hospital anniversary

Last October Kiera started getting her usual fall cough like she did here in 2009

...but this time it eventually developed into a wheeze in her lungs.  I left work early on the 11th last year to take her to the doctor and Jimmy met me there after he got off.  Kiera had been telling my in-laws all day she couldn't breath and that she was going to die.  Drama queen.

So at the doctor's office we went from taking a breathing treatment...

 

To being told we needed to go to the hospital so she could be admitted since her blood oxygen levels were dropping.  She arrived in her PJ's because she threw up in my car on the way over.   

And then she thew up on the nurse while getting her IV.  Kiera told her she was sorry for getting it on her pants.

 

Shortly after we got settled in her room she had an xray of her lungs.

 

 I stayed with her those 3 days and slept on the couch which was quite large and not really uncomfortable.  What am I saying?  I can sleep anywhere in any position.  I only left to go eat dinner with Jimmy one evening while his parents sat with Kiera and then went home once to get new clothes and take a shower while Jimmy spent some time with her.  The girl was completely awesome during our entire stay.  The only thing she screamed at was getting medication in her IV because it stung.  The nurses loved her.  AND her doctor ended up being a guy I went to highschool with, and I have known his wife since elementary school.

This was our 2nd night.  Shortly after I took this I fell asleep next to her on the bed.  Those were some long nights.  Nurses were in every 2 hours each night doing breathing treatments and beating on her back during the process to break up the mucous in her lungs.    

 

On our last day she was unhooked from the oxygen so we could see if her blood oxygen levels would stay in a healthy range.  Since she was free to move I took her to the window so she could look at the gigantic metal flower garden below.  She was sooo happy to finally be out of the bed.  We also got to go down the hall to the playroom for a little bit.

  

Getting a little tired after 10 minutes.

On the day we went home she was able to go play in the little children's area and afterward we ate lunch in one of the little sitting areas.  The hospital provided one free lunch per day to the adult staying with the child.  I usually just shared her meals since they were huge...and good.  Plus there was a Starbucks downstairs which was a huge help keeping me awake during the day.

 

Today is the one year anniversary of her coming home.  Not that she wanted to, she liked having all that attention.  During times like that I am constantly amazed at how strong of a person I am.  I am a complete baby when it comes to talking about her and thinking of the amount of love and happiness I have for her being in our lives.  But throw the girl into anaphylactic shock (1st hospital trip) or any other life threatening situation (which this could have been) and I am calm and composed.  There is no crying.  No freaking out.  I am not easily broken down when times get tough.

She has no idea the things that she is teaching me about myself and life.