Hitting a Speed Bump

[singlepic id=65 w=320 h=240 float=right] First let me apologize for not adding an update for a couple days, but things were pretty much status quo until this morning.  Sam is still doing great concerning all things heart related.  His “new” heart is going strong, his heart rate is good, and his oxygen level is good considering the speed bump Sam hit in his recovery.

As I reported in earlier updates, Sam is having some problems with reflux and congestion.  He has been steadily getting better and has been looking great.  Even his daily x-rays have been looking clear until this morning when they looked a little “patchy”, which is an indication of possible pneumonia.  So, to confirm or rule this out, tests were done.  The results came back positive for RSV.  For those of you who don’t know, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a very common virus that leads to mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and older healthy children.  It can be more serious in young babies, especially to those in certain high-risk groups.

Begin rant:  OK, Sam caught RSV… in the #@$%&!* hospital.  Really?!  We’ve spent the last nine months of our lives protecting Sam from catching anything that could harm him.  We’ve avoided friends, family, and many places outside our own home (all worth it to keep Sam safe) only to have Sam catch something in the hospital.  Jeez!  Don’t get me wrong, CHOA is a great hospital, and I thank God we live so close to such a fine facility, but there’s signs all over the place about the dangers of RSV.  Also they put restrictions on who can visit during RSV season, and there’s antiseptic foam dispensers everywhere you look.  So what happened?!  I’m now thinking he would have been safer having the surgery and recovery in our family room!  End rant.

So, anyway, we are now going to take it slow and steady until he gets over this virus.  He’s such an incredible kid that I’m sure it won’t take him long to shake this.  He’s sleeping much better now, and that rest is what he needs to get healthy.  Of course, this will delay his coming home, which is killing me.  With Laura and Sam at the hospital, and Max spending most of his time at Mimi M’s house, it gets a little lonely around here.  I just want my family all together at home.  Until then, I just keep praying for a speedy recovery.