The Barking Seal...

I finally have a few minutes to update everyone on Lora Kate's conditions. I'll start from the beginning....

I picked Lora Kate up from daycare on Friday. We came home and I fed her dinner and then we went grocery shopping at Wal Mart. We then went to Mom and Dad's to see them and play, and see Uncle John John. By the time we got home around 7:30 Lora Kate was pretty wiped out. I put her down and she went straight to sleep. I cooked a pizza and watched a movie and enjoyed my evening to myself. Around 9:00 I heard her make a gagging sound. I went in to check on her and she was acting wierd so I picked her up, rocked her and consoled her. She fell right back to sleep. I cut the TV off and listened out for her and w/in 30 minutes I was back in her room. She was coughing and gagging and I was sure she was throwing up. She was crying but it was a cry that I've never heard before. I took her and we went and laid down in my bed. That usually does the trick but not this time. When she'd lay down she couldn't breathe, she was rasping and when she coughed it sounded like a barking seal. I picked up the phone and called Mom and Dad. I told them they had to come over bec/ something was wrong. Mom told me to take her out in the cold and let her breathe in the cold air. I followed that advice but she was so scared she just kept crying which only made the coughing worse. Then I started crying bec/ she was SO pitiful! Mom and Dad arrived and as soon as they heard her they said, "It's croup. This is what Andrea used to do." Even though I'm a nurse I had NO idea that croup could come on so fast. So let me tell all you parents that it can and to just be aware esp in these cold winter months!!! I called the nurse advice line Friday night and she asked me if I had breathing treatments, which I did. I gave LK an Albuterol breathing treatment. That seemed to help and sent her bouncing off the walls til 2 am. We woke up Saturday morning and she ate a good breakfast. My pediatrician was closed so we went to see Dr. Murthy, the Dr on call, who also saw my brother, sister and I as children. He was amazing. He started her on prednisolone and continued breathing treatments 2x/day. She was great Saturday. She drank plenty of fluids and ate her meals wonderfully. Saturday night around 2 am she woke up and couldn't breathe again so I did another breathing treatment. Mike helped me with her bec/ I was, by this time, upset and crying again. We put her in the bed with us and I ended up having to sit up in bed and let her sleep sitting up on my chest so she could breathe. We got up the next morning and she ate a half way decent breakfast. She took a nap at 10 am and at 10:30 I laid down next to her and she was burning up. Her fever was 103 so I called Mom and put LK in the car to drive to Mom's to leave her while I came back home and packed to go to the ER. On the way to Mom's she threw up all over herself, the carseat and my car. It was so sad. I put on my hazards and drove 90 mph the rest of the way to Mom's. We put her in the bathtub and I headed home to pack bags. By this time Lora Kate would not eat or drink anything and she had not a wet diaper in several hours. I called the ER and they said it would be about a 3 hr wait. I was like NO WAY!!!!! So I called Dr. Murthy and he did a direct admit to Athens Regional. They started fluids and it took 8 hours before she had her first wet diaper! She ran a fever all night Sunday of 103 and into Monday. As of this morning she is still wheezing and receiving breathing treatments. Her fever thankfully is down to 99.6. Unfortunately she is not eating or drinking though. She has fluids running so she is staying hydrated. Dr. Garrard came in this morning and said this croup has set off a diagnosis of asthma. My sister also had asthma as a child but she grew out of it. Haven't I said before this is my sister's child!?! :-) We are going to start steroids today and hope to clear up the wheezing. I think we'll be here another night and HOPEFULLY get to go home on Wednesday, if not before. Please keep Lora Kate in your prayers. She's been so brave and such a little trooper. I've been so proud of her and I've been so thankful for all of our wonderful nurses and doctors!!! Thank you to all of you who have called and emailed repeatedly offering food, drinks, toys, books, visits, etc. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family and I love you all!!!

The picture above was taken by Aunt Dee Dee yesterday. I went home to shower and get more clothes and Andrea took the picture and texted it to me. I thought it was just so sweet!