It all started on our way to family camp. Noah started running a fever 2 days before we left for Michigan. It was low-grade and, other than a cough every now and then, there really was no other symptom. It lasted 48 hours and by the time we got to camp, he was back to normal.
Fast forward to Thurs. morning 3:45am. I am awakened to Ellie screaming in the bunk next to me. I get up and go over to her to find that she is now burning up with fever. Hers, too, lasted 48 hours. She had a sore throat. Her last day of fever and our 1st leg of the trip home, Lucas is complaining of a sore throat. But, he has no fever and is acting completely normal. The next morning, Lucas woke up with a cough and said his chest felt funny. I thought he had bronchitis.
We got home that night and he did indeed have a low-grade fever. I sent him to bed.
Sunday morning he was vomiting, coughing and grunting when he breathed. I couldn't leave the thermometer in his mouth long enough for a full reading but when I pulled it out it was 103. I called Kyle home from church and took Lucas to immediate care.
After a chest x-ray, it was confirmed he had pneumonia. They sent us home with antibiotic and albuterol for breathing treatments.
Monday morning we went in after a sleepless night of vomiting, high fevers, and cough. The triage nurse took his oxygen level and was alarmed. It was 95. Not awful, but an hour after doing a breathing treatment, it really should've been higher. She checked his pulse and immediately told us to go into Room 2 and have him lie down. She ran (yes, literally) to get the doctor.
"Pulse is 280."
"Really?" our ped. replied
The pediatrician listened to him. I was told to calm down.
"His pulse is high, but not THAT high. We wouldn't even be able to count that."
I'm crying, Lucas is freaking out (which didn't help his heart rate), and the doctor says:
"I need you to head over to the ER. Do you feel comfortable driving him?"
I head next door to the ER. I can't get a hold of Kyle. While registering Lucas, I see a good friend from church in one of the offices. Who knew she worked over there? God did and it was just what I needed at that moment.
They take us to a room and while waiting on the dr. I get a call from Kyle.
Long story short, Kyle did indeed come right over. (so glad he works at the hospital!) We spent 8 hours in the ER that day and were on the verge of being admitted to Children's. We spent every day of the next week in the doctor's office. Lucas' oxygen level dipped to below 90 several times. Each time, though, they were able to get it to come back up so we were sent home. It was a scary, stressful week.
After being put on a super-strong antibiotic, breathing treatments every 4 hours round the clock for a week, zantec for the heartburn caused by the antibiotic, and finally steroids, Lucas recovered. An entire week of fever and feeling awful. It was, by far, the sickest any of my kids have ever been.
One month later he was deemed "all clear" and we celebrated. With the H1N1 vaccine. :)
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