT or A fib with RVR....the treatment of which is drugs or shocking. Fortunately for me, the arrhythmia went away on it's own, but I had a lot of PVC's and PAC's for several hours. They kept me overnight, placed me on telemetry, drew serial troponins and performed another ECHO. All of my lab work came back normal, and they discharged me on the 22nd. What a scare! The cardiologist told me that I likely was experiencing Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, and there really isn't anything for me to do other than return if the palpitations and chest pain return.
Really, really hoping this is the last I see of the hospital until this baby is ready to deliver...after November 17th, of course....
**I know I used a lot of medical jargon. Please follow the word link for more info.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Kaitlyn's First Hospitalization (January 2-4, 2010)
...and hopefully our last.
While we were in the hospital for delivery, they checked Kaitlyn's bilirubin levels. They told us Thursday, December 31st, that her levels the previous evening were a little high, around 7 at 24 hours of life. Her level should have been around 4, and she was in a high risk category at the time. The pediatrician wanted to recheck her levels before we were discharged home, and if it had come down some, she would discharge us with a follow up with her on Monday.
They drew her labs around 11am, and it had gone down some, but was still elevated at 10.8 at 42 hours of life. Dr. H said that we could go home, but to bring Katie in for a re-check of her bili level on Saturday.
Paul and I got up first thing Saturday morning (January 2nd) and loaded the baby into the car. Unfortunately, the hospital staff was not very coordinated at all, and we ended up waiting in the ER waiting room from 11am to 12:30pm. By that time, it was time for Katie to eat, and Paul had complained enough that they put us in a triage room to wait.
They drew her lab at 2pm and sent us home. By the time we got home, though, Dr. H had already gotten the lab results and called to let us know. Her voicemail said to call her back "as soon as possible" and that it was "pretty urgent." I had a feeling we weren't in for good news.
Dr. H said her bili level had almost doubled and was 25.5. She needed to have photo light therapy for hyperbilirubinemia as soon as possible, and she had already called some of the local hospitals to schedule Kaitlyn's admission. She was waiting on confirmation from the Downtown Children's Hospital, and Paul and I packed up everything we could think of to take while we awaited her call. Around 4:30pm, Dr. H called and instructed us to head to the NICU downtown.
Walking into the NICU with my daughter was one of the scariest things that I have had to do. It is frightening to see all the machines, wires, tubes and tiny isolettes with premature and sick children in them. Kaitlyn had her own private room for isolation, Room 14, as she was newborn and had not been screened for the flu and RSV. They started her on IV fluids and Sarah, her nurse, fed her the 1 oz of breast milk that I was able to pump before arriving at the hospital. Her bili level at 19:47 was 19.5. She was placed on triple light therapy, with two overhead lights and a bili blanket underneath her. She looked so tiny in her bed, and was only 5 lbs and 5 oz upon admission.
Paul and I stayed with my mom until 10pm, when Grandparent visitation was over. We headed to the house, and I woke up every 3 hours to pump for Katie. Mom went to the hospital at 8am on Sunday to sit with Katie until we were able to arrive. Sabrina, the nurse overnight, said that Katie did well and kept trying to remove her sunglasses. Her bili level at midnight was 16.1 and 14.4 at 08:05am. Her nurse, Cat, removed one of the bili lights at 09:40, and they placed her in between two bili blankets around 11:00am so that we could hold her and I could try to nurse.
They re-checked her bili level at 2pm, and it was 12.9mg/dl. This meant that she only had to wear one bili blanket, and we were able to graduate from the NICU to the Step Down Nursery! :o) Around 5pm, we transported to the Special Nursery and met our nurse, Jennifer. Paul and I were not very impressed with the Special nursery to say the least. They were not very welcoming and friendly like the NICU nurses were, and they were definitely not supportive of breastfeeding. Neither of our nurses knew how to use the breast pump in the lactation room and the room was unkempt with trash overflowing from the trash can. Paul and mom were able to get the Lactation Consultants to come and visit with me a few times, however, and we made a little bit of progress with Katie.
On Monday afternoon, the Nurse Practitioner came by to see us and said that we could go home. Her bili level was 12.5mg/dl overnight and her color was already looking better. We were discharged home around 3pm that afternoon.
Since we have been home, Kaitlyn has continued to thrive. She is eating well and making dirty diapers for us to change. :o) Her skin color is almost back to normal with her face a tad bit darker than her body. She isn't nearly as sleepy, a result of high bili levels, and she is eating easier than she was. She is not interested in learning how to breastfeed, at all, which has been very hard for me. I was soooo determined to breastfeed my little girl for as long as I could, but true to character, Katie likes to set her own rules. At this time we are giving her expressed breast milk as often as we can.
During our follow-up with our pediatrician Tuesday (Jan 5th), her bili level was 13.9. The doctor said not worry, however, and to make sure that she continues to eat/pee/poop. Our next appointment will be January 13th for her two week check-up.
We appreciate all the love and support from our friends and family. Without this, I don't know how we would have made it through.
While we were in the hospital for delivery, they checked Kaitlyn's bilirubin levels. They told us Thursday, December 31st, that her levels the previous evening were a little high, around 7 at 24 hours of life. Her level should have been around 4, and she was in a high risk category at the time. The pediatrician wanted to recheck her levels before we were discharged home, and if it had come down some, she would discharge us with a follow up with her on Monday.
They drew her labs around 11am, and it had gone down some, but was still elevated at 10.8 at 42 hours of life. Dr. H said that we could go home, but to bring Katie in for a re-check of her bili level on Saturday.
Paul and I got up first thing Saturday morning (January 2nd) and loaded the baby into the car. Unfortunately, the hospital staff was not very coordinated at all, and we ended up waiting in the ER waiting room from 11am to 12:30pm. By that time, it was time for Katie to eat, and Paul had complained enough that they put us in a triage room to wait.
They drew her lab at 2pm and sent us home. By the time we got home, though, Dr. H had already gotten the lab results and called to let us know. Her voicemail said to call her back "as soon as possible" and that it was "pretty urgent." I had a feeling we weren't in for good news.Dr. H said her bili level had almost doubled and was 25.5. She needed to have photo light therapy for hyperbilirubinemia as soon as possible, and she had already called some of the local hospitals to schedule Kaitlyn's admission. She was waiting on confirmation from the Downtown Children's Hospital, and Paul and I packed up everything we could think of to take while we awaited her call. Around 4:30pm, Dr. H called and instructed us to head to the NICU downtown.
Walking into the NICU with my daughter was one of the scariest things that I have had to do. It is frightening to see all the machines, wires, tubes and tiny isolettes with premature and sick children in them. Kaitlyn had her own private room for isolation, Room 14, as she was newborn and had not been screened for the flu and RSV. They started her on IV fluids and Sarah, her nurse, fed her the 1 oz of breast milk that I was able to pump before arriving at the hospital. Her bili level at 19:47 was 19.5. She was placed on triple light therapy, with two overhead lights and a bili blanket underneath her. She looked so tiny in her bed, and was only 5 lbs and 5 oz upon admission.
Paul and I stayed with my mom until 10pm, when Grandparent visitation was over. We headed to the house, and I woke up every 3 hours to pump for Katie. Mom went to the hospital at 8am on Sunday to sit with Katie until we were able to arrive. Sabrina, the nurse overnight, said that Katie did well and kept trying to remove her sunglasses. Her bili level at midnight was 16.1 and 14.4 at 08:05am. Her nurse, Cat, removed one of the bili lights at 09:40, and they placed her in between two bili blankets around 11:00am so that we could hold her and I could try to nurse.
They re-checked her bili level at 2pm, and it was 12.9mg/dl. This meant that she only had to wear one bili blanket, and we were able to graduate from the NICU to the Step Down Nursery! :o) Around 5pm, we transported to the Special Nursery and met our nurse, Jennifer. Paul and I were not very impressed with the Special nursery to say the least. They were not very welcoming and friendly like the NICU nurses were, and they were definitely not supportive of breastfeeding. Neither of our nurses knew how to use the breast pump in the lactation room and the room was unkempt with trash overflowing from the trash can. Paul and mom were able to get the Lactation Consultants to come and visit with me a few times, however, and we made a little bit of progress with Katie.
On Monday afternoon, the Nurse Practitioner came by to see us and said that we could go home. Her bili level was 12.5mg/dl overnight and her color was already looking better. We were discharged home around 3pm that afternoon.
Since we have been home, Kaitlyn has continued to thrive. She is eating well and making dirty diapers for us to change. :o) Her skin color is almost back to normal with her face a tad bit darker than her body. She isn't nearly as sleepy, a result of high bili levels, and she is eating easier than she was. She is not interested in learning how to breastfeed, at all, which has been very hard for me. I was soooo determined to breastfeed my little girl for as long as I could, but true to character, Katie likes to set her own rules. At this time we are giving her expressed breast milk as often as we can.
During our follow-up with our pediatrician Tuesday (Jan 5th), her bili level was 13.9. The doctor said not worry, however, and to make sure that she continues to eat/pee/poop. Our next appointment will be January 13th for her two week check-up.
We appreciate all the love and support from our friends and family. Without this, I don't know how we would have made it through.
Monday, November 16, 2009
1st Hospital Stay
If I was caught off guard at Friday's appointment, I was definitely thrown for a loop at Monday's follow-up! My doctor told me she wanted to see me twice this week. Once for a normal appointment and once for an ultrasound. My blood pressure was 140/90, no protein in the urine. Rose, my doctor's assistant, placed me on the NST before I saw the doctor, and Katie proceeded to kick and flip and move about. She must like to hear her own heartbeat because she always gets active when we do this test.I had been in the room for about 20 minutes when my doctor appeared and informed me that she wanted to keep me overnight at the hospital to run some tests on my kidneys, liver, and blood and to have me do a 24 hour urine test. I was disconnected from the monitor and sent on my way. Mom was able to leave work and met me at the hospital with an overnight bag and pink roses for Kaitlyn and me. I finally got a hold of Paul (he wasn't able to get my text messages) and let him know that we were both okay.
A very nice nurse, Catherine, took me to my room, Labor and Delivery Room 5, and got me admitted. She placed me on the NST, again, and rechecked my blood pressure. Surprisingly, it was coming down and stayed between 130/80's and 120/70's. We only got two readings over 130/80 the entire time I was there.
I didn't have to wear a fashionable hospital gown nor get an IV, so it was a relatively pleasant stay. The hospital is brand new and had all kinds of fancy amenities such as room service and free WiFi. I had a lot of visitors the first day (so the nurses kept telling my visitors, lol!) and the time passed really quickly. Leslie, Tara, Irma, and Jonathan came to see me that afternoon. Tamara, Paul and Mom were able to come that evening once they got off of work. I didn't get much sleep after everyone left because the hospital bed was not so comfortable. My legs and bottom kept falling asleep where the bed comes apart for delivery. I am sure the post-partum beds are a lot more comfortable than the delivery beds. Regina was my nurse overnight.
First thing Tuesday morning, Dr. A stopped in to let me know my "blood pressures in jail look really nice" and that my labs all came back normal. They were just waiting on my 24-hr urine test to finish and if my protein counts were low, I would be able to go home. My nurse, Kelly, placed me back on the NST to check on our little girl, who was doing great! It is such a blessing that during these last seven months our little angel is doing so well.
My urine test came back around lunch time at 170mg/24hr, and I was released home with my mom. It appears that this test was a little high, normal is 30-150mg/24hr, but Dr. A said she would release me to home bedrest if it was under 300. I had this same test August 5th and it was 163.8mg/24hr, so it hasn't increased too much.
I am praying this is the last time I have to be admitted before December 29th so that Katie can get bigger and her lungs can mature as much as possible.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
ER Trip
So yesterday, I developed a bit of a migraine while at work. It was so intense that I ended up throwing up, had to leave work early, and couldn't shake it with Tylenol/ice packs/sleep.
I had Paul and my mom take me to the new hospital down the street around 8pm so that I could be seen. When I got to the ER, my blood pressure was already 145/85. (When I left work at 2 it was only 127/78 or so. Not good!!) They did a CT scan of my head and double wrapped my belly/back in lead shields for the baby. The doctor on call said that everything looked great. They gave me a cocktail of IV Reglan/Benadryl to get rid of the headache, and I got a half a liter of saline to rehydrate me.
Today, I had an appointment with my Opthamologist to make sure that I didn't have any vision problems as my headaches have been increasing in frequency and strength. She didn't find anything, either. So it remains a mystery at this point. know that headaches/migraines can also be from stress/hormones, so I am trying to ride it out the best I can. I have an OB appt. on Friday, so hopefully we will know more then.
On the plus side, I did get to see an ultrasound of the baby while at the ER. S/he had the head towards the screen. It looks like the baby was lying on its back with its feet in the air. We could see the baby kicking its feet back and forth and when the Dr. moved the wand over the baby's head, the baby shot its arms/legs out like "WHEE" as mom says. LOL! I am glad mom got to see the baby finally.
I had Paul and my mom take me to the new hospital down the street around 8pm so that I could be seen. When I got to the ER, my blood pressure was already 145/85. (When I left work at 2 it was only 127/78 or so. Not good!!) They did a CT scan of my head and double wrapped my belly/back in lead shields for the baby. The doctor on call said that everything looked great. They gave me a cocktail of IV Reglan/Benadryl to get rid of the headache, and I got a half a liter of saline to rehydrate me.
Today, I had an appointment with my Opthamologist to make sure that I didn't have any vision problems as my headaches have been increasing in frequency and strength. She didn't find anything, either. So it remains a mystery at this point. know that headaches/migraines can also be from stress/hormones, so I am trying to ride it out the best I can. I have an OB appt. on Friday, so hopefully we will know more then.
On the plus side, I did get to see an ultrasound of the baby while at the ER. S/he had the head towards the screen. It looks like the baby was lying on its back with its feet in the air. We could see the baby kicking its feet back and forth and when the Dr. moved the wand over the baby's head, the baby shot its arms/legs out like "WHEE" as mom says. LOL! I am glad mom got to see the baby finally.
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