LittleConroy.com

C-O-U-G-H

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:26:22 +0000

February 27, 2007

Poor Quinn is sick again. This time he has an ear infection, but his coughing and wheezing are getting worse. I feel so bad for him. I hear him coughing in his bed right now and wish I could cough for him. He has no idea what is going on and I know this coughing is hurting him. He went to the doctor yesterday and has a follow up a week from now. He may be in sooner. Hopefully, it doesn’t mean a return trip to the hospital. Poor little man.

He didn’t go to daycare today because of his illness. However, he did leave the house to call his first game of bingo.

Work sponsors a senior citizens fair every year and our role is calling bingo. These people do not mess around, so you have to be on top of your game. Quinn wasn’t much help, but he seemed to enjoy himself.

This first thing they teach you in broadcast journalism is you can’t eat the microphone. (That’s what they teach at Syracuse anyway. Jenny didn’t say what they taught at Missouri.) Quinn was trying to get it in his mouth the entire time. It’s not a pretty sound.

Neither is Quinn’s coughing. Hopefully it goes away soon.

TJC

Back To Normal

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:25:58 +0000

February 20, 2007

Things are back to normal on Silver Fox Drive. Quinn is doing well and Jenny and I are healing too. Quinn is laughing a lot lately. The past two days when I’ve gone to pick him up Kristie or one of her daughters tells me, “Quinn was laughing the whole time.” It is very funny.

He is also sitting up well. He isn’t 100%, but who really is.

Since he has more energy he is using his bouncie again. Quinn loves this thing and we love watching him in it. We bought a new video camera (tapeless) and here is our first video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh8vkMjYTy4

He can go for a long time.

TJC

Re-entering Society

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:25:12 +0000

February 19, 2007

Today is the day Quinn re-enters society and heads to back to daycare. It is something everyone is looking forward to, especially Quinn because he can see his peeps again. Some of them are recovering from RSV. (I wonder where they got it from?)

We went to the mall on Saturday night to get Quinn some new clothes and his mom some make-up. He saw Kristie, who runs daycare, and got some nice stuff. When we were in one store there was some awkwardness with the clerk.

She stopped and said, “Let me guess a girl?”

Jenny replied, “No, he’s a boy.”

Once again mistaken for the fairer sex. He gets girl more than he should. Oh well, someone could mistake him for an animal I guess. Then you know your baby isn’t cute.

On Sunday we cleaned him up.

Quinn is usually a bath man, but if the timing is right he takes a shower. I let him use my ducky. Quinn is very calm when he gets wet, which is good because he is a slippery little devil.

Afterward, Jenny decided it was time to style his hair. She got some product and a brush the size of his head and went to work.

She created a baby nerd.

She says it looks like he is from the 1950′s. Maybe his grandparents dressed like this when they were babies.

Fifty some odd years later some of them have the same amount of hair. Quinn doesn’t quite have enough for a proper doo.

He looks better in this picture with his nana the night before she left after a week of helping us get Quinn healthy.

Not quite a nerd baby there.

Back to society today!

TJC

Rehab Recap

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:24:58 +0000

February 14, 2007

We started the day with one of the shortest posts ever, but we’re finishing the day with one of the longest posts ever. It’s the recap of our week in the hospital.

This all started Super Bowl Sunday when Quinn was being fussy. We blamed it on teething and of course were wrong. It was in fact RSV and the next day Quinn went to the doctor. He was sent home with instructions to stay home. The physician’s assistant said Quinn probably had RSV. Well, later in the day Quinn was taking 95 breaths a minute when he was supposed to be taking 45. Jenny read a book and found out that was bad. We called my mom, a nurse, and she said take him back. We saw another doctor and she sent him to Rogue Valley Medical Center’s pediatric unit.

Quinn was so sick and hungry, but the doctor wouldn’t let him eat because he might choke due to his breathing.

He was so miserable. It didn’t help when he got an IV put in. Jenny and I were crying watching him wail in pain. The IV kept him hydrated, but Quinn didn’t get a full feeling from it.

Quinn got some sleep in this shot, but no one got much Monday night. Jenny and I stayed with him on a horribly uncomfortable cot in a very tiny room. The poor guy was constantly up with nurses and respiratory therapists giving him breathing treatments to open his lungs.

A fine mist came out Quinn could breathe in. If you notice the RT is wearing a mask and tarp. Everyone who entered the room (besides Jenny & I) had to have them on. There was a sign on the door that said so.

It’s a proud moment for a parent when you child gets his first “Droplet Precautions” sign.

Quinn was feeling better by morning and was discharged.

Little did we know it was about to get worse. After going to get a nebulizer and Quinn’s prescription we arrived home. I gave him a treatment, but he was still breathing fast.

I called the doctor and they said take him to the emergency room. So we headed back to RVMC.

Quinn wowed the staff with his physique. I was expecting a young intern to mistake him for Dr. McDreamy, but it didn’t happen. He got another treatment and was admitted back to the hospital. At this point he was really starting to deteriorate.

I think that picture tells you how he was feeling. Quinn was put on oxygen and got some more treatments.

This time we were put in a big room.

This room was big and we got two beds as well as a nice chair. I had no idea we would be in it for the next six nights.

Jenny and I would stay over each night. I would go into work some mornings and Jenny somehow made it in for her normal shift. We spent a lot of time in the seat watching TV.

Did you hear Anna Nicole Smith died?

Quinn’s breathing treatments got him riled up and that wasn’t good. He would be so tired, but couldn’t fall asleep. For about four hours a night we would hold him until he fell asleep.

He would usually wake-up an hour later for another treatment. It was a terrible cycle.

After a few days Quinn started getting better. The toys may have helped. Besides the ones we brought in from home the nursing staff gave him some.

His favorite was the piano.

He started working on his first symphony in here and it is impressive.

Over the weekend they gave him a hospital-issued exer-saucer.

He would get tired quickly, but he enjoyed it. It had springs so he could bounce. It also had plenty of things to gnaw on.

I hope they disinfected it.

On Sunday Quinn was taken off oxygen, but when he slept his oxygen saturation would drop to unhealthy levels. That forced the nurse to rig up a device using lamb, cup and tubing. She was like MacGyver. She turned the oxygen up and Quinn’s saturation levels rose.

You can see the cup under the sheep.

Quinn also got the luxury of getting spot-checked for saturation, so we could unplug him. He moved to the comfy chair and looked out the window.

He enjoyed this.

By Sunday we were pretty sure we were going home Monday. No one in the medical field seemed very optimistic any other day, but Quinn was wireless (for the third time in his life, second in a week) and doing well. He was also in steroids, so that couldn’t hurt.

Monday we got the good news. Quinn was free!

We were on our way home.

My mom arrived Tuesday to help us get back to normal.

Quinn likes his nurse and getting his treatments at home. We like it too.

TJC

First Valentine’s Day

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:24:28 +0000

February 14, 2007

Happy Valentine’s Day from our little cupid!

…and we’re back.

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:24:06 +0000

February 12, 2007

My fellow blog readers, our long national nightmare is over. Quinn is now home.

He was discarged from RVMC late this morning and is settling into his home now. (It feels like we’ve done this before.)

He goes back to the doctor Tuesday and is still on ‘roids, but he is in a lot better shape than he was a week ago. Now Jenny and I are the ones that are sick.

We’ll took a lot of pictures, so we’ll do a longer post tomomorrow. Plus my mom is coming into town to help us out. That will be nice.

TJC

Still Here

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:23:10 +0000

February 10, 2007

Quinn is still in the hospital. He is now a smiling baby boy, but he is also coughing a lot, wheezing and not absorbing enough oxygen.

That is what is keeping us in room 1160. Today the nurse brought in an exer-saucer for Quinn to play in, but he doesn’t last very long. He is so tired, he just doesn’t have it in him. Another nurse brought him a piano, so he is working on his first symphony. What he has thus far is fantastic.

Tonight is the big test. If Quinn can sleep though the night with his oxygen turned off and keep his levels above 92% we can leave. For some reason I don’t see that happening. I hope I am wrong.

TJC

Day 7

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:22:48 +0000

February 11, 2007

We have been in the hospital a week now, but we think we might be close to busting out! The doctor this morning told us Quinn’s oxygen saturation levels would probably be low for another week or two, so he might just let us go home since Quinn seems to be feeling pretty well. He is still a smiling little guy. One nurse told us he is the happiest sick baby she has ever seen. The doctor also decided to put Quinner on steroids. We expect baby home run records to start falling soon. He had his first dose this morning. That should help the inflammation go down in his lungs, so he can breathe better.

Quinn is usually a champion sleeper. He often takes up to four naps a day and sleeps 10 hours a night. But, since we have been in the hospital, he has not slept much at all. He is often up till midnight and cries a lot late at night. They informed us today that his breathing treatments act like a stimulant, and the steroids will do the same thing. That’s a mean trick. The nruse did tell us that they have improved the breathing treatments. She said they used to be much worse, and some children would be literally running around in circles. I think if you are going to be giving sick children stimulants, you should at least give the same courtesy to their exhausted parents.

We have come to a number of realizations while trapped in the hospital. Tim thinks the french toast in fantastic. I am partial to the grilled cheese and have gotten it four times. You have to go downstairs to get decent coffee. And, we have a a number of disagreements over the TV. Tim wants to watch basketball while I opt for “Platinum Weddings.” We did agree to “Little Miss Sunshine” last night, which was quite enjoyable despite several crying bouts. Also, though 17 pounds babies might not seem big, rocking them for long periods of time produces back pain that ibuprofen can not cure. Quinn gets angry if you sit down with him. He prefers you stand while rocking him. Tim and I are both now battling colds as well which adds another level of enjoyment to the experience! The whole experience makes me amazed at families who have to spend very long periods of time in the hospital. At least this is temporary and we live close by.

So, I am home for a brief break to run and shower. Then I will go back up to the hospital so Tim can leave. Tim has to present a news story tonight. Hopefully, the next time you hear from us we will be back home. The cats would like that!

Tim’s mom Kathy is coming out to help us next week since Quinn will still be contagious and not ready for day care. We are pretty lucky to be able to have a nurse to look after him!

Thank you again for your good wishes for our sick little man!

–JSC

Right back where we started

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:22:27 +0000

February 5, 2007

Today is Quinn’s nine-month birthday and he is spending it where it all began in the Rogue Valley Medical Center. Although this time he is in the pediatric unit and not the NICU.

Our little guy went to the doctor twice today and the second time he wasn’t allowed to go home. Quinn was breathing 95 times a minute where the normal range is 40-45, he had a 102.8 temperature and was wheezing. Some medicine for his lungs didn’t calm him down so to the hospital he went.

He is doing well. Quinn is finally sleeping after going ten hours without eating! The doctor wouldn’t let him eat because he could choke. That’s how fast he was breathing.

Now he has an IV (thankfully not in his head this time) and his oxygen and heart rate are being monitored. He has some respiratory therapy in a couple of hours.

Hopefully, it is only a one-night stay.

TJC

Super Bowl Weekend

littleconroy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:22:10 +0000

February 4, 2007

Super Bowl XLI is in the books and Peyton Manning can join the ranks of Jim Boehim and Roy Williams (besides countless others) of finally winning the big game. We watched as a family and one of us watched as Brett Favre.

He went as Favre because Favre is coming back, and because if he went as Tom Brady he would have been seen as a sore loser. We don’t need that.

Like Rex Grossman, Quinn had a tough day. At times he would be watching the game with us enjoying a good play.

But at other times he would be a crying mess, and we couldn’t fix it. We began to think it might be his teeth poking through, but we couldn’t find any. We haven’t used teething as an excuse for awhile, but months ago that was the answer to everything. I guess it happens a lot because Dr. Spock agrees:

Fortunately, we bought Quinn a new snack at the store today.

These came in very handy. Quinn had two!

They made him very happy. They also made him very messy.

It was everywhere. There isn’t a bib in the world big enough to contain the mess these things made. It is okay, because they made him very happy.

He is asleep now. Quinn has been asleep a lot this weekend. He doesn’t have a fever, but he has something going on in there. We can use teething as an excuse, but I doubt it is that.

One of the nice things about Oregon is Pacific Time. The game was over by 7:00 and we watched Criminal Minds. We watched it last year, but haven’t watched this year until tonight. It was a good episode, plus there was a cat very similar to Maddie in it. Because Abby didn’t have a likeness on TV tonight here is a shot of what she was doing during the game.

Here are the rest of the pictures from the weekend:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_jenny/sets/72157594518579691/

For the past two years Jenny has been the emcee for the local “Go Red for Women” event in Southern Oregon. Work is a sponsor and on Friday everyone wore red. Our family did as well.

People may have wondered why we were so coordinated, but it was for a good reason. To learn more about the event and heart disease head here:

http://www.goredforwomen.org/

TJC