Lane's sick days

Sunday was a rough night for both Lane and I. In all we got about an hour of sleep. The poor boy could not quit coughing and his nose was so stopped up that he couldn't breath. (What I didn't know at the time was that he was also in pain!) Aaron called at 5:15AM which normally would be a perfect time because I would be getting up to get ready for work. But at this point I had already decided I was not going to work because I could not hold my eyes open plus Lane had a fever that I could not get rid of and we both had just fallen asleep. Even in my daze though...Aaron managed to put a smile on my face. Aaron and I both agreed Lane had to go to the doctor. I called as soon as I could to get Lane an appointment. They told me they could not get him in and my only option was to go to the ER. Well we know how I feel about the ER at this point. I was quite angry that I was about to have to step foot in that place. I made a phone call to someone who had said they would try to help me if I was in this situation. I had hoped she would be able to somehow pull some strings and get me an appointment. Unfortunately she said there wasn't much she could do and I was stuck going to the ER. She did say that she would make some phone calls and let them know that I was coming so they could make sure that I didn't have the same experience. At first I didn't want that. I didn't want everyone looking at me as the complainer...but then I rethought it all. Lane deserves to have great care and if that is what it was going to take to get it then by all mean...he would get it. Plus, those people need to see my poor baby walk in with his arm all wrapped up and know that they had dismissed him in the past when he was really hurt.

We got to the ER and walked into a full waiting room. We had come prepared to wait...Logan with toys and snacks stuffed in his Cars backpack. As soon as I sat down and Logan got his cars out we got called back to get Lane's vitals. I was pretty glad to see that it was someone I knew through a friend. He had been there...not working but in the ER with his wife...the day I had brought Lane in for his collarbone. He told me that they had been told I was coming in and though nothing bad was said they were told to make sure they go out of their way to help me and make sure that I had everything I needed. That put a smile on my face. Lane's temp was 101.9 despite my attempts to bring it down with Motrin and Tylenol. His heart rate was at 166 (normal for a child his age is around 120s). After vitals were done we were told to get our stuff because we were going straight back to a room. I kind of felt bad about this because those other people had been waiting but what I didn't know is the severity of Lane's condition (I'll explain later). I gather up the stuff and we head back. The doctor comes in to see us about 15 minutes later. She was great. She had a great personality and was even playful with Logan. She checked Lane's ears...which was what I thought was wrong...but she said they were fine. Then she listened to him breathe. She said he needed a chest xray because she thought he had pneumonia. She then explained that when a child his age breaks a bone in the chest area they don't breathe correctly because it hurts them to take deep breaths. This can lead to their chest cavity collapsing (our reason for not having to wait). So if I had delayed bringing him in Lane could have been a lot more serious than he was. Lane next received a breathing treatment which he ended up sleeping through and then we were off to the xray room. I feel so bad for him...this was the 3rd time he's been for xrays and he just turned 1!!! When they take a chest xray on child they use what I refer to has the torture chamber which for a child with a broken collarbone it really was a torture chamber. They set him in this seat and then I have to hold his arms over his head...which I know had to of been painful for him...and then they put these glass pieces around his sides to hold him still. It was horrible having him cry and just look right at me while I'm having hold him in this thing. I'm so glad he won't remember these things! The xrays showed Lane to have pneumonia. He was put on antibiotics and an inhaler. I am to continue the Motrin and Tylenol as I was for his fever as well. We ended up spending 3 hours at the ER but the whole time we were there everyone was super nice to us and as we left everyone told us bye and they were all high fiving Logan. I was so pleased with the care we received.

Next we were off to the pharmacy. The doctor had given Lane a medicine that the Army pharmacy did not have in stock. So we were going to have to go off post that. Great! When they gave me my inhaler for Lane I asked him if I could have a nebulizer. He looked at me like I was crazy. After I told him the patient was only 1 and there was no way I was going to teach him how to "inhale" the correct way he says, "well I guess I can give you one!" Are you kidding me. Where do these people come from. Then we head off to Walmart to get the other medicine. Of course they are in no rush like me to get my sick child home. He was so tired and just felt terrible. He still had a fever. (It was still 101 when we left the hospital.) So I fixed him a spot in the big part of the cart and he just laid there. It was so pitiful.

Finally, an hour later we were on the way home. At 5:30PM I finally got Lane his first dose of antibiotics. The fever was still there but had seemed to of gone down. Last night he slept a lot better. His cough still sounds horrible and he still has a low grade fever. He has already played more today than he did all of yesterday but right now he is sleeping. He keeps waking himself up coughing which the doctor said mostly likely hurt him not only in his lungs but in the collarbone area. His fever is still holding steady at around 99 so hopefully these meds kick in soon and he's all better. This has just been a really rough month for him!!!! Say a little prayer for him.

Today I did call the lady back who I had called yesterday to help me. I wanted to compliment the ER staff and doctor. To my surprise she had followed up with Lane's care and already knew that he had pneumonia. I asked her to pass along how thankful I was to the staff and doctor for the way we were treated and she said she would. She also said that she hoped that this would help the staff in seeing how everyone should be treated. So hopefully what I've done has not only helped Lane but has helped everyone who walks into that ER. Everyone deserves to be treated the way we were yesterday!!!