Things don't always go as planned...

Since I've been needing a break..to think about nothing..Cory thought it would be nice to celebrate our anniversary early. He took off work on the 20th and 21st so we could make a weekend of it. We were going to drop the kids off at his parents house then go stay in Bozeman, hang out, maybe go to a comedy show..lots of relaxation for us. It was definitely needed!!

Well Wednesday we noticed Haylee got croup..again..It's a pretty normal recurrence for her, often leading to a trip to the ER for some steroids. But since she didn't need any in December when she got it we didn't think too much of it this time. Well that night she woke in a coughing fit that left her breathless and struggling to breath in. I bundled her up and took her out in the freezing air..for about a half hour..it didn't help. I brought her in and lay her on our "window seat" with the window open so it could get on her. I called Cory and he came home from work so he could take her in. He took her to our awesome new peds 24 hour clinic!! They gave her the steroids and a breathing treatment. A little over an hour later so was still fine so they came home. The next day she was her normal self..with just a cough so we went ahead with our plans and took off for Montana.

That night (or early Friday since it was 4:30am!) she woke from another coughing fit. Haylee was struggling for breath again and about 5:30am she was at the ER. They gave her the steroids and a breathing treatment. It worked immediately but wore off and she was having trouble breathing. They did chest x-rays to check the lungs for infection or pneumonia..normal. She was also dehydrated..as in not needing a diaper change for 24 hours because they were BONE dry! They attempted an IV but the first hand couldn't find a vein and the second couldn't advance. Throughout her time she did drink and use up those diapers though..thank goodness!! And it's probably a good thing she didn't have an IV..I'm almost positive she would have ripped it out with as much as she hated the monitor on her toe and the dang treatments!!

They admitted her to the hospital. She received another breathing treatment at 8:00am, then periodically throughout the day. The on-call said that we would be staying the night since croup is at it's worst closely after the 4am hour. That night, Friday, Haylee had a TERRIBLE night! She woke up 3 different times trying to coughing and trying to catch her breath. The first time her oxygen read at 33, the next at 29, and the third at 6o. (Here's where I complain about the stupid nurse..the first time Haylee had an attack I pushed the call button and NOT immediately the nurse came in. Instead of giving her oxygen she said she had to check her vitals FIRST! Needless to say I was MORE than a LITTLE ticked off!! The second time I pushed the call button..and nothing..I actually had to go in the hall..saw a doctor who went and got the nurse! Craziness!!!)

Anyway..During the day she was pretty good. She got another dose of the steroids. And the doctor (by the way we saw three different doctors from the same practice that took turns being on-call...this was the second!) told us that if the treatments keep working and getting her to breath we would just have to wait it out. However, if they stopped affecting her..making it no less easy for her to breath..then the only next step is incubation..induced coma. So we just kept praying that the nebulizers continued to work!!! That evening though, Cory and I DID get to leave the hospital TOGETHER!! His brother Ryan and his wife AndeeLyn came up and told us to go to dinner while they stayed with Haylee..THANK YOU!!! When we got back they said that the doctor (number 3) came by and wants to start her on an oral medication to assist the swelling in the throat. Hooray!! Finally someone to do something we kept thinking! She got some at 9pm and also got a treatment. A couple hours later she went to sleep...and she slept all night!! Such a good thing! Sunday morning at 9am so got another dose of medicine and a breathing treatment...and that was her last one!! She had a good day..lots of coughing..but that's actually a good thing!! She got medicine at 9pm and went to bed..sleeping all night again! So we were discharged on Monday morning. We picked up the other kids and headed home..stopping in Idaho Falls to see my fam of course!

Oh..yes many many kids get croup..and it's hardly EVER this bad. But Haylee has treachiomalacia. Instead of the treachia being shaped like a little "d" hers is shaped like a large, backwards "D" therefore when she breaths in the flexible side actually moves in to the inside rather than being rather rigid. So when she is sick and coughs her throat swells like everyone elses, but because of the shape of hers it makes the airway rather thin.

And in all the times we've taken her and Gage to the hospital for croup we've always heard that adults can't get the actual croup..well this time we learned that they can..but what gives a child croup is what gives an adult laryngitis. Interesting!!

We also learned that there are SO many viruses that cause croup..especially in those kids that get it a lot..they grow immune to the "old" virus that they have had before but not to the "new" one. There can also be irritants/allergies that can affect some kids so when they have a cold those things in the air bother them even more..including smoke..of ANY kind..which is why they always ask if anyone smokes. In our case we were told that the wood stove could easily be affecting her skinny lil throat..since every single time she goes there in the Winter she gets a case of the croup. Another Interesting thing!

Most children outgrow the treachiomalacia but others have to have surgery. At a year when she still hadn't outgrown it a pulmonologist went in her throat with a camera and said no surgery come back in six months..well we moved so we never made it back..we WILL be finding one here to have another camera done to make sure she still doesn't need it and will hopefully still outgrow it. That's also why you hear her wheezing so often..in case you ever wondered what it was!!

Haylee on Friday morning..just after her second treatment..she slept most of these 3 days..and 90% of the first day!!!

Dinner time!

She looks SO tiny in that big bed!!!!
They had a "tub room!" So she got to take a bath..in the HUUUUGE tub..with NO ONE else!! She was loving it!!!!

They gave her some scrubs to wear...the smallest size was too big for her still! I tried to do the towel thing...

But she didn't like it for very long!!!
Climbing into bed!
Since she didn't have her monitor back on she walked with me to refill her water bottle!

The next day Gage, Taya, and Peyton came up to see her!! She was SO excited to see them!!! But when the adults walked in the room behind them she got quiet again and didn't say or do much..She was like that ALL weekend. She wouldn't talk to anyone except me or Cory..and she wouldn't even look at anyone except to peak one eye open and see if they were still there.

She got another bath and was SO EXCITED to get into a clean, made bed!!! (oh and this nurse also got Haylee to talk to her!!!! She was the BEST!!!!) (and that patchwork blanket was given to her by the hospital. There's a group called Project Linus that makes blankets for the Peds floor in Helena and Great Falls!!)

(see the bruise on her hand from the non-advancing IV!)

She hated the treatments..but even moreso when they gave them to her through the oxygen mask!!!!

Watching a movie on the computer!!!

Alexis was finally able to come see her..and Haylee just couldn't contain herself!!!!!

It was definitely NOT the weekend we were planning..or hoping for..or needing..but at least she is feeling better!!! And at least we did get a dinner date!!