Home from PICU

We've made it home from another visit from the PICU. A few weeks ago I came down with a cold and even though I tried so very hard not to give it to him, Lexx ended up catching the same cold. I thought we could maintain it at home, and for the next week, we increased treatments (chest physio and cough assist) to every four hours and he seemed to be doing much better, as was I. So, I decided to ease back a bit on the treatments. The next morning, Ayva woke up with the same cold. Switching my focus on getting her healthy, Lexx's treatments stayed at his normal treatments, when it should have stayed at every four hours, until this bug was out of our house!! A couple days later, Lexx woke up and wouldn't tolerate being off his bipap machine (a machine that he wears at night to help him take deep breaths when sleeping so he can get a good nights sleep). By that night, I was on the phone with his pulmonologist (a lung specialist) making arrangements to get down to the Alberta Childrens Hospital, ICU. Just as we suspected, he had a pneumonia in his right upper lung, which always seems to collapse when he catches a cold. For the next 10 days, we followed full treatments every 4 hours, even through the night and IV antibiotics. Again, he fought hard and got through another cold, still smiling at all the familiar nurses, doctors, and respiratory technicians. Ayva stayed at the hospital with us the whole 10 days as well, loving all the attention from her "best friends" in the unit who give her tons of stickers and popsicles.

Trying to get an IV into Lexx this time took about 45 minutes, which brought forward the need for a port. A port is a small disc that goes underneath of his skin in his chest which is then threaded into a large vessel, giving him instant IV access. This of course requires surgery. We've decided that with the upcoming flu season, and the likeliness that he will be admitted again and will need an IV, this would be the best option. So, he will be going for surgery in 4 weeks, when he is well over this cold, and is at his healthiest to undergo another surgery. But for now, we are all home and loving it!!!