Overnight Hospital Stay, New Floors, Tornado, and a Crazy School Schedule

  • Post category:Hospital / House
  • Reading time:5 mins read

Overnight Hospital Stay

On the morning of August 15th, Stacy gave him his morning percussion vest treatment before breakfast. Nothing abnormal there; it’s part of his usual morning routine. What wasn’t normal, was what happened after the vest treatment. He became very juicy and was struggling to breathe. His heart rate increased dramatically, and his oxygen levels dipped. I mean really dipped. Down into the 30s! James started turning blue, his eyes got really big, and I started freaking out a bit. Okay, A LOT! Stacy remained calm, put some oxygen on him, suctioned, and gave him his morning nebulizer treatment. After that, he started to calm down and his numbers (heart rate and oxygen) started to return to normal. No idea what that was about, but we always joke that James likes to keep us on our toes. Not funny this time James!

We thought that it was just a freak thing and that was the end of it. Nope. James decided to spike a fever of 101 two days later. (Remember, always keeping us on our toes.) Stacy gave him some Motrin, which brought down the fever and he was back to normal when he went to bed that night.

The following morning James was still seemingly normal, but Stacy decided to call the pediatrician to update him on the preceding few days. He recommended we go to the ER to get a chest x-ray to make sure there wasn’t any infection or pneumonia causing all of these respiratory issues. We hated to admit it, but he was right. James has had more respiratory issues than normal since the lockdowns began back in March. And then with the fever, that’s usually one of James’ telltale signs that he has pneumonia.

We tried so hard to avoid it, but we knew it was time to take James to the hospital to get checked out. We have nothing against hospitals, but with covid flying around, and the numbers getting worse by the day, the hospital was the last place we wanted to take James. We just didn’t want him (or any of us) to get covid. James is a pro when it comes to tackling pneumonia, but we don’t want to put him in the ring with coronavirus. We’re not sure if he’d win that fight.

Of course, they saw something that looked “suspicious” in his left lung on the x-ray and wanted to admit him.

 

James lies face‑down on a hospital exam bed covered with a disposable sheet and a striped medical blanket. Hehas a nasal oxygen tube and a hospital wristband. Behind the bed sits his wheelchair with attached items, including a colorful cushion and his pulse oximeter. The room has wooden cabinets, a countertop, and standard hospital equipment, creating a clinical setting.
In the ER at the hospital

 

Fortunately, it was only for one night. They thought he was well enough the next morning to be sent home. No complaints from us.

 

James lies on a cushioned recliner in a living room, with medical support equipment nearby, including tubing connected to a machine on the floor. He wears a white shirt with colorful graphics, and a stuffed animal rests on his shoulder. A yellow pillow with cartoon designs sits beside him. In the background, a gray couch holds a red blanket, and a tissue box and small bottle sit on a coffee table. A bright blue border frames the image with colorful text at the top and bottom reading “YAY! HOME SWEET HOME!” The overall scene highlights a comfortable return to a familiar space.
Back home after one night in the hospital

 

It’s been a few days since he’s been home and he’s not showing any abnormal signs that would indicate that he caught covid from his short stay in the hospital, thank God. Stacy and I aren’t showing any symptoms either.

 

 

Birthday Party

James will be turning 11 next weekend, and while we can’t have a normal birthday party for him this year, we couldn’t do nothing. His birthdays have always been a bit of a celebration for making it through another year. With all of his medical struggles, we don’t know how many birthdays he will live to see so we make sure that every single one is special.

We had to cancel last year’s party because he was in the hospital, and this year we can’t have a bunch of people over because of covid. So how can we celebrate James becoming another year older while practicing social distancing? We are having a parade! People will meet at a school a few blocks from our house, and then caravan past our house. They can decorate their cars if they wish, blast music as they pass by, wave, and wish James a Happy Birthday. Keep an eye on James’ Facebook page next weekend for pictures of the parade, and maybe a video.

 

 

Random Happenings

We had to move out for a couple of days during the first week of August to have the flooring replaced in our foyer, kitchen, and dining room (aka Stacy’s office). Stacy’s parents are planning on retiring from the flooring business that’s been in the family since the 1920s and wanted to gift us some new wood floors before they retire. Fortunately, we didn’t have to move too far. Our neighbor was kind enough to let us stay with her. I know, social distancing, right? She has been working from home since March, only goes out for the necessities like food, and didn’t have any covid symptoms, so we figured it was safe.

Thanks mom and dad for the new floors!

 

A four‑photo collage shows different angles of a kitchen with light wood flooring and wooden cabinets. The counters hold various kitchen items, and a white dishwasher and white microwave are visible. Two trash bins sit near an island counter, with storage bins and bags on the floor nearby. A large framed picture and a Route 66 sign hang on the wall above the counter area. The word “Kitchen” appears in bold black stylized text at the bottom of the collage.
Old floor in the pictures on the right; new floor on the left

 

Two photos show the same dining room labeled “Dining room Aka My office.” The top image features light wood flooring, a wooden desk with papers, a chair, and a wooden sideboard against beige and red walls with framed pictures above it. The bottom image shows the room after a flooring update: the furniture has been removed, and a darker wood floor stretches across the space, appearing freshly installed. The two photos create a before‑and‑after view of the room’s renovation.
Old floor in the bottom picture; new floor on the top

 

A couple of days after our flooring was installed and we moved back home, we had a bad storm with a tornado warning. As soon as the tornado sirens started going off, we moved to the only room in the house without any windows…James’ bathroom.

 

James lies on his cushioned recliner on a bathroom floor. Medical tubing and a syringe are positioned near him. Jeff stands close by, wearing a green shirt and gray shorts with orange accents. The bathroom has wooden cabinets, a toilet, and a trash bin visible in the background.
Huddling in the bathroom waiting for the storm to pass

 

There’s nothing like a little family bonding time in the bathroom. Lol. We might have been in there maybe 30 minutes at the most until the storm passed and James could go back to watching TV.

 

James lies in his cushioned recliner on the living‑room floor. A TV mounted on the wall shows a scene with several people dancing. The entertainment center beneath the screen holds framed photos, small decorations, and a toy truck. To the left, a tall shelf is filled with DVDs or video games. A doorway in the background opens into another room with gym equipment. On the coffee table in the foreground sit a book titled “The Water Giver,” a pen, a glass with a syringe, a tissue box, and a small bottle. The scene feels relaxed and lived‑in.
Ater the storm was over, it was back to watching TV

 

That was our past three weeks in a nutshell. Not too much excitement, except for the respiratory issue and turning blue. I could have done without that!

I want to end this post with a question for other parents out there. How does your kid’s school schedule look for the fall? Is it as crazy as James’ schedule? I feel bad that Stacy has to deal with this…and is not getting paid for it.

 

A whiteboard displays a weekly schedule titled “JAMES SCHOOL SCHEDULE,” with columns for Monday through Friday and handwritten time slots listing different school activities. A digital thermostat on the wall beside it shows a temperature of 86°F. Above the board is a small cartoon graphic of a person with glasses and the text “OMG.” The overall scene shows an organized weekly layout in a home or school setting.
James’ Fall School Schedule