Night at the Hospital

This is a photo of Levi the morning after he was admitted into the hospital.  Because he was so sick he was in a solitary confinement room were the nurses and doctors had to get all suited up with masks and coverings before they came into the room..

After everyone left from the hospital Glen stayed for a little bit but then needed to go so that he could get clothes for Kimberly because she was staying the night at my mom's house.  He also needed to feed the horses and get to bed because he had three finals all back to back the nest day.  The first final started Wednesday morning, it was from 8AM-10AM, second final was from 10:30AM-12:30PM and his last final was from 1PM-3PM. 
Glen gave Levi a kiss, told him he loved him and then headed out.  Levi laid down for a little bit, but had a hard time going to sleep.  I think that he might have had a cat nap.  It was around 11PM and he still wasn't asleep he said that he wanted to watch a movie but I was a little hesitate at first because I wanted him to go to sleep.  After about five minutes of thinking it through, he is away from home, staying the night in a strange place, feels like crude, and has all of these cords hooked up to him I told him that if he wanted to watch a movie that it would be okay.  He chose Bambi and we watched Bambi together.  After the movie was over it was close to 1 in the morning and I asked Levi if he could try and go to sleep for me.  He said that he would.  During the night Levi was being monitored with his oxygen levels and they were mostly in between 92-94.  Every now and then the machine would start beeping because it would go below 90 to 88 or 87.  I was concerned because of the way that he was breathing.  To me it just sounded like he was really struggling to get air down his passage way.  I let the nurse know of my concern several times and every time she just keep saying he is just so congested, but his breathing is fine. She would listen to his chest and lungs and she said that they were okay, which was good.  I understood that he was congested and couldn't breath through his nose, that wasn't the issue, he wasn't admitted into the hospital because he was congested, he was admitted because his throat was extremely swollen and his pediatrician was concerned about his breathing.  I felt like I was trying to be patient with her and it was probably the same with her trying to be patient with me.  I was just concerned for my little boy!! His breathing sounded to me HORRIBLE, like he needed help.  But he was breathing, so that was good.  Maybe they wanted him to be breathing on his own to make his lungs work, I don't know.  I did ask what she meant by congested because she kept saying he is just so congested. I told her that I understood that he was congested, that wasn't my concern, my concern is the way he sounded when he took breaths, that was my concern.  Levi ended up waking up in the middle several times and one time he needed to go potty really bad so I called the nurse that was caring for him and she came into help. She helped him out of bed and he went potty.  I ended  up helping her change the bed sheets because they were so soaked from his sweat, that they needed to be changed.  She was really kind to get him a hospital children's gown because his shirt was soaked.  She said that he was sweating so bad because his fever broke and it was his body reacting to everything. We got the bed all made and I tucked Levi back in. I tried to sleep the best that I could and not worry about Levi.  His oxygen monitor would start beeping because his levels would go down to 87-88 and then they would go back up shortly after.  I talked to the nurse again a few times about his breathing but she keep saying the same thing, that he was just really congested. She said that she could send in the respiratory therapist and I said that would be nice. The respiratory therapist finally came in at around 5 in the morning, and she said the same thing, "he is just so congested." YES I KNOW THAT!! MY GOODNESS LADIES....DO YOU BOTH NOT UNDERSTAND, THATS NOT WHAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT!!!.....LISTEN TO HIM!!! HE SOUNDS RESTRICTED IN HIS THROAT!!. The respiratory therapist asked he snored at home and I told her that he didn't (because he doesn't snore at home) she then goes on to say that some children snore at home and it just sounds worst because he is congested.  I felt like they didn't give a crap about what I was saying or feeling and that they were not listening to me.  I just told you that he doesn't snore at home!!! Geesssh!!!!  He was admitted because of  the swelling  in his throat. She said that her and his nurse were monitoring him closely and that I should contact them if I needed anything. I felt hat his nurse was concerened about my feelings some what, but she wasn't as concerned as I was.It was sad to see Levi the way that he was, but I again tried to go to sleep.  At around 6:15-6:20 the monitor started beeping again but this time his levels didn't go back up, so the nurse came in and told me that she was going to give him oxygen.  Finally at 6:30 in the morning he  received that oxygen that I felt he needed all night.  His levels immediately went back up and stayed at 96.  Levi was up at 8 in the morning and he said that he was hungry so I ordered him pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon with a banana, which is what he wanted.  When the food came up I prepared his pancakes and he took one bite and his face started to get blotchy from him swallowing his food. He took one bit of his banana, one more bite of his pancakes and his face did the same thing.  He told me that he didn't want anymore because it hurt so bad. I told him that he could try and eat some more at lunch time, but I wanted him to try and drink juice.  The nurse brought in some Popsicles and he ate both of them, which was a good sign.  They took him off the fluids from the IV because they wanted to see him eat and drink on his own, that would be the determining factor if he could go home or not. He had another Popsicles and drank some juice, which was a step in the right direction because I know that he was ready to go home.  He asked me a few times, "Mom, when do we get to go home?" He was ready. I took a few pictures of him before breakfast, he was coloring and and wanting to be a little bit more active then he has been in the last week.



Levi thought it would be nice to watch a few movies while he was there. But before we watched the movies we played a few games of "GO Fish".  We had fun playing it together and every time I didn't have a card that he needed he would say, "Oh MANN!" in his raspy little voice, because he would have to draw from the Go Fish pile.  We played three or four games and he beat me every time, with out me trying to let him win.  He thought it was fun to beat Mommy :)  We watched the Bee Movie, Incredibles and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  While we were watching these movies we had one of the doctors come in with some new resident doctors so that Levi could be their Teacher and allow them to look in his throat so they could see his tonsils. Dr. Thompson came in right after I ordered lunch for Levi and I, he looked in Levi's throat and said that his tonsils looked much better, still swollen with puss patches , but much better to the point where he could see a space in between his tonsils.  YAY!! That haven't looked that well in a week! He wanted to see how Levi did with lunch and if he did well then he would allow Levi to go home later that afternoon. Levi had Mac and Cheese, broccoli and a chocolate shake. He ate probably 6-7 bites of his mac and cheese and a couple bites of brocilli and then he was done, but that was the most he had eaten in days. He drank probably a quarter of his chocolate shake off and on. But the Dr. Thompson  gave the okay for him to be discharged.

As we were waiting we played a few more games of Go Fish and then Glen came to the hospital after his finals and he played a few games with us as well.  We left the hospital at around 5:30PM.  

I am so thankful that we went to the hospital because the fluids from the IV helped to hydrate Levi and the steroids helped the swelling in his throat to go down significantly.  I know that the Lord has been with us and I am so thankful for all of the prayers in Levi's behave. Stephen went to the temple on Wednesday morning and put Levi's name in and I know that helped a great deal as well as all of the other prayers.  I believe that we have family to be there to help support us through our ups and our downs.  I believe that we need to inform our families when situations arise.  When we were in the hospital and I was talking to Ashley she said that she was so thankful that we let them know about what was going on.  She talked about a lesson that she just had on Sunday about the power of prayer in numbers and how we need heavens help in numbers and that families need to be close and situations like these make us stronger as individuals and as families. I am so glad that she said that to me, because I feel that it was something that I needed to hear.  What she said is something that I will remember and will keep close to my heart.  Levi was so excited to go home.

When we got home my good friend Nicole brought over dinner from McDonald's for the whole family.  I am thankful for her service that she provided and appreciate it VERY MUCH! :)  Sometimes I feel that it is hard to accept help from others, but I am so thankful and humbled by the service, love, prayers, dinners, and support that our family and friends have given to Levi, Glen, Kimberly and I.