All winter long we took many precautions to protect Miller from RSV. Frequent hand-washing, avoiding crowded areas, and getting the Synagis shot monthly. The Synagis shot doesn't always prevent preemies from getting RSV, but it can greatly decrease the severity of the virus if they do get it. For Miller, it did decrease the severity, thank goodness.
It all started with some sniffles and a runny nose this past weekend. Then he developed a cough. Sunday he was not feeling well at all and I was fearful of him having the flu, so we took him to the minor med. He tested positive for RSV and was transported to the children's hospital by ambulance. Of course, I lost it and was sobbing. My baby had RSV, the thing we feared all winter and he was being taken to the hospital where we had to say good-bye to Lucas. I was emotionally spent.
We stayed in the ER for a little while. They did some breathing treatments and gave him some oxygen. The ER doctor said he thought Miller only had a mild case of RSV and that he might send him home after a few hours if his O2 SATS were ok. He didn't want them to go below 91. Well, they started to dip into the mid 80s, so the doctor decided to admit him to the infant unit and keep him overnight. By the time we got to his room it was almost 3 am. Little man was worn out. Thomas came up to the hospital and stayed with Miller the rest of the night and I went home to be with Declan. Thank goodness for the help of my parents because at this point I was running a 102 fever and had chills and a very sore throat. They helped take care of Declan, did my laundry and dishes, and cooked dinner for us for the next couple of days.
The little guy slept hard. The red marks on his face are from the tape they put to keep the oxygen tubes on. Apparently his skin is very sensitive to medical tape.
How we spent most of the day. Lots of cuddles.
I got to the hospital around 9 am on Monday and met his super sweet nurse, Shirley. Thomas and I went to the cafeteria and got some breakfast to take back up to the room. We then watched our sweet boy sleep and prayed that he would start to feel better.
He was able to hold his O2 SATS up on his own, so then the only thing holding him back from going home was eating. He did not want anything to do with his bottle for a few hours, but then gobbled it up around 4 or 5 that afternoon.
He started improving with breathing treatment and deep suctioning. He even felt like playing in the bouncer. I think just being in an unfamiliar environment was a little unsettling to him because he wanted me either right next to him or holding him constantly. Eventually I started to get hungry so some volunteers from the hospital came in his room to hold him and watch him while I walked to the cafeteria. I love that they have baby holder volunteers there. It eased my mind a lot to know he could be held and rocked even when I was away briefly.
Cutest little patient I've ever seen. The mini hospital gown was adorable on him.
I will also point out that the majority of my time there was spent trying to keep him
from chewing on the cords and lines hooked up to him. He was fascinated with them.
All in all, we are lucky that the RSV wasn't as bad as it could have been. Throughout all of this, I was really reminded that although Miller is healthy for a preemie, he is still a preemie. Premature babies aren't just little babies that need to grow and then everything is normal all of a sudden. Prematurity has consequences. Lung development is a big one, and also why RSV is so scary to preemie parents.
Thankfully he is on the mend. The doctor said his cough could last up to 6 weeks, but he should improve little by little each day. He has another Synagis shot to carry him through the rest of the RSV season, which is over in April. We will be implementing stricter precautions during the remainder of the season since his immune system is a little weaker than normal. Another bad thing about RSV is you can get it more than once.
Thanks to everyone for their prayers for our little guy!
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