RSV

We have it and it sucks. Michael was exposed to it about 10 days ago. The incubation period is 4-6 days so when we got passed that time period with no symptoms, I thought we were in the clear. I was wrong.

I noticed that the little cough he'd had due to drainage changed on Wednesday. He has almost a barking cough. He also started to run a low grade fever again. He hadn't ran any fever since Saturday last week. I called the pediatricians office yesterday to see what you do for chest congestion in a baby since you can no longer give them cold medicines. The nurse really thought that the congestion was still due to the cold he had last week but had me bring him in anyway. We saw the Nurse Practitioner. She listened to him chest and said it was a "little squeaky". Both of his ears are clear. His nose is still pretty stopped up and gross really. She told me that she really believed that the cough changing was due to his cold from last week but would go ahead and do the RSV test just to rule it out. I really think she thought I was being an overprotective first time mother. She came back in the room and told me that the test was positive for the virus. I wanted to start crying then and there. I knew that all our Christmas plans were now cancelled and I was waiting to hear whether or not we'd be put in the hospital. I overheard her talking with Dr. Bello and found out that we are just old enough and just big enough to not be automatically admitted. (Very scary thought by the way.) She told me I caught it in the VERY early stages. She also warned me that chances are it's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets any better. (Again, way to scare the crap out of someone.) So she sends me home with a nebulizer to do breathing treatments every 6 hours and instructions to look for respiratory distress. This can turn to pneumonia very quickly if we are not careful. My guess is that if he shows any of those signs we will be admitted. There are no medications they can give him since it's a virus. The breathing treatments are to help keep his airway open. I'm also having to keep a close eye on his temperature.

Last night I came home and did his first treatment. He screamed and cried for a lot of it. I felt like the meanest mommy ever holding him down basically to get this medicine in him. The next two went a lot better even though I had to wake him up for both of them. We had a fairly decent night. He slept for most of the night and had a few coughing fits. I think it was harder on Aaron and I than Michael.

I cried a lot last night and still feel like losing it today. I talked to my mom last night and through my tears asked her if I'd feel this way everytime my baby got sick. She told me I would and that it never goes away no matter how old they get. At least it validated my feelings but it didn't make me feel that much better.

We were supposed to be headed to New Braunfels today to see the Piers and then on to Dallas to see Grandpa and meet Levi. We can't be around Levi for at least two weeks and really don't have any business driving all over Texas with a sick baby. Brenda and Chuck have decided to head this direction for the holiday thankfully. Now I'm unpacking the little I had packed and getting ready to have company here.

Please pray that the doctor will be wrong and we won't see any worse than what we already have. Please pray that we can stay out of the hospital. Please pray that Michael's body can fight off this horrible bug.