Lindsay Family

Saturday night, February 11th, sickness sets in.  Gordon was with Evelyn on his daddy daughter date and I was home with the two little ones, Claire and Bonnie.  Claire went to bed that night not eating dinner and I attributed it to eating too many cupcakes earlier in the day at Evelyn's birthday party. So I put her to bed didn't think anything of it. 

Sunday morning came and we were supposed to head out to our brother's church where they were giving their newborn baby a blessing and at the last minute, I decided it was best to keep Claire home since she was showing more signs of not feeling well.  She woke up with a fever and had a runny nose and cough.  Is it amazing to anyone else how FAST a kid gets sick?!  It was litterally 'fine one minute...sick the next'. 

So Gordon and Evelyn went to church that day up to see the rest of the family and I stayed home with a healthy Bonnie and a sick Claire. 

When daddy got home from church...all Claire wanted was to be near him.  "Hold me." is what she said and I think that's the fastest way to melt a daddy's heart.  He held her all afternoon and she fell asleep on him.  Anyone who knows Claire knows that this kids DOES NOT sit still for anyone!  So to see her still and asleep and snoring through her stuffiness was priceless as it never happens and we  knew then she really must not feel well.

By Sunday night, Bonnie began showing signs of discomfort.  A little cough and sounds of congestion , but no fever.  Night time came and little sleep was had by all.  Coughing and fevers kept us up all night and it was decided that first thing in the morning, I would be taking the kids into the Dr's office.  Both Bonnie and Claire had a thurough examination and the verdict was two cases of bad head colds.  Rest. Drink water. Tylenol for fevers.  Those were the Dr's orders - all things I already knew and hated that I had to have a Dr tell me what I already knew, but was glad they were checked to rule out things like Strep Throat. 

All day Monday, Claire was miserable.  All day Tuesday, Claire was miserable.

....Speaking of Tuesday...it was Valentine's Day and I was going on day TWO with no shower because I was CONSTANTLY tending to a sick and whiney and needy little Claire bear.  I'm a mom, that's what I do, but when Tuesday came I did shower and I did do a little decorating with Evelyn to make it feel like it was a little bit of a special day.  The amazing husband that I have brought me roses and we had a very romantic dinner at the table under a sea of hearts!  ...with the children 3 feet away one of which was coughing up a lung and the other crying to be held and the third just smiling because she's five now.  Yeh, it was a wonderful evening!  

By Tuesday night, Bonnie's health changed drastically.  Her eyes were the first thing we noticed...they got very red and swollen and they were dripping - not because she was crying - they just were so irritated and watery that they just dripped tears!  Her cough excellerated pretty quickly from the day before and she was wheezing heavily and really struggling with breathing.  It was pretty hard to watch her suffer because she's my 8 month old and a baby and can't communicate with us and the only thing I can give her to give her comfort is Tylenol. 

The nights were hard and sleepless, but she was seen on Monday and it was just a cold right?  So we endured and pressed on ... not knowing what danger she was really in.

--Wednesday morning, Claire was improving - still coughing and snotty nosed, but she was off the couch. She was playing and moving around and her appetite was back and was eating food. Thank the Lord! She was finally able to be left to herself so I could focus on just ONE sick baby and not TWO!

--Thursday morning, Evelyn had her WELL CHILD CHECK UP since she just turned five so we were back at the Dr's office, but this time it was for a healthy Evelyn!  We get back in our room and the nurse starts checking out Evelyn - "mom, she has a fever, did you know?"  WHAT!!!????  The nurse tells me Evelyn has a fever of 101 and I had no idea.  We asked her if she felt sick and she said no...just a fluke thing with having a fever!  PHEW!

The Dr came in and she started Evelyn's check up...the whole time Bonnie is struggling breathing and wheezing and coughing.  The Dr STOPS checking Evelyn and turns her attention to Bonnie and asks me how Bonnie is doing?  I say, well she's been pretty miserable, but we're doing Tylenol and IBP every 4 hours to keep her fever down and I am suctioning her nose like crazy with Saline drops...why? 

The Dr asks if she can sign Bonnie in so she can check her officially.  Of Course!

So I check in Bonnie and the Dr starts an exame on my baby.  She then wants to test Bonnie for a virus so she swabs her throat and nose snot and leaves the room.  I'm a little nervous because the Dr was reserved and really studying Bonnie with a concerned look on her face and then leaves to get this swab tested.  She comes back like 3 minutes later and talks to me about RSV - a respiratory infection - and tells me that Bonnie has a severe case of RSV and she feels that I should take her to the hospital.  WHAT?!!! 

I was confused?  How could a head cold turn so deadly so fast? I asked if there was anything we could do BEFORE going to the hospital ... like a home remedy or something?!  I did not want to take her to the hospital if I didn't have to!!!  So the Dr said there is one thing, but I'm not sure if your insurance will cover it because you are under 'private insurance', but I'll go check.  So she left us again and came back and said my insurance should cover it - she brought in a box that had a Nebulizer inside and told me she would do the first dose here in the office and then I could take it home and use it over night and if there is no improvement then I need to take her into the hospital.  OK - what do I do!?

She showed me how to operate it and Bonnie DID NOT LIKE IT!  It was such a difficult situation!  I am in the small room at the Dr's office...Evelyn and Claire are with me, Bonnie in my arms and in comes a nurse and the Dr and they tell me to hold Bonnie upright but I have to hold her head still and her arms down...then they put this mask on her and turn this loud machine on and smoke starts coming out -it's really the medicine turned into vapor mist - but tell that to a worried 5 year old big sister!!  So Evelyn starts crying because she's not sure what's going on and Claire doesn't like loud noises so she climbs up on the bench behind me and holds her hands over her ears and then she starts crying!  So I'm staring at Evelyn to "LOOK AT MOMMY" and telling her everything is going to be ok and I'm talking to Claire over my shoulder telling her "EVERYTHING IS OK" and I'm pinning down my 8 month old bouncing her on my knees and squeezing her hands and she is screaming and two strangers are holding this smoking mask over her face and I'm telling her "EVEYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK!!!"

Not to mention the little voice inside my head that is praying "IS EVERYTHING GOING TO BE OK!!????"

...

It took about 10 mintues to vaporize the entire amount of Albuterol (medicine that opens her breathing and breaks down congestion) and then finally it was over!  We can go home now! 

At home we had to do this nebulizer every 4 hours and through the night and we hoped and prayed that there would be improvement so that we wouldn't have to take her to the hospital!!!

She received a blessing from her dad who came home early on Thursday and helped me take care of her and the other girls for the rest of the day. 

Thankfully, Claire was feeling MUCH better and was able to play and be distracted so that we could focus on Bonnie and her needs.  Did I mention that Bonnie also has a double ear infection?!!  Yeh, poor baby! 

The nebulizer time came again and the girls watched us get it out and plug it in and they both instantly got nervous and scared for what we were about to do to Bonnie...Again!  The experience in Dr's office was tramatizing and they were upset to see that it had to be done again to their little baby sister!  We reassured them that everything was going to be ok and this was the only way to get Bonnie the medicine that she needs. 

I said a prayer in my heart and we turned the machine on...Bonnie sat still the ENTIRE time.  Daddy was holding her and I was doing the machine and I am serious that she didn't budge a muscle.  She allowed us to do this to her for the whole 10 minutes AND EVERY TIME AFTER!  She has been so trusting and calm and submissive.  I was dreading having to do this home remedy more than I was about taking her to the hospital, but she did great! I truly believe that Heavenly Father was helping her to be calm and to trust us to do this to her to help her get better!

All of this happened last week and it's Sunday now.  Claire is still coughing and is home from church with me today.  Bonnie is slowly improving as well.  We are faithfully doing the nebulizer every 4 hours and she is on her antibiotic for her double ear infection and tylenol for her fevers.  She's been a trooper and so many people have helped and prayed on her behalf!  RSV is a dangerous virus and highly contagious.  There have been deaths reported in infants who have suffered from RSV.  I am prayerful and thankful for the blessings from my Heavenly Father who has watched over Bonnie through the nights and kept her safe and breathing.  I am thankful to friends and family who have come to our aid.  Thank you for praying. Thank you for your love.  Bonnie is going to be just fine!