Thursday, July 15, 2010

Mono-polizing Our Lives

After 4 straight days with little or no sleep, we couldn't take it any more. Monday night was the last straw.

The vicodin made the kid weird, psychologically. He got it in his head that if he fell asleep, he'd stop breathing, even though Hubby and I promised to take turns staying up with him and watching over him. He kept taking his cell phone or the house phone into the bathroom and called the hospital operator multiple times, trying to "check in" like he was at a hotel. When we figured out what he was doing, we took the phones away and he threw the mother of all fits.

Although his cannula (nose hose) was attached to his concentrator, he kept wandering through the house, ranting and dragging his oxygen tank cart behind him. There was a lot of foul language and abusive behavior (on his part) as well.

Tuesday afternoon, our family doc, the head respiratory therapist at the oxygen company and the doc who treated the Big Kid at our little regional hospital consulted and agreed that he should probably be trached until the mono was over. Even with the Bi-Pap, his oxygen intake was being severely compromised when he fell asleep. Unfortunately, they couldn't do the procedure up here, so they sent us down to the city to the big hospital down there.

Yeah, right.

I was so tired that I couldn't see straight, much less drive. Hubby offered to take him, and armed with test results he took him to the emergency room as instructed. When he got there, the people who had set this up with our doc were gone with the shift change.

It took him 8 freaking hours to convince them to admit the Kid. They wouldn't accept the test results, despite 3 phone calls from our doc and the oxygen company and had to run their own, starting from the beginning. Except they didn't. They just made them wait. Hubby REFUSED to leave, and finally they got the Kid a bed at about 2am.

The ENT on call saw the kid on early morning rounds yesterday, took a look down his throat and scheduled an immediate tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Same day service. LOL

An hour after the procedure, the kid was awake and talking. Said he could FINALLY breathe!!

Right now, he's in the ICU with his old friends from last fall, as a precaution due to his history. He's sleeping normally with the Bi-Pap. Hubby and I were able to get about 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep, so we're feeling much better too!

Unfortunately, and I say this with ::koff koff:: love, they'll probably release him today. I hope not, because we could all use another 12 hours and a day without drama. ;-)

8 comments:

Rootietoot said...

gaaahhhh...well, they'll need to watch him anyway, what with his poor immunity and having just had surgery...at least I'd hope so. Good grief.

Anonymous said...

I feel so bad for all he has had to go through, as well as you and your family. I'm glad that admitted him in the hospital. He needs to be there for a few days so they can keep a close eye on him and so you and your family can can't some much needed rest. I think having him in a hospital, being watched over 24/7, with all the proper equipment just makes sense.

Sending you more love and prayers.
XXXXXXXX

Jeanie said...

I hope for your sake that they find something (small) that will keep him there for another day so that he and you can have a bit of a "breather".

Brenda said...

Whew, when it rains up there it pours. (((Hugs)))

CiCi said...

Wow, glad you got some good sleep finally and your son is breathing better.

Anonymous said...

My goodness. The kid couldnt breath easily and finally a doctor spotted the swollen tonsils and adenoids...finally...after all that misery...what's wrong with those doctors?

Amy said...

I know that feeling of "please don't send him home yet!" Hope they kept him.

Carson said...

Great bblog