We, the "non-believers", have survived & are back home!!!

Melody came home from the hospital yesterday!!
I am so happy to have her home! The best Valentine's present ever!!! The hospital wasn't terrible but there there terrible moments.
Paramount was the bitter embroiled debate among the doctors and nurses on weather to deep suction babies who have bronchialitis (bronchitis for babies).

It was terrible being in the middle of it all.

When I first got there in January they would ask to deep suction the mucus out of her lungs and I happily oblige. However, ten minutes later she would drop in her blood oxygen level quite dramatically. Time and time again it would happen to where I saw the pattern and started telling them that this would happen so I'd ask them to only suction if it was absolutely necessary. I've come to learn she was "broncho spasming". Her lungs would react to in the invasive procedure by swelling up afterwards. Combine that with the fatigue after her tired, sickness ridden body was screaming her guts out for 3 to 5 minutes and you have a VERY BAD combination.

The last time happened when a very fast talking aggressive doctor (very sure of himself) with a New Jersey accent and slicked back hair working the Emergency Room. He tells me she needs suctioning and I tell him I'm not so sure about it because her oxygen is at 99% and in the past it hasn't helped.
I could feel his demeanor drop as he silently realizes that I've been possibly compromised with mis-information; I'm now a "non-believer".

(To be fair, I'm going off what I remember so these may not be exact quotes nor all that was said, just FYI)

So he says confidently, "Listen, she's a classic bronchialitic and the suctioning has to help. She has to get the mucus out to breathe, end of story. Afterwards we'll evaluate her and probably send you back home."

I said, "Well, I'm concerned about what happens after wards. She just crashes every single time. She also bleeds every other time. I think she is just really reactive."

He changes to more down to earth tone and says , "Don't skewer me, OK, if she does bleed a little, OK, but I telling you she needs it. She needs to get that gunk out to get better."

So I reluctantly put my trust in him and say, "OK".

I NEED to restate here that I AM NOT a DOCTOR! I'm a mom! I don't know all the tiny things that make up the whole of the sickness she is going through. I have a gut feeling and that's it. I had no facts on hand. I had to trust one final time to see truly if it was all in my head. I know that 9 out of 10 I can trust a doctor to be sound in thier advice.

So after the screaming suctioning bit, total amount was like 2 peas, (I have no idea if that's a lot or not.)
We get sent into a common area to wait. She is still hooked to an oxygen line. (and those things are notoriously inaccurate...one kick or wiggle throws them off.) She starts falling, and because the oxygen sensor is notoriously wrong no one cares that I'm yelling for a nurse because the machine is beeping and I can't wake my baby.
She was at 85% And then a Mexican grandma ran to get a nurse after she saw me slapping Melody's face to wake her and it wasn't phasing her.
The nurse came in. She thought for sure it was the sensor so she gets another one, no hurry, and tries it again. 82%, 83%, 82%, Finally she rushes us over to a room and puts Melody on oxygen. My face is red and I'm fuming. I want to know why this always happens but NO ONE gives me answers. They tell me how lungs work, draw diagrams, but NO ONE would tell me why she would crash only WHY she NEEDED the suctioning. What the...??
So because of the suctioning we had to stay 2 nights when before we were just going to go home!!! {Yea we really NEEDED that...like we need another hole in the head!!}

I get up to the 5th floor FINALLY Doctor Cantey excitedly tells me that I was right and that the American Pediatric Association stated (he showed me the article) that you should never suction a bronchialitic baby.
He tells me he is writing on the orders that she have NO suctioning.
Then that night, I fight every other nurse especially a charge nurse named AMY. She tried to tell me it was on the "doctors orders". She said she checked!!! I very politely told her that I knew that was wrong and thankfully the respiratory specialist happened to be there and agreed that there is such a thing as a "broncho spasm". I'm glad she was a "non-believer". She still talked me in circles talking me into a nose suction, to which Melody bled, but did sound much better afterwards.

The next day I hear from another mom that Amy suctioned out her baby and she crashed afterwards buying oxygen and another night in the hospital. I feel so sorry for her. WHEWH! I'm glad I stood my ground and stuck to my guns. The doctor was very angry with her..she was a naughty believer enforcer.

Personally I don't know who's wrong and right. All I have is my personal belief that as for my baby and this sickness we are "non-believers". Who knows what other sicknesses bring and just know I have my facts and my frustrations tempered by understanding that no one is out to get me or my daughter. People just want to help.
Sometimes you draw a side in life with out questioning if it is always right...because maybe it's not or more likely it's somewhere in between.

I also learned to be more friendly. You learn a lot just by being friendly and talking to others waiting for treatments and such. Even the x-ray technician has valuable info to give so ask, ask, ask!!! If it's you or your husband or even your kid you need to know as much as you can!!!

Dealing with sicknesses is like warfare. When you are in the trenches any boy/ tomboy who grew up in the 80's can tell you that:
Knowing is half the battle!
( GI Joe.)