Answers at last...

Today was the day!  After 10 months of almost constant wheezing Jack finally got into University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics to see a Pediatric Pulmonary Specialist.
We were told that the University would send us a letter with instructions as to how to get to the clinic.  We already had a pretty good idea that it would be on the 2nd floor (since that's where we would go to visit Neela Waddell when she was hospitalized).  We never did get the letter but a quick phone call to the hospital proved that we were in fact, right.
For the first time in Driscoll history we were actually early.  Very early.  Almost an hour early.  It proved to be a sweet time.  The four oldest Turkey Bottoms were with Miss Beckie which meant that Daddy, Mommy and Jack had close to an hour to ourselves...  well, and the fifty or so other people waiting to be seen.  Jack proved to be quite entertaining... true of his name Jack was Joyful.
A nurse, Jessica, took vitals almost as soon as we arrived.  Jack weighs 24.8 lbs and has perfect blood pressure. He's also 31 inches tall at least we think that's what she said.  And then she gave us a pager like you would get if you were waiting for a table at a restaurant and told us that we could wait in the waiting room.
Having an afternoon appointment at such a busy clinic can mean only one thing... you're not going to see the doctor on time.  Fortunately Jack slept all the way to the hospital so he continued in great spirits while we waited.
At last we meet Dr. Richard Ahrens.

Dr. Ahrens, great dresser, fabulous doctor! :)

Isn't he a nice looking man?  He was also wearing super cool grayish green cords with a silver chain that I assume was attached to a pocket watch.  And he had great slip-on milk chocolate shoes.  You know all the qualifications that you want in a Pediatric Pulmonary Specialist! :)
Beyond that he's nice.  He listened.  It seemed like he trusted our observations.  He also answered our questions.  When I didn't understand what he was trying to explain, he explained it again without making me feel dumb.  Love, love, loved it!!
He's a specialist in Cystic Fibrosis and other lung/pulmonary diseases.  He didn't find it necessary to test Jack for Cystic Fibrosis! Love, love, love that!  Instead he believes that Jack's symptoms are consistent with Asthma.  Most likely Chronic Asthma.  We will spend the next 3 months charting Jack's symptoms to make sure that his symptoms line up with Asthma.  He also gave us a Vortex inhaler which means no more nebulizer treatments!  It will take about a minute to give him relief instead of 30 minutes.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!
Also Dr. Ahrens also gave us a script for steroids.  So when the inhaler isn't working we will have the steroids on hand.  And if the steroids don't work after 5 days we know to have Jack seen by a doctor.  No more guessing games.  We also have a phone number for 24 hour help from a doctor at the clinic!  Seriously, love it.
Oh, the relief of answers.  And a plan.  God be praised!

Praying that friends of ours will also find the answers they are looking for too...join me in praying for Wesley.

A way in the wilderness... streams in the wasteland

 I am the LORD, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator, your King.”

  This is what the LORD says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
 the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.
Isaiah 43:15-21


As we have been put on hold with Jack's Cystic Fibrosis test I am finding myself with a peace that transcends all understanding... a comfort in knowing that my God is making a way in the wilderness, streams in the wasteland that we might proclaim His praise.  As I wonder what the outcome be I find that one of the most exciting things of this trial is that I am forced to rely on The One who formed my Jack Henry in my womb... The One who knit him together (curls and all) and knows exactly what is going on with my beautiful beautiful baby boy!

We shall wait until the 26th... neither anxious or worried, but trusting and peaceful.  And no matter what comes as a result of the tests we know that He will hold us up with His mighty right hand.

As I told my dear friend Angie... Jack's breathing problems have revived my relationship with my Savior and in that I rejoice.  Please continue to pray for our boy and if you don't understand the hope that is within us... the peace that we carry and the joy that we have know that we are here to share our hearts with you.

NOT THIS AGAIN!

Last March Jack and Gabe were admitted to Covenant Hospital for RSV.  Jack also had croup, bronchitis and pneumonia on top of the RSV.  Gabe was hospitalized for 4 days, Jack was 7 or 8.  It was a hard time.  The boys had excellent nurses and a great doc, but it was too long to be away from the rest of the family.  The boys were in isolation and the other kids couldn't visit much.  It's hard not sleeping in your own bed and having nurses come in every 2 hours.  It's hard having sick kiddos.

Jack woke up this morning with breathing difficulties.  He's had a cold for at least 2 weeks now.  We haven't had him at church because colds for him always turn into something more.  On Tuesday of this week I really felt like maybe he was turning a corner and I even felt confident enough to take him to Awana.  Again this Sunday (today) we kept him out of church.  We decided on Saturday night that we'd all stay home from church because Gabe has been throwing up and anyone with a Facebook account knows that everyone has a 24 hour flu.  Ben worked today, so everyone would stay home.  As I was getting Jack dressed this morning I saw that he was having trouble breathing.  His nose was running and I immediately got the nebulizer out for a breathing treatment.  It seemed like it helped and he was able to sleep.  When he woke up I could tell that he was still struggling a bit, but it was time for lunch and I would give him another breathing treatment after he was done eating.  He never touched his food and was crying hysterically.  So unlike our Jack... he always eats and hardly ever cries!

Since it is Sunday I was going back and forth trying to decide if I would take him to the ER or wait for the morning to go to the doctors office.  Julayne walked in around 1:30 and mentioned that she thought Jack was doing so much worse.  His breathing was very labored and he was wheezing.  I stopped cleaning up from lunch and asked if she would watch kiddos so I could run him over to the ER.

At the small hospital in our hometown there's no receptionist on Sunday (which always struck me as odd since you would think more people would come in on the weekend) so you go directly back to the nurses station in the ER.  Immediately 2 nurses were waving a doctor down and an EMT came out from no where to check him out... that's how loud and labored his breathing was.  There were no rooms available and they were racing around to find a room.  An elderly gentleman named, Cliff, came out of his room and said, "That baby needs this room more than I do.  I'll wait in the waiting room."  Thinking of it now brings tears to my eyes.

Over the next hour and a half Jack had the usual oxygen monitor hooked to his toe, a nebulizer treatment and a chest x-ray (which was and always is horrible).  Immediately after that they gave him a shot.  Still unsure what the shot was... note to self ask nurse to look that up for me.  Immediately after that they strapped him to a board so that there was a strap holding his head in place, his chest in place, his arms in place and his feet in place.  They did this in order to put an IV in.  I was already crying at this point and left the room, but could still hear his deafening cries from the hallway.  The nurses will tell you that they cry more from being strapped down than any pain from the IV, but when you walk in and see a towel with your baby's blood on it you know they're liars.  After the IV came the RSV test which doesn't seem painful but they insert fluid into his nose and catch the drainage.  At least I think it's his nose... after as many RSV tests as he's had you'd think I'd pay more attention.  But, by this time I'm always so upset that I think I go into a fog that allows me to function while being somewhat unattached to what's going on around me... or else I'll end up on the floor in a pool of tears.

Before the lab results and chest x-ray come back the doctor tells me that no matter what he'll have to be admitted to the hospital.  The nebulizer treatment helped the breathing, but with 3 minutes afterward he was already retracting and needing more help breathing.  So, I think, "Oh, no.  Not this again."

Once the chest x-ray comes back we are pleased to hear that there is no pneumonia.  They did see a problem in his abdomen ... something called (spelled phonetically) an ill-ee-us.  Basically its a lazy bowel.  It should correct itself but for today it means no food or drink... IV fluids only.  This meant two things.  The first is that even though his throat is sore, he can't drink.  Secondly, he would have to go to Covenant via ambulance since the IV was started at the ER.

The labs came back negative for RSV and influenza.  Still having problems breathing so another neb treatment is given.  While waiting for the "rig" to come Nana Susan shows up with a Diet Coke for me and hugs for Jack.  Jack was very eager to go to Nana ... he was upset with Mama.  As a matter-of-fact he had hugs and cuddles for the Doctor and Ben when he arrived ... not so much for Mama.

The ambulance arrives and Jack is placed on a huge gurney and looks dwarfed and especially sad.  He was not a fan of them buckling him in and who could blame him?  We stick around long enough for them to put Jack in the back of the ambulance before I'm racing to the car to get home to pack a bag.  I'm not sure what's in the bag... but it was done in the matter of a few minutes.

Upon arriving in the hospital we go to the all to familiar elevator to the 4th floor ... as the doors open the EMTs that brought Jack in are leaving.  Arriving on the peds floor we can hear Jack crying.  Upon seeing us he calmed down some.

It took a long time before he finally calmed down enough to fall asleep and when he did his oxygen levels kept dipping and I knew it was only a matter of time before he would go on oxygen.  The "magic" number is 92.  If it stays at 92 they keep him off the oxygen.

I know the quality of the pictures is pretty crummy, but I didn't have a camera so I was using the web cam.  The top number is the one that holds my attention.  When it goes down any further a yellow light will start to flash and it will beep letting everyone know that Jack runs  the risk of becoming more distressed.  He eventually went on oxygen which was horrible.  He hated it and would try to rip it off of his face.  So the first hour with oxygen on I had to hold his arms to his side.  Which lead to more screaming.  Not fun.  I repeat not fun... absolutely miserable and had both Jack and I in tears.  Before he went on oxygen we got a call saying that Hannah had thrown up 3 times in 25 minutes, that Emma had started throwing up and Benjamin was complaining of a sore belly.  Ugh.  Ben left so they would have at least one parent at home.  Besides, it's just not right to have Julayne clean our kids puke up.

So after Jack finally fell asleep a nurse graciously came in to change his diaper at midnight.  Really?  He screamed for 3 hours and finally fell asleep and you think it's a good idea to wake him up to change his diaper.  If I had any more energy I would strangle you.  I'm not sure that either one of us got much sleep after that.  We finally get out of bed exhausted at 6:30 am.

Jack was coughing and had a sore throat, but with the order to have him on IV fluids only there was little I could do.  Except what any mama would do... I totally gave him drinks of water after coughing fits... lazy bowel or not, my babes was in pain.  The morning was more of the same.  Another x-ray (Chinese torture is what I like to call it) that had him in fits.  But the good news was that all was well and he could go back on solid foods and liquids.  You should have seen him shovel Cheerios in.  The poor guy was starving.

After breakfast he finally fell asleep again!

But guess what?!  Another nurse decided that she wasn't pleased with his O2 levels and decided to move him.  Hmmm.  The end result... more screaming.  I was t.i.c.k.e.d.  I'll fast forward a little.  He was taken off the oxygen and things looked pretty good.  Until he fell asleep again and again after 15-20 minutes the nurse decided he should be suctioned out.  What kid sleeps through that?  I was s.u.p.e.r. t.i.c.k.e.d.

Not long after, we are offered the option of going home since he doesn't need to be on the IV, and I took it.  We discussed the dangers of going home with the flu at our house... but decided Jack was already exposed and so it was worth the danger just for the little guy to get some uninterrupted sleep.

So we are home and it's about time for nebulizer treatment.  Praying we stay home.