Technology is amazing.  I can sit by Cody's side as he's conked out, and enter this post!  What did families in the hospital do before all this technology access?  He is sleeping soundly and the Dr's just left.  Wanted to post this in case it might benefit anyone else who has a medically fragile child.  The Dr. said the reason Cody is not in respiratory failure (like the other two cases of Swine Flu in mito kids) is that he began Tamiflu on day 1 of his symptoms...he was in the hospital on day 1 so he was never too dehydrated...basically he said that the typical progression (in kids like Cody) involves respiratory complications that almost always lead to pneumonia.  We've dodged that bullet he thinks.  He said if it was going to go in that direction, it would have by now.  He said usually the first 2 days either it gets 'respiratory' or not - and if it does (for med. fragile kids) then they often have to be on ventilators to breathe.  So........PRAISE THE LORD that we seem to be free of that complication. 

So moral of the story is...if you have a med. fragile child (esp. with mito disease) -- take them to the ER immediately and demand a H1N1 test.  The test is NASTY - they do a nasal wash, then stick a long suction tube up the child's nose way way back...because they have to get cells to test.  But early diagnosis gets them on Tamiflu right away - gets them hydrated right away and staves off dire dehydration - you can get them zofran so the vomiting stops early on, etc.  The less stress these mito kids endure, the less seizures they will have.   

Saturday Cody threw up once.  We were in the E.R. within 1/2 hour.  The Dr. there told me she really didn't think they needed to test for H1N1 because his fever wasn't high, he wasn't coughing, he wasn't dehydrated, he wasn't acting 'sick.'  I said, 'something is wrong.  test him, please...what do we have to lose?'  So she tested him, sent us home telling me she was certain it was just a cold, and I got a prescription for Tamiflu to take home with us just in case.  Within hours we got the call that it was Swine flu and by that time he was dehydrated, throwing up, 103.5 fever.....BUT we had the Tamiflu and could start him immediately before we even got to the hospital to admit him!  That seems to have made a lot of difference.

This hospital has been phenominal - truly.  And I have to tell you, given that being a mom is my job, I am so so grateful to hear that my intuition and swift action truly made a difference for Cody.  As moms, isn't that all we want to hear?  That we really helped our kids?  That we did the right thing?  That we are smart and intuitive?  It's all we can do - we can't fix these little fragile ones.  But we can knock ourselves out trying to make the very best choices - in every single scenario - to make their lives better.  So for that, I'm grateful. 

Okay, time to take a temperature.  Break is over.  Please keep up the prayers - they are coveted.

with love, Shawna