Reliving a nightmare!!!!

THIS was our nightmare!!!!


Some of you may have heard that our little Gavin was in the hospital for 4 days last week. First, I want to thank each and every one of you from the BOTTOM OF MY HEART that prayed, thought about, and sent us encouraging words of support. You all helped my little miracle get home, even faster than they expected. THANK YOU for all the love we were shown. We truly have some of the best friends and family a person could ask for.

Now- on to the details. I will kind of give you a timeline of everything that went down. It amazes me how fast kids can decline when they are sick....BUT it also amazes me how fast they can bounce back. After living in the hospital last week with my little Bubba....I think I gained 15 more gray hairs, 17 more wrinkles, and probably 2 stomach ulcers.

So- Friday night we had planned on going to the Rockwall vs Wylie football game. I was really excited as some of you may have seen in my facebook updates. Mainly b/c Kyle and I had an argument going about who would win. Of course I was for the Fighting Yellowjackets....and I didn't find out until JUST YESTERDAY that the Orange and White were victorious in that game. Stingers Up. Anyway- off subject...sorry! All day Gavin had been coughing a LITTLE bit. Nothing out of the ordinary. I figured allergies...no biggie. He had NO FEVER, no throwing up, no diarrhea, etc. Just a cough. But, when I put him in the car around 6pm.....I noticed his breathing started to labor a little. Nothing horrible...but it did catch my attention. By the time we got to my parents, it was a little worse. Once again....didn't think TOO MUCH of it. But, within a hour...it was worse. Kyle and I decided to take him home and give him a breathing treatment....and my parents went ahead and went to the game with Landry!!!!

By the time we got home (from Rockwall to Wylie) his breathing was much worse. NOW- I am starting to freak a little. But, Kyle being the "calm" Daddy.....said we just needed to get him a treatment and everything would be fine. We gave him one treatment...NO HELP!!! Less than 15 minutes later...we gave him a second treatment. I was nervous about the two treatments back to back because if any of you have ever seen a child on Albuterol, you know they get jumpy! After the 2nd treatment...he was shaking and jumpy...but it seemed to help a TAD!!! By this time my parents had already brought Landry back home. We layed both the boys down for bed. Gavin was very restless, but was able to sleep a LITTLE. But- by 11:00 pm he was back up....TRYING to cry, but had no breath. We tried one more treatment. NOTHING!!!!! I tried to have him just sleep on my chest, rock him, calm him. NOTHING!!!! Kyle was already asleep at this time, but I was a nervous wreck. I KNEW something was wrong. I had that "Mother Instinct." Finally around 2am I had had enough. His little stomach was caving in when he was trying to breath.....I could count all his ribs they were sticking out so far. I woke Kyle up, told him I was headed to the ER, and off we went (Kyle had to stay back because of Landry.)

I got Gavin in the car and he was just limb. He was sitting in his car seat all slumped over. I was going back and forth in my head trying to decide which hospital I should take him too. My FIRST thoughts were Children's, BUT his pediatrician is affiliated with Medical Center of Plano (Dr Katz.) So- as I was driving like a bat out of hell....my car just drove to M.C. of Plano. I don't really remember the drive....I just know I got there as quick as I could.

As soon as we arrived, they immediately took him back. They threw some wires and tubes on him and THAT is when it hit me that he was so bad. His oxygen level was only at 79-80%. I knew from the doctor's looks and reactions...we were in serious trouble. They gave him one breathing treatment. It didn't work. The Doc came in to talk to me. She said we needed to get him to Children's as soon as possible. She said they had called an ambulance so we could transport him there. AMBULANCE???? I asked if we were going to Children's on Legacy in Plano. No- the Doc said...he needs to be in Dallas. Why?...I asked!!!! Doc's reply....because he needs ICU care!!!!! WHAT?????????? THIS is when I realized my baby was in BAD shape. You see- my brother (and myself) had bad asthma when we were kids. My brother way worse than me. And, I have seen my brother go through some major asthma attacks. Some- they said were very close (in losing life!) My original thought when I put G in the car that night was he was having an asthma attack, he needed hospital treatments, and we would be on our way!!! But WOW- never thought it was this bad. I felt like a horrible Mom at first. But, looking back....I did what needed to be done, got him some help, and now we are ok!!!! I will NEVER go to M.C. of Plano again. Children's FIRST THING!!!!

Anyway- so the ambulance pulled up. The paramedics took one look at him and asked me "How long has he been like this?" They started some work on him, got him strapped to the stretcher, and off we were. I had to ride in the front, he was with 2 very nice EMT ladies. I hate that my baby had to experience an ambulance ride before the age of 2...BUT let me just tell you how neat the ambulance from Children's is. They had a MOVIE SCREEN at the top of the ceiling to distract him and get him to watch a movie. They had red balloons tied to his stretcher. They gave him a stuffed animal. It was very CHILD APPROPRIATE.

We pulled up at Children's and I am NOT KIDDING....about 12 different doctors and nurses ran out and JUMPED on Gavin. They started immediate work (HUGE difference from the M.C. Plano people...they looked scared to touch him....I could barely get one person in our room at a time.) We were in the ER at Children's for the rest of Saturday. Kyle meet me there early that morning. My parents had come to M.C. of Plano and followed the ambulance. I called them EARLY in the morning because I was so scared. I couldn't get a hold of Kyle at first...he "lost" his phone. And, on top of it all he had a flat tire....BUT that is a whole other story. In the ER they did treatment after treatment, I had question after question thrown at me, they had tubes, wires, needles.....all kinds of stuff coming out of my baby. I was an EMOTIONAL WRECK!!!!! They did a chest x-ray and BOOM there it was.....the poor little guy's right lung was filled with bacterial pneumonia. THIS is where the asthma attack came from. So- we had an infection we were needing to fight, and an asthma attack they had to get under control. The one that REALLY got Kyle and I was when they had to stick a catheter through his nose down into his lungs. OUCH!!! He fought with everything he had (which wasn't much at this point.)

This went on and on. Finally we were moved upstairs to our room late Saturday night. He was wiped out. Mommy had been up for 37 hours by this point. Daddy was drained emotionally. Memaw and Pepaw (my Mom and Dad) were terrified. Landry had no idea had bad it was....but he knew little brother was sick, and you could see the fright in big brother's eyes. Gavin was on oxygen for the next 3 days. In fact...that is what kept us in the hospital. With his oxygen line, his levels were at 98-99% (obviously.) With out the oxygen he would fall to 85%. As he got better, he would be fine through out the day with out the oxygen, but it was during sleep that it would fall....and they would have to re-apply it. Finally, on Tuesday...he had a pretty good nap with out the oxygen. He was getting VERY irritated at all the wires, and was so antsy. He couldn't take being in that bed anymore....I don't blame him. About 6:00 Tuesday night, the Doc said she thought we were good enough to go home. He was sent home with all kinds of steroids and antibiotics. We STILL had to fight the pneumonia...but at least we were released. It felt so great to have my own bed back. Hospital "beds" (aka couches) had been my sleep haven for 4 days straight. Exhausted was not the word to describe myself and Kyle.....whatever you are when you are beyond exhausted is what we were.

My little fighter was a trooper. He went through a LOT. He had those nurses and techs in his little hand. The best was even at his lowest moments....they would have to do something to him that he didn't like.....but when they were done, he followed up with a "TANK U" (aka...thank you!) He is my little sweetheart, my fighter, my trooper, my miracle!!!!! I hope nobody ever has to experience a scare like that. My Faith got me through...and that is about it. THANK YOU GOD FOR BLESSING US AND TAKING CARE OF MY PRIZE!!!!!

I didn't get any pictures on Friday or Saturday. He looked horrible. Gray color, limp, skinny, dark circles under his eyes. It wasn't a pretty sight! But- I did manage to get some pictures later as he started feeling better!

And- last but certainly not least...I can't brag enough about Children's Hospital. They are my heroes. Every single person we saw from the ER to discharge took care of my son like he was their own. They KNOW how to talk to children, help children, administer meds and needles in a somewhat comforting way. They cared about Kyle and I and waited on us hand and foot with nothing less than a smile and a hug EACH AND EVERY DAY!!!!! The facility itself is so great....everything from the train display to the playrooms to the toys and activities they provide!!!! They helped us make it through a hard time. I think Gavin and I are going to go visit on Tuesday and take them a "Thank You" cookie cake or something! :)

We love you G-Man!!!!