10-27-10

Horray for Steriods! After a rough day, and having chaos all around her, she finally fell into a peaceful sleep at the hospital.

Back in the hospital. After getting stable, and getting ready for a ride in the ambulance.

Quinn getting ready for a new adventure in an ambulance
Me following the ambulance. I still am surprised they did not let me ride with her in the back
Pulling up to Children's Hospital
getting settled at Childrens.


Wow, what a busy day we have had today. To start off I had a doctor appointment. A few family members have been going to see doctors a bunch lately, and I’m always surprised to hear how they are there half of the day for a 10-minute visit with the doctor. Today I went in at 7:50, got signed in and was in the room at 8:01, having been told it will be a bit of a wait, as the doctor got hung up at the hospital, so I was thinking OK, he will be a bit late, but at 8:11 he walked in the room, mentioning how he got hung up and was running behind. Yesterday we were at the doctor office with Quinn, we waited in the lounge for about 10 minutes, and in her room for about 10 minutes, then we talked to her doctor for almost 30 minutes right through his lunch break. So I am so thankful for the doctors and service we get here. This morning I was back at our apartment after stopping for groceries by 9:30. To top it off, I found out I’ve lost over 25 lbs over the last 6 months. Lots of hard work, and still a long way to go, but I’m on the right path right now.

Well I got home to Quinn breathing so loud and labored. John was doing a great job with her, but usually these last few weeks at least she is calmer in the mornings and that was not the case this morning. Well, I was all excited to make a few healthy meals to have ready for the next few days, so Quinn got her CPAP machine back on to help her breathing, while I did some cooking, and even that was not helping a lot. So, this next statement shows how weird life is in our world. I decided we needed to go to the hospital, and I was not comfortable driving her to Omaha, but knew that is where we needed to be, I also knew it would probably be our first trip in an ambulance, and so I said a few prayers, did the dishes, packed our bags as I called Quinn’s doctor to let him know that she was having a hard day and just could not calm down, and he called the hospital in Lincoln to have them get Quinn stable, then get the ambulance to take us to Omaha. Well, Quinn got calmed down at St. E’s, and talking about time, we walked in and said who we were, and we had no time in the waiting room, no time in the pretreatment room, and were taken directly to a room, and got a breathing treatment within 10 minutes, and after 3 pokes had an IV with steroids. Steroids are amazing and within a few minutes, Quinn was sleeping peacefully. 20 minutes later, the ambulance was there to transport us to Children’s, or so I thought. I had already talked to a friend, who figured out how to get my car to Omaha, and then was told, I could not ride in the back of the ambulance with Quinn. I thought that was crazy, but with how tired she was, and the fact that it was a male, and anyone who knows Quinn very well at all, knows how much she loves men, so I simple agreed to follow them to Omaha. As we drove we went by a semi truck who was sideways in the ditch, it has been crazy windy here, so I was again reminded with all the chaos we have been challenged with, things could be worse. Well, we got to Children’s, and after another breathing treatment and a bit of observation, and a visit with our pulmonologist, we got a room on the 5th floor, with the possibility of a surgery for a trach tomorrow (Thursday) or possibly if there is not a time to fit it in, then Friday. Talking about timing, they called ahead to Children’s and got her right in, had a breathing treatment ready for her within a few minutes, and after getting the OK, to go upstairs, we were up there within minutes. I tell you, the treatment we have been getting is amazing!
I have to say that my head is 100% on board for this surgery, as Quinn has been working so hard to breath, and looking back I have been so worried about her and stressed out, I know it’s the right thing to do. All the doctors we have been talking to said they would do it if she were their child, and they are scared for her with how she is doing currently, so it is time. My heart on the other hand, is not quite there, and I tear up talking to everyone about it, but as I hear her struggling, it is catching up quickly.

Oh, again she blew me away today. One of the nurses asked her if she was hurting, she said “yes”, then a bit later, she asked her if she was O.K., yet, and Quinn said “no”. Then another 20 minutes later, when she was calmer, I asked Quinn if she was feeling better, and she said “a little”, a little? Where in the world did that come from? How crazy smart is she! Wow!

As I look back, especially since school has started, she has not been her wonderful self. She has been working so hard to breath, that we have not done so many other things. We have not do walker time as much, work on feedings, hear her talking or laughing as much, we just have not had our wonderful bubbly Quinn, and that makes me sad, and ready to do something to get our wonderful happy, healthy girl back, so with a satisfied brain, and a bit of a hurting heart, we are ready for the trach. So we are asking for prayers for surgery to go well, be it tomorrow or Friday, and her healing to go well. It sounds like we will be here for a week afterwards, to let things heal and for me to be comfortable with how to clean, suction, and take care of the trach. So I’m going to have to had a talk with Quinn to be healthy from then on out, as I’ll be out of vacation time. Oh we will figure something out, but I think we will have had our fill of hospitals for awhile.

Oh, if we are doing a poke count – St. E’s – two finger pokes, three iv tries, Two blood draws in her arm, one of them should really count for about 4 by it self. Children’s – taking out the IV as Quinn started crying when we started it up, and two more pokes to get it, Quinn then promptly breaking out into a full body rash, and crying so hard, and within 15 minutes she is now calm, and the rash is almost gone, and the IV is working well, with no complaints from Quinn. Wow, what a crazy day! It’s now 1:30 in the morning, and I’m thinking I really need to get some sleep! So my bedtime prayer – for Quinn and the surgeon, who currently has no idea he is in store for a trach surgery tomorrow (maybe) to sleep well, and wake up feeling good and ready to tackle the day! Maybe just a tiny sliver of that for me to get some sleep as well.