In The Hospital

November 28th, 2006 | by Matt |

Almost two weeks ago, Kevin caught the stomach virus that is going around everywhere and ended up in the hospital overnight so they could watch for dehydration. He did fine and was released the next day (this was before thanksgiving). We thought we were done with sickness once he started feeling better, but just as that was ending he caught a respiratory bug that has been going around also. They put him on breathing treatments and eventually antibiotics, but he just didn’t seem to be getting better. Finally Dawn thought he just didn’t look right and brought him into the doctor for the 4th time in a week, and it turns out that he had developed pneumonia!

So, he ended up in the hospital once again on monday. This is his second night there and he is improving with the help of IV fluids, breathing treatments, and steroids. His oxygen saturation levels were low last night, so he also had a little oxygen to help him (so he needed those patches on his face to hold it). We thought he would get by without it tonight, but they ended up giving him some more tonight just to keep his sats up.

He seems to be getting better, but it’s slow. He was really listless and not himself earlier, but his attitude has come back a bit today and he is not happy in the hospital crib. He wants to crawl and play, but of course he can’t with his IV in and being in the hospital room. He hates the board they taped his IV hand to and is constantly wanting to pull his line out, grab at the equipment, shake the crib bars, etc. He stares at each nurse who comes in to do something, refusing to smile or laugh no matter how hard they try to make him. He looks so serious and untrusting of everyone, but then watches around the corner as they leave the room and turns to us and smiles. Dawn is staying with him, and of course doing a fantastic job taking care of him.

Going to the hospital isn’t fun for any parent, and it makes us especially nervous because we don’t want anything more serious to come of it. But we take comfort in the fact that he’s at Genesis rather than Iowa City, so it’s not that bad. He also seems to be getting better slowly and responding to the treatment, so he should be fine.