Update on Demetrius

I wanted to do a quick update on here since I know a lot of people have heard about Demetrius' hospitalization!

Most of us came down with a cold on the way out, no big deal, just an annoying cough. But Tuesday afternoon Demetrius came running up the hill, carrying a bike, with that wheezing, croup type sound. I immediately put him in the van, and off we went to the hospital. I knew he needed a breathing treatment, and probably a perscription of sterroids. Most moms are familiar with that croup sound...

Well while we were at the hospital he took a turn for the worse, (turns out there is two kinds of croup, bacterial and viral. Viral is very common and is a slower forming illness. He had bacterial, it is much stronger and happens much more quickly.) and after several breathing treatments, oral, and IV sterroids, and a chest x-ray they decided we needed to be ambulanced to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. (They wanted to air ambulance him, but I had this growing feeling that Colorado Medicaid might not cover this whole ordeal, and a helicopter sounded expensive, so we took the good-old-fashioned four wheeled ambulance.)

Watching him get wheeled onto an ambulance, and seeing the city flash by me from the back was pretty surreal. When we arrived at Children's he was given several other breathing treatments and intravenus sterroids and fluids. He eventually ended up getting bagged for a bit before they could finally stop the swelling of his airway. Around 4 am we were admitted to our room in the ICU and there we slept, of and on for a few hours. After about 20 hours of being in the hospital, he was released. David said, "Croup is so weird, it's like, Ooops, he almost died. And then we went home, with no antibiotics or anything!"

He seems to be okay, although regular breathing treatments might be necessary. Today he was running around the farm, eating EVERYthing in site, and punching the dogs:) Apparently the sterroids have left him ravennous, and a bit aggresive! They have also left him extremely jittery, unable to sleep, constant bloody noses, and very clumsy... But if you ask him how he's doing he says, "I'm a little sick." in a high squeaky voice, as he runs after the last cousin!

So although possibly the scarriest night of MY life, he seems to be just fine. And honestly, the rest of our trip has been very relaxing and fun. So we are going to stay an extra day, to give him time to continue to heal... and hopefully a couple nights of sleep for us before we hit the road again!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers, good wishes, and practical help. We have the best friends and family around!