Status quo in the pediatric unit

No real changes for Maddie since yesterday. Her Pediatrician was disappointed that she hasn't made any progress on her oxygen; in fact, she's gotten worse. She's now getting 3/4 of a liter per minute with 28% oxygen. So, chest x-rays were ordered and medications were adjusted. She is now getting a third breathing treatment, of something called Atrovent. She has been throwing up a lot since she got sick, so the Doctor played with her medicines that aid her digestion. Instead of Pepcid, she's now taking protonix. The medicine I was most disappointed about was Reglan. She's now taking it SIX times a day. She's been on Reglan before and it took me for-eh-ver to get her off of it. The reason she's on it is valid, though - she is coughing so much that the odds of her aspirating on vomit are way up. We obviously don't want that to happen, so Reglan it is. It doesn't look like she has pneumonia, and her tests for RSV came back negative, so we're happy about that.

She has been more alert, which is good and bad. Good in that we are seeing glimpses of our happy baby in there. She loves to flirt with the male residents. Whenever one comes in the room, she turns her head to look at him and smiles and bats those long lashes of hers!!! She has also made friends with her respiratory therapists. One of them has started to call Maddie "Pigeon" because she sits there and coos at everyone. It's really cute.

The bad part about her being alert is that she gets BORED. She is attached to the oxygen and the monitors so she can't go very far. One of the nurses brought her a swing, so I've put her in it a few times. But there is no play gym, or walks around the neighborhood, or puppy, so she really isn't getting the stimulation she normally gets at home. Plus, she doesn't feel well, so she is fussy. I finally cracked and climbed into her crib with her and we snuggled. That settled her down right away, and it made me happy, too.