Emergency Room

A little over a week ago Ford was battling a cold and slight temperature. He seemed to be doing well Thursday morning, so we sent him to school. During the day, the school called and said he was running a fever of 103.7 and seemed to be having trouble breathing. Our pediatrician worked us in for what we thought would be a routine visit and a following prescription for an antibiotic. Dr. Bondurant wanted to try a breathing treatment.....but it didn't seem to make a difference in Ford's breathing ability so we tried a second treatment. Ford was very tired by this point and felt weak from the fever....but managed to soldier through the breathing treatments because the intern working with Dr. Bondurant told him the mask resembled one that a fireman would use. That sealed the deal since Ford is in awe of anything related to fire fighters!

The two breathing treatments didn't have much positive effect on his breathing, so Dr. Bondurant felt a trip to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Emergency Room was in order. She wanted us to have x-rays taken to ensure Ford didn't have pneumonia. So we battle rush hour traffic to get to Children's. Although we knew the trip to the ER was for x-rays....it is still devastating to be sitting in the pediatrican's office and hear her say "I can't send Ford home like this and need you to take him to the ER." We are so blessed to have such a wonderful pediatric staff and Children's Hospital in Nashville.

Ford slept all the way downtown but perked up considerably once we got to the ER after the Motrin Dr. Bondurant gave him kicked in and his fever dropped a bit. Jim happened to have our Zune and entertained Ford with a BunnyTown episode! I had a splitting sinus headache, none of us had eaten in several hours and were stressed out to say the least. A man sitting in the main ER waiting room with his daughter (ankle injury from soccer game!) overhead that Ford was having breathing problems. As he & his daughter were called back to the examining room, he came over and told us he'd brought his daughter to Children's when she was three and had trouble breathing and that the staff was exceptional and Ford would be in good hands. I was so thankful to God for sending this man, a stranger, our direction to give us a little comfort during that time.

After being moved from one examining room and waiting room to another we finally made our way to radiology! Although Ford was not in any way excited to shed his clothes and put on the standard-issue hospital gown....he again was a brave little man. He was very apprehensive about the x-rays, but again the staff was so good with him and he managed to get through it with the promise of Thomas the Train stickers!

As we were closing in on our fourth hour at the ER, we spoke to the doctor who told us Ford had RSV and sent us home with instructions to administer Tylenol and Motrin. We were so thankful to hear the expected diagnosis and not have to see Ford endure any additional breathing treatments or medication. As we headed through Wendy's drive-thru at 10:30 that night for dinner (and the largest offering of caffeine they would sell me) - we were so thankful to have gotten through this experience. We had several people praying for us and knew God would guide us through whatever was thrown our way. Ford is such a little trooper! He is still coughing a bit and will continue to for a couple of weeks....but has improved so much over the past week!