Saturday, January 29, 2011

Intensive Care Unit

On Thursday I took Evan to the doctor for a cold.  I assumed it would be the run of the mill visit which would go someting like this: "Give him Tylenol for the fever, keep him hydrated and use a humidifier..."
I was shocked when instead the words I heard were: ambulance, low oxygen level, emergency room..."
Not what I was expecting.  So we were taken by ambulance into the Childrens Hospital Emergency Room.  After several hours of observation it was determined that he needed to be admitted, except that the hospital was full and there were no beds for him.  It breaks my heart to know that a childrens hospital is full.  That should never have to happen at a place like this.  So we spent the night in an observation room.  Early this morning I heard rumblings in the hallway outside our room discussing the ICU.  They couldn't be talking about Evan, could they?  The doctor finally came in and said they felt that the level of care that Evan needed would be best suited in the Intensive Care Unit. 

We have been in the hospital our share of times, but never in Intensive Care.  It's a whole new experience.  I felt like we were hospital pro's, but now we have entered something new.  More rules, more doctors, more tests, more wires, more intense...

All the rooms here have huge sliding glass front doors so that it is easy for the nurses to see the kids.  Our room happens to be right up front where everyone comes and goes.  I have spent the day watching families come together.  To hug, to pray, to cry.  One of the hardest rules is that  no food is allowed in the room, which proves difficult when I am alone with Evan.  As I was eating dinner in the family waiting room I overhead two girls apologize to each other and regret the last two years that they had been at odds.   This place changes people.  Brings them together, or perhaps breaks them apart.

Evan is starting to improve and we may be able to move to a regular room today.  Back to the confines of a room with privacy and calm.  I know that this will not be our last hospital stay, but I will come into future visits with a different perspective. 

What I can only hope is his first and only ride in an ambulance.
After several days of doing nothing but sleeping, he is starting to feel better!

3 comments:

  1. Lisa, hope Evan gets moved really soon! It looks like he was unhappy with the ambulance ride.
    I can only imagine how scary it was to think that one thing was going to happen and then be blindsided by it being something completely different. I'm thinking and praying for you and Evan. But great mommy instincts to get him to the doctor!
    He is looking good, even with all the tubes and wires. So hopefully you'll all be home again soon.

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  2. This made me cry. I am so sorry, Lisa. :-( I am praying so hard for you guys!! I hope Evan is well soon. How scary...

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  3. I'm pretty sure an ambulance ride would take at least a year off my life. I'm so sorry.
    I love that picture at the top of the page. Evan is one of those babies that I look at and can imagine exactly what he'll look like as an adult. Handsome little guy. Hope he feels better quickly.

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