Q came down with a nasty cough and some chest pain last week so we went to the ER before heading to the lake this past weekend. She was COVID-free and strep-free and whatever it was needed to run its course.
It “ran its course” and it wasn’t a good one. She really didn’t improve over the weekend – lethargic and coughing in pain were small clues – and by Sunday morning we knew we would end up back in Kaiser’s ER. After waiting 6 hours for various tests (CT, labs, COVID, flu, RSV) with her dad, she was transferred by ambulance to CHOA for a direct admission (hospital lingo for not having to go through the ER to be admitted). We swapped off at 1am and she settled in around 2am, where she promptly went to sleep and I was completely awake and watching her labored breathing and occasional painful coughing until 5am.
She has pneumonia. They also think she is at the beginning of being septic. She has a probable UTI, painful cough, still not great breathing stats. Her kidney function sucks more than usual, so that’s still not fun. Her very favorite doctors who know her and her situation the best are involved – one last night on call and one today on the floor who we shall see soon. She’s on round-the-clock on a super strong cocktail of three IV antibiotics and good pain meds and we are hopeful things will turn around soon, as she is in a lot of pain right now. It’s super sad, as you might imagine.
Maybe it’s because of her medical life, or maybe it’s just how Q is and would have been without a couple of diseases, but she has always had an unbelievable tolerance for pain so for her to be at level 10 pain is bad, bad. Her level 10 is mine and your level 15. All of that is to say she could use your good thoughts and prayers. *posted with permission because A) duh and B ) I’m not stupid** as I mentioned last week, what we have going on is a lot and well, this is a lot more of that
