Ouchies!

The Joachims have had some bad luck lately!  We have spent too much time at the doctor's office, emergency room and hospital.

Zach was playing Fall Baseball and sprained his ankle.  He was at bat and hit a line drive.  He ran hard to first base and stepped on the bag the wrong way and SCREAMED!  Everyone knew something was wrong because Zach always just gets back up without ever complaining.  Coach Jason ran out and quickly called for his wife, a nurse.  She saw it swelling up and knew he had to go have it checked out.  

Of coarse this was all hearsay.  Where was everyone else?  I was literally on my way to work when I got a call from Tom telling me he was on the way to the baseball fields to pick Zach up and take him to the ER.  Tom and the other kids were home because it was late and cold for the girls to be out at a game.  Kelsey Liott came over to watch the kids while I explained to my coworkers why I needed to leave. (I LOVE my coworkers, by the way!)

After all said and done, it just was a BAD sprain and not a break.  He was in a lot of pain for a few weeks, but became a master at the crutches.  He also got to ride in the elevator at school, which was so cool! But most importantly, he was safe at first!

And then came Sara!  Sara has had several "breathing episodes" since she was born that landed us in the Emergency Room for continuous breathing treatments.  The doctors always labeled it as "asthma-like" and she was never put on Albuterol on a regular basis.

She started with the sniffles and a little cough.  After a day of that the coughing was keeping her (and us) up at night.  On this particular day I knew something was just different.  It was Wednesday.  I had given her 2 breathing treatments at home in the mornings.  She would get better for an hour and then she would need another one.  I picked Allie up from school and we went to her piano lesson.  Sara normally loves going to piano lessons because she plays with Eve and all her toys.  But this time she wouldn't get off my lap.  She moved all around while sitting on my lap, unable to get comfortable.

We came home and I knew she needed something more than what I was giving her.  I called the doctor but they couldn't get me in until 2:30.  I gave her another treatment and decided to drive over to the doctor's office.  I figured if anything happened, at least we would be around doctors and more equipment.  When we got back to the room, her oxygen level was 85%!! Despite getting more treatments at the office, her oxygen levels only came up 89-90%.  She needed to go to the hospital.

I foolishly declined an ambulance and drove VERY fast to the hospital.  She received MORE breathing treatments and a steroid.  Even after all that her oxygen levels were only 92-94%  The doctors did not feel comfortable sending her home so she was admitted!  

She was MUCH happier once we finally made it to our room!  It had been a LONG day and I think she was just happy to breathe! So now we have an official diagnosis: asthma!  We have our supplies at home and she gets breathing treatments regularly.

Anytime one of the kids get sick I think about how grateful I am to have modern medicine at our fingertips.  I know there a many children in the world, and even here in Philadelphia, that aren't so lucky.  I'm grateful for my job that offers me great insurance.  I'm grateful I have friends and coworkers that offer to help at the drop of a hat.  And I'm grateful to have 4 (now) healthy beautiful children.