The Bub's Emergency

As some of you know, The Bub is our child that seems to attract things that take him to the hospital. At 18 months, he broke his arm falling down a few stairs. At 3, his leg was broken while jumping on the trampoline with his brother and sister. At 5, he ended up having an emergency room visit on our move out here from Georgia. We think he had pneumonia. Well, to keep his tradition, while we were down in Anthem taking care of things for my mom, he made yet another trip to the hospital.

On Friday the 5th, he started wheezing. It went from not that bad to really bad in a short time. I had forgotten to bring his asthma meds (which really isn't like me), so I had nothing to give him. I called his pediatrician and asked them to call a prescription down to a local pharmacy. They said they would, so I waited an hour or so and tried the pharmacy. Nothing. I tried the other pharmacy. Nothing. Well, before I left to get his prescription, he was just wheezing and coughing occasionally. By the time I got back, he was coughing almost constantly and wheezing really bad. I took him to the urgent care two minutes from my parents' house, but they didn't take our insurance. So I ended up taking him back to my parents' house where my dad had just gotten home. He administered to him and drove us to the hospital. On our way there, I called Eedad to tell him what was going on. He started on his way down.

When we got to the emergency room, I expected just a short stay as they administered the meds and then released us to go home. But instead, after they took a chest x-ray, they found a pneumothorax (sp?), or a pocket of air in his abdomen from a hole in his lung. Most of his right lung had collapsed. It was scary because the nurse had me listen to his lungs. I heard air moving in his left side. It was very wheezy, but I could hear the air moving in and out. Then she had me listen to the right side. There was nothing. No sound at all. Very freaky. So once they found out what was going on, they transferred us to another hospital that had a PICU. He was not in the PICU, but they needed him to have access to one just in case. So he traveled by ambulance to St. Joseph's hospital. He thought that was awesome! lol They even showed him the lights when we arrived at St. Joe's. He was so excited! (BTW, my mom's surgery had taken place at St. Joseph's. What a coincidence.)

They kept him for three days, which is actually longer than they kept my mom after brain surgery! I couldn't decide which one I was more scared for after I realized that! lol So Eedad and I stayed at the hospital with Bub while my dad stayed with my mom and our older kids. Crazy times.

After everything was done, I realized what a tender mercy it was that I forgot his meds, and that the meds never showed up at the pharmacy. I know that I would have let things go on longer if I had been able to give him the medicine. I know that everything happens for a reason, and I truly believe that I couldn't get the medicine for a reason. I love those tender mercies that Heavenly Father gives us. Sometimes it takes looking back at a situation, but eventually you are able to see those blessings that are sometimes disguised.

The Bub is all better! In fact, he was better enough to go have lunch with Santa the day after getting out of the hospital. How amazing is that? We're so thankful!

One thing that really struck me through all this though, is how close our family is. The thing that bothered Preston most about being in the hospital was missing his brothers and sisters. And they missed him so much too! They have such a strong bond with each other it amazes me. They are best friends! How special that they have that bond with each other! I'm so thankful for that!