In the hospital now.

Well, there was no improvement with Harlie. In fact, she appeared to be getting worse. So, I took her back in to see her pediatrician this morning. After this long with no improvement, we needed some answers! He agreed that she looked worse and her breathing was definitely more labored. So, he sent us the ER. They took some blood, and secretions, ran some cultures, and took some x-rays. Her white blood count was 22 (which evidently is pretty high - although not as high as it has been in the past). And the initial verdict is... (drum roll please) pneumonia! The radiologist said that it is in her right lobe (she only has 1 instead of the normal 3 on that side). So, no wonder why she's needed the extra oxygen!!!

Honestly, I am pretty happy that we have a source of infection - an answer - and that it is a treatable condition. She's already on 2 IV meds and has received them every 6 hours, so hopefully she'll start to feel better soon. They told me that she'll have to be here for at least the next 2-3 days depending on the cultures. Hopefully, they will be negative for everything else.

When we got to the ER, my 2 favorite nurses (one is a fellow Steeler fan that we know from the club) were working, which was awesome. They took very good care of Harlie and got everything they needed on the first try! And that's really something considering that hardly ever happens when Harlie needs an IV. That is usually a truly horrific experience (for all parties). Then, we got admitted upstairs to the Progressive Care Unit (the one that the beds are separated by curtains) where we got the same nurse from last time. And then a respiratory therapist that we knew very well from when Harlie was a baby came in to get her humidified air all hooked up. And then, the night nurse is a past nurse of ours, too. So, really, today felt more like a reunion. It's really quite scary how well I know this place and the employees (even the security guard on the 7th floor)!! But, it really does make our stay so much more tolerable. And I am thankful for that.

The cardiologist that saw Harlie last Tuesday when we went for the heart cath (which she didn't get - back when all this began) came to visit. He said that if she tests positive for RSV, they won't do heart surgery until 8 weeks after she's recovered! So, I am crossing everything I've got that the RSV test comes back negative (although I'm not really worried about that). We should know tomorrow. And he said that the doctor that does her caths (he is out of the country until next week) will have to decide if he will still do her cath as scheduled (on the 31st) or if he'll want her to have more recovery time. Ugh. So, it's possible that everything could be postponed again. But I have to admit, it's an easier pill to swallow this time - now that I know what she has and that I can finally see an end to her sickness. WooHoo to that! I will be so glad to get my happy little girl back!

I'll have more tomorrow...
~Christy