The Kuhn Family: Emerson's Hospital Stay

After being sick for six weeks (with an ER visit a week before), Emerson was admitted into Texas Children's Hospital downtown. He was wheezy and made a terrible upper airway sound. His oxygen levels were low even after a double dose of steroids and three breathing treatments. So the pediatrician sent us downtown to a pulmonary specialist. The pulmonary specialist listened to him, did a chest x-ray, and his o2 was still low. So we were admitted - for TEN DAYS!!

DAY 1: He was monitored and given breathing treatments as needed. He was put on oxygen during the night.
DAY 2: His numbers were low and he was off and on oxygen.
DAY 3: EMERSON said his first word - MAMA!! Whoohoo - exactly what I needed! Bronchoscopy went well - no physical abnormalities, no cancer; good news but still no answer. That night Emerson went into respiratory distress. He had a fever of 103. His oxygen dropped to 67. It stayed in the 70's-80's with his heart rate 200-210 for 4 very long hours. They administered a bolus (two bags), increased his oxygen to 2 liters, worked on getting his fever down. They did a chest xray and found pneumonia. It was a scary night! Breathing treatments every 3 hours.
DAY 4: Swallow Test - all normal; good news but again no answer. We were able to lower his oxygen. They even took him off oxygen.
DAY 5: Another episode - numbers dropped and he was put back on oxygen.
DAY 6: Still on oxygen - every time he pulled his cannula out his numbers dropped quickly into the low 80's. still wheezing and some retractions even on oxygen.Chest xray reconfirmed pneumonia. Blood work confirmed bacterial pneumonia - Streptococcus pneumoniae.
DAY 7: On 1/2 liter of oxygen. Still breathing treatments every 3 hours around the clock.
DAY 8: Tried to come off oxygen but his numbers dropped and he had to go back on. Added Singulair and QVAR to treatment plan.
DAY 9: Off oxygen.Unable to space out breathing treatments further than every 3 hours. Numbers dropped a bit and retracting to breathe.
DAY 10: Made it through night off oxygen. Starting to space treatments to every 4 hours. Get to go home!

We made it home! After 3 Upper GI's, 4 Chest X-Rays, a Laryngoscopy, Bronchoscopy, and a Swallow test, after almost 8 weeks of being sick we still don't have the answers. We went into the pediatrician and Emerson still sounded like a "train wreck"! So we are testing out a food allergy theory. I stopped breastfeeding, stopped all solid foods, and switched to a hypoallergenic formula called Nutramigen. Emerson is now breathing better, sleeping 10 1/2 hours a night, and happier than EVER! I am praying the food allergy is the answer and we get him all fixed up! We have an appointment with the allergist, the pediatrician, and follow ups at Texas Children's Hospital on May 7th and 11th.