Pneumonia

Logan was in the hospital with aspiration pneumonia from August 3rd to August 8th. He had a cold last Friday. We decided to still head to Brainerd that afternoon for a much needed weekend away. On the drive up Logan spiked a temp and was spitting up a lot of phlegm. It was like someone turned on a faucet. We got to Brainerd and Grandma Cindy gave him a nebulizer while I gave him Tylenol. After the neb he aspirated and could not clear his secretions. Essentially they became lodged in his airway. I  performed some deep suctioning and cleared him up a little. We had him on pulse and oxygen saturation monitoring the entire time with no drop in is oxygen. His heart rate and respiratory rate spiked after the aspiration and continued to worsen. Cindy and I rushed him to the emergency room in Brainerd.

As soon as the doors opened to the ER the nurse at the front desk appeared concerned. She showed us straight back to a room and along the short walk, we acquired a large number of healthcare professionals! They quickly stabilized him with suctioning and nebulizers. As I stepped away from him to allow the nurses to work, it hit me how sick he really was. I scanned the room and realized we were in a resuscitation room (room for super sick people!). All the critical care equipment had magically appeared at his bedside. Thankfully the team swiftly and calmly tuned him up. His color and work of breathing improved. The doctor left to talk with the pediatrician. They decided to transfer Logan by ambulance to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis as this is where Logan receives his care.

So Logan and I made the two hour trek with the ambulance crew through quite the storm. The paramedic seemed nervous with Logan and watched him like a hawk. I forget how unnerving his noisy breathing can be for those not familiar with him. Plus I was still in denial about how sick he was! Silly me, where had my nurses assessment skills gone...out the window!

We safely arrived at Children's after some skillful hydro planing. My parents and friend Sara met us there. We waited in the ER for a few hours waiting for them to decide what level of care he needed. He was then transferred to the ICU for close monitoring as he was on high flow oxygen and required constant suctioning. We spent two nights in the ICU and then were down graded to step down ICU for the next three night. He is now home on antibiotics, oxygen 24/7, and has a cough assist vest that shakes the snot out of him literally! We learned today that he isn't back to baseline and being on oxygen is a good thing. He had an episode of fever, low sats, and increase in his sputum. He has been irritable all day as well.

He will remain on oxygen for a month until we see his pulmonologist. We are also exploring adding more nursing hours at nighttime. Joel and I need some rest and more help! This hospitalization has made me realize how fragile Logan is. If this cold bug put him in the ICU, what will happen this fall when the flu virus and all sorts of other respiratory illnesses are in full swing.

Right now there are so many changes. It is hard to see past the current crisis. I have a hard time leaving him for a second for fear something will go wrong. On top of everything we are getting an ambu bag, an emergency mask to assist with breathing. I knew this was coming and have said many times that it would be good to have. But now that it is here it is real and it is so scary to think that we may have to use it some day. I worry every day what our future holds. I worry that he will end up with a breathing tube and what quality of life is that. I want him to feel well and to be happy. It is not fair that this amazingly handsome boy has to be put through so much. He is supposed to be walking, running, and getting into all of my cupboards not laying on the floor surrounded by cords with oxygen in his nose. He is not supposed to struggle to breathe. We will continue to provide the best for him and adapt our surroundings to keep him comfortable and happy. We will not let this overcome us and will instead allow it to enhance us. Logan is a teacher and I learn something new from him every day.

Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes for Logan and our family. It takes many more people than Joel and I to raise this child and we appreciate all the help!