Patient ID - M-O-R-G-A-N

Last Wednesday, Morgan was diagnosed with RSV. For anyone who isn't familiar with the condition, it is a respiratory virus in infants that is very dangerous. The virus makes breathing very difficult and the cough will rock you to the core. Morgan stayed home with me Thursday and Friday. On Friday afternoon, her breathing became very labored. Laying in my arms on the couch, I watched her chest "retract" in order to get the tiniest breath. I could tell she was exhausted from the process of trying to breathe. When her eyes began rolling back into her head, I called Kim at work to say we need to go to the ER.

Morgan was immediately admitted into the Dell Children's Hospital where she remained for the duration of the weekend. She received 1 breathing treatment, which did very little, and was then put on oxygen. She was so weak she didn't even fight the tubes in her nose. Morgan stayed on oxygen until Saturday night, when she was able to maintain a normal pulse ox. Normal is 92 or above. Morgan had been in the 80's.

Fortunately, we never had to have an IV. She remained on the monitors until we were discharged and the oxygen was necessary only through Saturday night. I stayed with her at the hospital while Kim came home to take care of Jordan. Madison and McKenzie stayed in a winter wonderland with Rebecca and Becki, godmothers extraordinaire. They had a blast while we sat nervously by Morgan's bed.

On Saturday, I was in a horrible mood. I hadn't slept well, the temperature in the room was inconsistent, we were having to stay another night on that awful little bed in the room, and I missed my other children. I stomped and snorted around the room for a while and then decided to go downstairs for dinner. Kim stayed with Morgan while I rode the elevator to the cafeteria. On the elevator, I met an Angel. I don't know her name or her child's name or what brought them to Dell. All I know is this woman had been in the hospital with her child for 3 weeks, where he underwent 6 surgeries. The Lord put me in my place in 30 seconds flat. I can't imagine how you live in a hospital for 3 weeks. I can't imagine how you watch your baby undergo 6 operations. I hugged this total stranger. We chatted through the salad bar line. We spoke briefly of Christmas. I wished her luck and told her she would be in my prayers. God bless the Angel on the Elevator and all the others I never had a chance to meet.





Morgan was released on Sunday and we were thrilled to be home. She is continuing to improve as the days go by. She is eating a little something at least once a day and is taking formula again. She has been so sick and we are so relieved we don't have any travel plans for the holidays. Morgan sleeps a lot and is playing with her sisters again. Life is good.