Back In the Saddle Again

Thursday, April 28, 2011
Welcome to the PICU

I don't know if its a good thing or not to walk back into a hospital and have nurses and other staff recognize you. *sigh*

This morning, while I was giving Cayleigh her bath she had 2 pretty nasty episodes of As&Bs where I had to push her around a little bit to get her to perk up. So, I got on my knees, looked up her nose and tried to suction her. I felt a pull on both sides like the suck wasn't going all the way up - and there were 2 huge boogies. One on each side. Well, some water and a suction later Nic was able to pull them both out. The size of a pencil eraser on each side of her sweet little nose. We high fived one another and I continued my massage with her.

Well, then she did it again. Not as bad, but stll having an episode. Then again, with my mom on hand and I had to perk her up again. Then again, again, and a few times for Daddy who had to blow air into her twice. We were going to the Babies R Us to get her a new swing with lights & sounds to keep her interest, help her track and focus. However, she had other things in mind. I was standing downstairs in the dining room, looking up to Nic who was at the rail of the upstairs...we agreed if she A&Bs again we were taking her in to get checked out. No sooner did we say that then she did - so I called 911.

The firefighters came, they hooked her up to their machine and gave her a higher O2 dosage. I was fine and held it together until they asked me her birthday. Then I broke down and started to cry a bit..got it together again and finished answering questions and explaining what had been going on. 8 episodes within 2 hours? So she was, of course, well behaved until right before the ambulance came. She A&B'd on them before the ambulance got in the door. They asked where we wanted to go & we said ValleyCare (which is what our doctor had suggested since they had a NICU), well, the ambulance didn't go to Livermore and said they'd take us to County because, they too, had a NICU.

Fast forward an ambulance ride later (Mommy rode w/) and we get to an ER where there are literally inmates with armed police/sheriffs with them there. Not what I wanted to see. I sat, for what seemed like forever, and these people I saw were CLUELESS. I was getting angry, at myself for forgetting her diaper bag, at them for being incompitent and then at whoever I could think of just because. Then Nic arrived, and I had no service so I couldn't call to ask him to bring the bag, and he didn't have the diaper bag either. The ambulance folks told him that the hospital would have her medicines and anything else she would need. NOT. So we went through clueless people who said "she sounds raspy" (well, DUH) and finally got a guy, Rudy, from respitory who came in and was the first one to actually see her. Some poor nurse and an admitting lady came in, and indian and mexican lady, right after and Nic was NOT happy. All admitting wanted to do was put a band on Cayleigh and Nic lost it with them (albeit rightfully so - HIGHLY stressful) and then calmed down. Then they were going to come take her to Xray meanwhile they had paged an ICN (Intensive Care Nursery) nurse to come try to start her IV. Well, Nic asked how they (radiology) planned on transporting Cayleigh since they didnt have any oxygen? They left, came back and said they'd bring the xray machine to us. I think he scared them.

OH - so the nurse asked us why the ambulance had brought her to their hospital! Apparently, they didn't have a Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery, they only had an ICU for babies that had been born there- so they weren't equip to handle her. Of course they weren't. *sigh*

Fast foward - they got her hooked up to a nasal cannula and upped her 02, the xray came back and said she had some pneumonia in the right lung. No fever, stable stats. they were air lifting her to UCSF. The ICN nurse was great, got the IV in and really cared about Cayleigh. Some random lady came by and told me to lay my hand on Cayleighs head every morning and pray for a sound mind, and everything night thank the Lord for her sound mind. Weird huh? ;)

Ok, so we're putting her in the isolette with the UCSF people and suddenly her heartrate goes up to the 180s. Apparently, come to find out, she went up to the 220's in transit. Also, she started running a fever. Seems like a simliar scenario to when she had pneumonia last time.

So we're at the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Nursery) now and in a room under quarantine sorta (a nice big, private room though!) and are waiting to get tests back on bloodwork. They say that the Nissen (band around the tummy that is supposed to prevent reflux) may be too loose or might have slipped and that may be why she possibly aspirated her feed. So now they are not giving her food and she isn't happy - she's fussy. I don't like it, I don't like it one bit.

My parents have the kids and I'm very grateful to them for that. My in-laws started a prayer chain, as did many of my Facebook friends and family, and I am also so very grateful for that. Please pray that Cayleigh can fight this monster - and conquer! Pray that the Lord would give the staff here wisdom and compassion in caring for Cayleigh, peace for Cayleigh and comfort and TOTAL healing, and peace for mommy and daddy and siblings. Thanks all.