Bella's Christmas Eve Experience

On Christmas Eve, Bella had quite the day. Josh's family has an annual rollerskating party from 11-1. We didn't get there until 12 because of all of our festivities that morning. A little preface to this story: The night before Christmas Eve, we drove to see the lights at the Park. When we got home, Bella felt really hot. She had a temp of 102. We gave her Tylenol, a bath, and put her to bed. I thought nothing of it. She had a good night's sleep, but woke up kinda coughing and wheezing a little. It kept getting worse through out the morning on Christmas Eve. On the way to the skating rink, it was so bad that we were thinking we should run her into Instacare in Layton. We left the other 4 kids at the Rink with Grandma and Grandpa, Jarilyn and Tanner.

We took Bella to the Instacare, and signed in. When they called us up, the nurse that checked us in called to a nurse in the back. She told her to bring up the oxygen sat machine to check Bella's saturation levels. Bella was wheezing hard and fast, and we knew she was getting worse.
They got us right back in a room within seconds, and she was listened to by almost every nurse there. The Dr came in and put her on a nebulizer with albuterol. Then, the Dr came back in a few minutes later and said that they needed to send her in an ambulance to McKay Dee hospital! She THEN explained that Bella's breathing was slowing and that made them nervous. If she stopped breathing, they wouldn't have the right monitors and machines to help her. The EMTs and ambulance (with fire truck) got there minutes later. Josh's Dad came to get OUR car and diaper bag, and left us with his car and Bella's carseat.

I rode with Bella in the ambulance and Josh followed behind. Once at the hospital, she was checked out by a nurse, a respiratory nurse and a Dr. She was give 2 more nebulizer treatments, one with an Epi in it. Bella didn't like the Epi one, and kinda freaked out for a minute. I held her for a minute and she fell asleep. We gave her the second of the treatments while she was asleep and that was much easier.

She slept peacefully for a few minutes until they came to get us for her x-rays. This was the most awful experience I have had with x-rays! It was almost brutal for Bella. She was so upset and screaming. I wanted to curl up in a ball in the x-ray room and sob! I was so grateful when it was done! (Josh had gone to call and update our parents, so he wasn't there.) I was glad to bury me and Bella in his arms when that was over!

Bella eventually fell back asleep just in time for the Dr to come in and say that they didn't get good enough x-rays of her neck, so he couldn't tell how the trachea was. He would have to open her mouth and stick a tongue depressor down to look down her throat to see himself. Obviously, Bella freaked out again. Her trachea was fine. Good news. The Dr. said she has croup, and it would just have to run its course. The Dr ordered one more nebulizer treatments, and then she could get her prescriptions and go home! (At one point during all this, they thought she might have to stay the night.) We waited to give her the last treatment until she was asleep.

From there, we left for Josh's parent's home. We dropped off the prescriptions, and went to gather our other children. They were fine, and had a wonderful time with everyone. Josh and I were sad to have missed the party, but were grateful everything with sweet Bella turned out ok. That night, Josh gave Bella a blessing, and I knew everything would be ok. She has slept the past few nights with a humidifier and the window cracked open a little for cool air. We are so grateful for modern medicine! Bella is doing much better, and is on the road to recovery! (It may take a while for Mom to recover mentally though!)

At Instacare

First ambulance ride. They gave her the little bear - which she now wants nothing to do with! I think it gives her bad memories!

Finally at the hospital and doing a little better thanks to the first treatment at Instacare.

First of three at the hospital.

Second one...

Feel so bad for my Baby!

This is the last one, after the x-ray, and stick down the throat episodes. Her face is red and hot from crying so hard. Poor baby.

Finally sleeping peacefully. I hope she forgets about this experience soon! It was awful, but we are glad that it turned out ok!