So, We are Having Jac Measured for Bubble Wrap

I hope this post publishes correctly since I've never completed one from my iPad before. If you've kept up with my blog this week you know that it's been pretty eventful for the Carnetts. I'm sitting next to Ethan as he lies in his hospital bed at St. John's. He was kicked out of PICU this afternoon so that was good news and he's continuing to improve.

Yesterday Lindy took Ethan to Urgent Care due to non stop coughing stemming from his allergies. He was having some major respiratory issues and the decision was made to take him to St. John's via ambulance. I had stayed home due to my major cramping issues which I mentioned in the previous post. When Lindy called to let me know about Ethan I was in the shower and Jac told me. If you know me well, you'll find this part of the story astounding. I drove with wet hair and no makeup from the north end of O'Fallon to St. John's and I BEAT THE AMBULANCE THERE!! The driving fast part shouldn't surprise you but the arriving at the hospital with a clean face and wet hair should. I also had Lindy yelling at me over the phone as I drove to the hospital telling me to go back home. Yeah, right. He had me on house arrest on Friday and only let me drive a mile from our house to get a pedicure with Jac along as my chaperone. However, this Mama Grizzly was not going to let any level of pain or discomfort keep me from my child. You Moms know what I mean.

When Ethan finally arrived with Lindy close behind Ethan was calm as could be. I felt horrible that I hadn't ridden with him in the ambulance but he just smiled and waved at me. He was probably a little disoriented at seeing me in my unheard of condition in a public place but he was just the picture of calm. He was a sick little boy, made more clear as the hours passed. He was in the ER for several hours getting breathing treatments continuously to try to keep his oxygen level up. He had to wear an uncomfortable mask yet never complained and he was awake and alert the whole time. He had the pleasure of having a new graduate nurse try out her IV starting skills and blood drawing skills on him. In the end it took 2 nurses to get his IV started and later 3 nurses to stick him to draw blood. Not one tear or ounce of whining. He did throw up during the IV process because he was watching, and Jac astutely pointed out that he must take after me. Thanks, Jac. Sad, but true. Part of his compliance with all of this poking and prodding might have been because all the nurses were young and pretty. I told them that he has a thing for pretty nurses. He didn't remember much at all from his ski accident in February but he could tell you the nurses' names.

After they determined that Ethan was going to spend the night in PICU he just continued to be a trooper. He liked his room and was glad to have his Mom and Dad with him. He continued on with the uncomfortable mask for hours on end, he had to use a urinal due to all his tubes and wires and still never complained. He has thrown up 4 times during this hospital stay, likely due to all the Albuterol coursing through his system yet after the third time he told me that this is why he could never work in a hospital--he doesn't want to have to clean up other people's vomit. He even had enough of his wits about him to fake vomiting once while holding his basin and saying "False alarm.". Not funny, Wire Boy. I texted my brother tonight to tell him that Ethan reminds me so much of how he would have reacted at 8 years old to the same situation, no tears, no whining, no complaining, etc. His response back was, "We like to think of ourselves as immortal, Ethan and I, but we're just flesh and blood. It's hard for us to let you see us this way, susceptible to common human ailments.". Yep, that's my brother.

I have to just add in here that when it came to who was staying with Ethan last night I was proud of Lindy. My feet were firmly planted here and there's no way I was leaving. Lindy had already planned to stay the night and have his Dad preach for him today, but he started having second thoughts last night about 10:00. If you know anything about living with a pastor you know that missing church on a Sunday is a big deal but missing church on Easter Sunday is practically a cataclysmic event. I knew Lindy was concerned for his Dad, as was I, as he hadn't been feeling well himself on Saturday. I told Lindy that if he felt he needed to go for his Dad's sake then I was OK with that, but if he was doing it out of a sense of obligation then we were going to have words. If you read my previous post you know that one of the themes was Lindy laying down the law about how they could get by without me at my work. Well, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. We both know that all of our church people love us and understand that sometimes family just has to come first and when you have a kid in PICU then it's one of those times--Easter Sunday or not. He ended up listening to my voice of reason...or was it my threatening voice reminding him of his own words? Either way I believe he made the right choice and they had a fabulous service today without the pastor, his wife, or the middle child. The only thing Ethan has come close to complaining about was missing church today. He wanted to dress up and be the kid to find the matzah. (you actually have to go to our church to get that).

Ethan is in a regular room now and is doing so great. We are hopeful that he might be discharged tomorrow but he has to be completely weaned from the oxygen and only on the breathing treatments every 4 hours. He'll be going home on an inhaler and another new medication. He was tested today to see exactly what he's allergic to and we will get back those tests in a few days. I've tried to focus on the health of my dear middle son and not the cost of his second ambulance ride this year, his second ER visit, his stay in the PICU, etc. Each time the nurse has said, "I'll go get him another dose of Zofran". ( an expensive nausea medicine) all I've heard in my head is Cha-ching!! The bright side is that we have insurance and we met our deductible with his last incident so we will only pay 25% of this bill!! Yea!! Just one more reason for me to avoid surgery for myself if possible. Still no end result there, by the way, but God answered my prayer and I had no cramping today. Praise God!

On the way home today to take a shower I told Jac that we are having him measured for bubble wrap because I need at least one kid who's not in need of emergency medical care. He started fake coughing for my benefit. Not funny. Gavin is doing much better and Grammy has continued with his breathing treatments and Prednisone. My parents are coming to visit tomorrow to help Lindy's parents with picking up all our pitiful pieces. The best part of this has been getting to spend some quality time with my middle son and feeling the outpouring of love and compassion for our family during this Holy week. It is still a Holy week, by the way, and Jesus is still risen, no matter our circumstances. He loves us and cares for us like no other can and He is the author and finisher of our faith and our Prince of Peace. Turn to Him in the midst of life's challenges and He will be your all in all.