An unplanned stint at Starship

Well so much for the planned sleep study! By the Sunday immediately prior, Nate was full of a bad head cold, so we were forced to cancel it. He was a very unhappy camper on Sunday night, and we might have got four hours sleep - between us all! But by Monday morning, he also had a mucous-y cough, was off his solids, his nose was streaming constantly, he was working harder on his breathing (faster and shallower while sleeping), and projectile vomited a few times after a very small lunch. Worried, we took him straight to Starship A&E.

After a few hours there (or was that 8 hours?!) where he was given six puffs of salbutamol every two hours to help him breathe, it was decided that we would be admitted. They felt that Nate probably just had a virus but given his respiratory challenges, it made sense to watch him more closely. And so off to Starship Level 6, Ward 26B we went...and by 9pm Monday night we had made it there. A long long day.

Chewing Daddy's collar in A&E

Cue three nights and four days in hospital, and an unhappy little BooBoo.

Salbutamol every two hours and then every four hours, day and night was the start of the treatment, as well flixotide junior morning and night. Sleepless nights resulted - Robin and I took turns staying at the hospital. Hard yakka!

By the morning of Day Two, it was felt he should also be on a steroid to help him fight the virus more quickly, so he started a three day programme of that.

The second night - in addition to the four hourly six puffs/6 breaths of salbutamol - the team also ran an overnight oximetry to check his oxygen saturation levels, and that was not a great night at all. For anyone. Nate desaturated quite a few times (the machine beeps loudly to tell you he has gone below 85% oxygen saturation - although thankfully he rebounds himself back up again), and he had an overall average read of about 92% which is not great. That result strongly suggested a need for Cpap support, which we have been off for some weeks now following a previous more positive oximetry result, so it meant another overnight test was required and a re-evaluation of next steps post that test.

Our planned upcoming holiday away was definitely looking like it wasn't going to happen - and these were the original babymoon flights that we first missed with my Dad's intensive care stint and Nate arriving prematurely, and then missed again after Nate's diagnosis and his respiratory challenges - we were starting to think perhaps we should just let those flights go!

On the upside, our little man retained his cheery spirit :-). Here he is up to his usual tricks...playing with and using what Nanny Sylvie had nabbed from the ward playroom - we had the best push-walker and high chair around and he adored them!

Reading to Claire on Night Two!

Enjoying the hospital high chair

Walking Dolly down the hallway

By Day Three, it was felt a chest X-Ray was needed, just to make sure the lungs were clear. Thankfully they were :-). Nate was also starting to perk up even bit, even though he was still clearly unwell. The prior nights oximetry result warranted another night in though, so we headed into our third night and hoped Nate would fare better. Our little man continued to be a happy little camper though, as you can see from the below....

Watching the cars from his window!

Cheeky snotty nose!

The third night the oximetry was much more favourable - an average of 97.5% oxygen saturation, which is 'normal'. Yay! So on the fourth day, Nate was released, with a continuation of his salbutamol until he has worked this virus through, and ongoing doses of flixotide junior as an asthma preventative measure twice a day.

Thank goodness for Nanny Sylvie, and Nanny Helen for helping us during the days - and to Claire and Mike, and Chris and Norm who brought us some dinners - much appreciated everyone! Here is the little man back at home and coming right - and just in the nick of time to allow us to take the long awaited holiday :-)

Back home and checking out my new tunnel!

Back home and on my stool!

 

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