On Friday Jan 21 Asher started this weird little cough, and I thought to myself "This is NOT good". We had all been sick and I knew in my heart he was coming down with something too. Then late, late Saturday night he was congested and working hard to breathe. He also began this wheezing noise. Being the neurotic NICU nurse I got out my stethoscope and began my assessment. His lungs sounded clear. It was all in his nasal passage. But being a mom I was worried. I told Matt I couldn't go to sleep until I took him to the ER to make sure I was doing the right thing. So off Asher and I went to the ER. They told me it was just congestion and continue to watch him. Sunday night I slept by his bed because I was so worried. He got worse and worse. He quite eating (VERY unlike him.) , He was working harder, and he just didn't look like my little man. I knew he was getting bad. I only had a few hours until the Ped's office opened (whom I trust more than anyone.) I just stayed by his side praying for him and watching him VERY closely. I did my morning devotion during this time. The verse God gave me that morning was - Isaiah 43:1 " But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Isreal, the one who formed you says, " Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine." Right then I began inserting Asher's name in that verse. The Lord reminded me that HE created Asher and Asher was in HIS hands.
When we got to the Ped's. office his oxygen saturations had began to drop. They put him on oxygen immediately and then gave him a treatment. We then took a little trip over to Saint Francis Medical Center (some of the best Peds nurses ever!!!) He seemed to be doing okay. They kept telling us that he would get worse and the worse day would be day 4-5 (He was on day 3).
Late Monday night (Jan 24), he got really bad. They were giving him as much oxygen as they could. They couldn't get an IV because he was so dehydrated, and he was no longer responding to the breathing treatments. As a nurse I knew that Asher was really bad. As a parent I knew Asher was really sick because our nurse was scared. They then told us he HAD to be transported out to Memorial Hospital because they could no longer care for him on the Ped's floor. He needed to be in ICU. I honestly was praying that God would not take Asher from us. My faith began to weaver a bit. But I kept praying and praying.
The transport team arrived. They couldn't get an IV either (and these are the best of the best nurses.) They had to do an I/O (they stick the IV into the leg bone.) They began giving him breathing treatment after breathing treatment.
When we got to Memorial the nurse told me that the I/O had infiltrated in the ambulance. So we had NO IV access. I asked them what their plan was because little Asher had been tortured. His breathing had calmed down considerably and they allowed me to feed him with a bottle and he ate a little. They told us that as long as his breathing didn't increase again and he would eat we could feed him, and they would NOT have to give him another IV.
Tuesday morning, Asher was a different baby. They were weaning his oxygen, he never had to get an IV because he was eating a little, and he began responding to the breathing treatments again. That morning Jen Allison shared with us this verse - Psalm 116:1-2 I love the LOR because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath." Those verses meant a lot. The God moment is - Asher never got any worse. In fact, from that point on he got better!
Asher has now been home a week and is still on oxygen but doing GREAT!!! His verses (Jer 17:7-8) were brought to our mind time after time. God again showed His faithfulness. It has taken some hard situations but the LORD is teaching me a lot about trusting in the hard times. Thank you Lord for healing our son. I know he is going to do great things for YOU.
