MARCH 2007 (Faith will be 2 in a few days!):
I can't believe we are at the end of March!! It just doesn't seem
possible! This year is flying by and before we know it June will be here!! The last few months have been fairly calm until
this month!!
Faith had done so well between her last hospital stay in December
and this month. We were very careful about not getting her out of the house unless it was absolutely necessary, which was
all of 5 or 6 times!! Unfortunately this wasn't her month.
On Thursday March 8th she woke up and was not herself. She was
having a hard time breathing and I kept having to increase her oxygen but she wouldn't maintain her saturation levels. Her
02 sats were low and her heartrate was high as was her respiratory rate. I recognized her symptoms and knew she had pneumonia
again. I called the doctor who started the ball rolling at the hospital so that we could be a direct admit, which they did!
Once on the peds floor the doctor came in and took a look at her. She was on 100% oxygen and still dropping her sats. Her
heartrate was jumping up into the 180's and her little chest was heaving just trying to breath. The doctor talked to us and
said that we needed to decide on whether or not to sign a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order. He explained that today was the
day to decide because depending on what we did his direction of treatment would change. If we did NOT sign it, they would
probably put her on a ventilator but if we did sign it they would just treat her with antibiotics, oxygen, and breathing treatments.
We've been told several times that we needed to think about whether we wanted to sign one or not but this was the first time
we were told they needed a decision then. He gave us a few minutes to take a walk, talk and pray about what to do.
After talking, praying, and calling daddy, we went back upstairs
and told him we would sign it. We decided that we will never put her through more trauma than necessary. She has fought too
hard and taught us too much to have her life maintained by man's power and machinery. We felt she deserves better than that,
and deserves to be whole and run into Jesus' arms when the time comes. It was the most difficult decision we've ever had to
make. There was a finality about it that cannot be explained. Once signed it went into her file and she'll get a special bracelet
anytime she's in the hospital/ER that signals that she's a "no code". I feel for any parent that ever has to face that decision
for their child or any loved one. It's a horrible responsibility and it tore my heart out. The only (small) comfort were the
words of my dad who told us, "there's a difference between preserving life and prolonging death." He's faced this type of
decision with families during his years of ministry and his words are so true. Chris said he couldn't imagine bringing her
home on a ventilator, "it just wouldn't be her". HOWEVER......as we all know, our little angel is a fighter!!!!!!!!!!
On Friday her sats were improving though she was still on
100% oxygen. She looked better and the several antibiotics they'd started her on seemed to be working. Her doctor was impressed
with her improvement and very encouraged. By Friday the 02 mask was gone and she was on nasal canulas!!! She continued to
improve as the pneumonia, again in the left lung, began to clear up. She caught a bit of the rotovirus and fought that off
as well. We were finally able to come hom on March 17th.
She is doing so much better though the last couple of days she's
been congested. We've been hit with the begining of spring time and pollen is rearing it's ugly head!! Her little allergies
are giving her fits because of it! Other than that she is doing so so well!!! She's a trooper and never ceases to
amaze us!!!
Chris and I are doing great and the pregnancy is going well. I'm
very ready for June to be here and can't wait until they set a c-section date!!! While Faith was in the hospital we had an
ultrasound done and found out that we are eagerly expecting another little princess!!! We also had a 3D ultrasound done for
my birthday and it's amazing how much "Abigail Grace" looks like her big sister!!! We can't wait!!
