Peewee-pint Gets Sick...

Early last week, Peewee-pint picked up a cold, complete with congestion and a cough. I didn't think anything of it because Quarter-pint has had a cold basically since August, and I've had a few over the past few months, including last week. Then, last weekend we took the boys to the mountains for a little skiing. Quarter-pint had his first day in ski school and Half-pint skied with Daddy. Peewee-pint and I enjoyed a quiet day alone, working on party favors for Half-pint's friend birthday party.

The first night in the mountains was awful, but it generally is at the higher altitude. Saturday Peewee-pint was still pretty fussy and by Saturday night he wasn't eating much. By Sunday morning, Daddy and I figured out Peewee-pint was not doing very well. He hadn't eaten much and hardly slept the entire weekend we were in the mountains. As we got ready to come home Sunday morning, we decided not to take him to church, and I called the pediatrician on call. The doctor's office called back as we were driving down the mountain and suggested we take him in to an urgent care, and there just happened to be a pediatric one not too far out of our way home and near Grandma T's house.

Daddy and I scrambled to make arrangements to cover our responsibilities at church, and headed for the pediatric urgent care. I fully assumed we would walk in, they would take a look and a listen and tell me he had an ear infection or some such ailment. Daddy and the big boys stayed in the car-thank goodness for in-car DVD players!

They did take a look and a listen, and to my surprise his ears were clear-BOTH of them. The looking was fine; it was the listening that brought a little cause for alarm. Quickly we were assigned to a room and soon a respiratory specialist popped in. They suctioned out Peewee-pint's nose a couple of times and started monitoring his oxygen levels. It was quickly obvious that he wasn't getting enough oxygen when he relaxed (ie eating or sleeping); so he was put on oxygen and monitored again-this time for 4-6 hours! I quickly called Daddy and sent him to Grandma's house with the boys...none of us had eaten lunch and it was obviously going to be much too long for them to wait in the car.

After hours and hours of monitoring, waiting, sleeping (for Peewee-pint, not me) and visits (thankfully with dinner for me, not Peewee-pint) from Aunt C 3 and C 5 we were discharged to go home...with an oxygen take in tow.

Three rechecks, and a week later, Peewee-pint was cleared-and we were able to ditch the oxygen tank, 50 foot tubing, and face stickies!!!

The diagnosis: Bronciolitis, caused by RSV.