Saturday, December 10, 2011

Yes, I remember you

I realize that with every blog, I promise to blog more often.  And with every blog, the next seems just that much further from the last.  The truth is, I only find time to blog at 3 in the morning, when I don't have a nurse and am forced to stay awake.  Ok, so I am not "forced" per say, but I do stay awake when we don't have a nurse and thus "forced".

Since my last blog, Wyatt had an ER visit and surgery to put tubes in his ears.  Both of these events were totally and completely unrelated.  

Our ER visit was on the heels of a sleepless night for moi.  We didn't have nurse, and so I was up all night.  Wyatt was very restless and so I sat by his bed, all night.  I continued to check his trach, because he was trashing around all night and it made me nervous that it would come out (foresight, I think so).  The last time I checked it was at 5 and all was well.  

At 6:30 a.m. Mike came out and I went to bed.  Our nurse came at 7 and at 7:45 Mike and our nurse left for therapy.  At 11 a.m. Mike woke me up.  The long and the short of it was that Wyatt's trach was out and they couldn't get it back in.  After I tried, I called the ENT to let them know we would be bringing Wyatt into the ER. 

I say all of this because Wyatt's sat's were awesome! His O2 sats were 98 to 99 and his heart rate was 112.  Then, he started coughing.  We could hear "stuff" in his lungs, but could not suction because we couldn't get the trach in.  Eventually we got a suction catheter in to suction.  Then, Wyatt's sats dropped.  They dropped fast and hard.  When I "took over" he was at 40 and blue.  

Now, I have talked in the past about being a Mama Bear and taking over situations.  This was most definitely one of those times.  I don't do it because I question the ability of our nurse or because she isn't doing the job I want her to do.  It is simply because I know that I know how to "fix it".  I know how to make it all better.  And this was just one of those times.

I opened Wyatt's airway by tilting his neck as if I were going to do CPR.  I then took my thumb and forefinger to spread his stoma (hole for his trach) to open it.  After that, I began calming my baby.  I talked to him in a very soothing voice telling him that everything was ok and that he was alright and I was there.  Somehow, this was exactly what he needed.  He sats shot back up to 98.  At this point, we had called 911 and they were on their way.  

Fast forward (to spare you the boring details) he slept in the ambulance on the way to the hospital with sats of 99.  At the hospital they finally got his trach back in.  After 4 hours, we came home. 

We estimated that his trach came out around 7:30 while he was getting ready for therapy.  The strange part was that it was his best therapy ever.  His sats were awesome and he did everything they asked of him.  It was so strange.  But, because it was out for so long, the stoma had started growing back together.  Yes, that quickly!  It's scary to think of it. 

Oh, and then two days later I ended up in the ER at 2 in the morning.  Yep.  It appeared that what I thought was a heart attack was really a panic attack.  No!  Yep.  And to tell you the truth, I am not sure that I am 100% over the whole thing.  I was diagnosed with STSD after Wyatt ended up in the hospital back in April.  But, here was another event, much like the last, except that I didn't have to give him breaths.  No wonder I feel like I'm losing it most days. 

Now, all of this coupled with not having a nurse at least 3 nights a week, sometimes more.  To say that life is catching up with me is an understatement.  UGH!

But, I refuse to go on about my "darkness" in this blog.  I wanted to share some photos from Wyatt's birthday party!  It was a Dr. Seuss theme and a large success.  I can't believe my baby is year old!





Here are some of our decorations.  I would like to thank Pinterest for all of the incredible ideas.  

While I could post a million photos of the decorations, (which I am most proud of) I won't.  But, I will post some photos of the birthday boy!






I'll leave you with my "smily" boy.  This is one of my faves of him.  He was so happy with his Reddi Whip "cupcake".