Update on Toby

Wednesday, 1/29, I took Toby to his follow-up appointment from his stay at Riley with RSV.  Toby now weighs in at 17 pounds 11 ounces and is 26.5 inches long.  We met with the pediatric pulmologist and she asked how things had been going, how his cough was and how his breathing was. 

He had quieted down with his breathing sounds and his cough is very intermittent.  However, I have been noticing a snotty nose.  She listened to him with the stethoscope and pulled away, then listened again, turned him around and listened again. 

She was listening to his wheeze.  He still has it.  She called it an inhalation wheeze.  Since it is an inhalation wheeze and not and exhalation wheeze, she suspects that the issue is an anatomy issue and not a disease issue.  The doctor insisted that the bronchoscopy is rescheduled.  He must wait 3 more weeks as he is required to be over the RSV for 6 weeks before they can sedate him for the bronchoscopy.  It is scheduled for February 14, as long as he does not get sick before then.  Hopefully the scope will provide enough information so we can get to the bottom of all of this!

6 months

How is my baby 6 months old already?  He is growing and developing into such a cute little guy!  He has mastered sitting without support.

He loves to play with his toes, but only when he doesn't have any pants on...so sometimes I leave him pantless.

He has been trying new foods. So far he has had applesauce, bananas, pears, peas and sweet potatoes. He did not like the peas and he loved the sweet potatoes. 

Last time he was weighed he was 17 pounds 3 ounces. I believe that was two weeks ago.  He seems to be getting longer/taller to me. He is just starting to wear his 6-9 month stuff. Here he is with Boomer. 

He doesn't have any teeth yet, but he is definately working on his bottom two.

He loves playing with his o-ball toys he got for Christmas. He loves being upright, and he loves watching those crazy sisters of his.

As for his health, he seems to be doing better. He spent 48 hours at Riley two weeks ago. He was having issues breathing and was getting dehydrated. Turns out he was fighting RSV. We have a follow up appointment with the pulmologist next week. He seems to be feeling better and breathing much easier.  So hopefully he is on the mend and stays healthy the rest of the cold and flu season!  

Homework

Jenna has been so excited this week because school is back in session. With a new week of school comes a new homework packet. 

There are weekly projects to complete.  On of the projects was to put salt in a tray and have your child write ABCs and their name. 

Jenna had a ton of fun with this! Who knew something so simple could be so much fun?

Riley ICU

I don't like posting too much about sickness as I want the blog to be good hapy memories, however, I have found that I catch myself using it as a reference guide to when things have happened with the kids, so.....sorry for the illness post.

After Toby's stent with pneumonia in November, he got referred to a pediatric pulmonology doctor at Riley North (Carmel Campus).  We took him for his visit with no real answers other than let’s wait and see how the winter illness season progresses.  He did still have a cough so she told us to put him back on breathing treatments for no longer than 14 days.  Fourteen days (which included Christmas) passed, then quit as advised.  Within 24 hours, he started a cough which progressively has gotten worse.  I called and talked to the pulmonology doc (Thursday 1/2) who suggested we schedule a bronchoscope to find out why this cough/issue persists.  Meanwhile, we were to resume breathing treatments.  Friday, 1/3, I took a call from daycare that Toby had a fever and hadn’t been wetting diapers, so Lance went and picked him up.

Toby’s fever persisted on Saturday even with Tylenol and Ibuprofen.  Saturday he proceeded to not eat and puke anything he did eat; he was just puny.  Sunday morning as I was feeding him he just couldn’t seem to catch his breath.  His breathing was very short, very rapid, and very labored.  Lance called the pediatric pulmonologist office while I gave another breathing treatment.  They advised us to get him to an emergency room.  So we hurriedly packed clothes for all five of us, dropped the girls off at Aunt Angel's house and went to Riley in Indy to ER.  A normal trip to Terre Haute is 45 minutes or Riley at Indy is an 1 hour 15 min.  It ended up taking almost 2 hours due to the snow. 

We got to ER and his oxygen saturation levels were low, fever was 102.8, and his belly was retracting when he breathed.  He was admitted to the pediatric ICU.  Toby was put on IV and forced oxygen.  We stayed in ICU until he got off the forced oxygen on Monday afternoon.  He was then moved to the Simon Family Tower of Riley.  Toby tested positive for RSV (respiratory virus).  There is no real medicine or “cure” for RSV, only time.  Since all his stats stayed steady and his fever broke, we were released today at 3.  Then we got to travel home.  A typical hour and 15 minute drive to Indy turned into a 6 hour drive home.  We got stopped for almost an hour and a half while they got a semi off I-70. I-70 was awful.  Traffic that was moving kept speeds of 25-30 mph.  

 

As for where Toby goes from here is still to be determined.  We are to follow up with the pulmonologist at the end of January.  They are worried that he has an anatomy issue with either his trachea or lungs that is causing things that should be minor issues to turn into multi-day hospital visits.  I will let you all know more as I we learn more.