Hospital Stay: Day 1

We have had a full day crammed into an evening. We left home around 3 and arrived at the hospital at 5:30pm. We have an amazing nurse tonight who got us settled in. Then we met with a pediatrician who discussed Toe's regular meds and talked us through the next 24-48 hours. Jason unloaded the car and then had to head home. This is his busy time of year at work and even though he works from home, there are so many interruptions in the hospital, that he wouldn't get any work done. We'll see him this weekend.

While I ordered dinner, the nurse put hot packs on Toe's arms to bring out his veins and then someone came in and inserted an IV. They will use the IV to administer antibiotics and maintenance fluids and draw blood until they can put a PICC line in tomorrow.

A PICC line is a tube that runs from his arm, through a vein, to his heart (but not into it!). With an IV, you have to move the site every 2-3 days. Once they place the PICC line, Toe will be good for his entire 2 weeks of antibiotics.

Toe much prefers a PICC line to the IV and has been complaining about the discomfort this evening. The procedure to insert the PICC will likely happen tomorrow morning.

We ate dinner, started IV fluids, and then the RT (respiratory therapist) came to do Toe's evening treatment. While Toe is here, we he will be doing four breathing treatments a day.

Our main challenges tonight have been getting Toe to the bathroom and doing nasal rinse while Toe is hooked up to fluid bags. It has involved gliding around furniture and a lot of laughter.

I'm not sure how much I will be able to write as Toe wants my attention. I'll try to post a little something each day. So far, we are in good spirits.