Tenley Update

I know some of you know - but others won't:
We took Tenley to the emergency room on Wednesday the 1st because she was in respiratory distress: her lips and face were blue, she wasn't eating and she was lethargic.

It was probably the scariest day of my parenthood so far.

It was determined that she was likely in an acute phase of some virus - although meningitis was not able to be ruled out due to her symptoms.

They immediately (as immediately as they can with a less-than-one-month-old) started a scalp IV and placed her on a heart monitor. The monitor indicated that, yes, she was not well saturated with oxygen and she was also experiencing multiple episodes of bradycardia - a slow heart-rate. When they tried to get her to nurse, she turned blue and her heart rate dropped below 60. In a baby that young, they get worried with anything below 90 - so it was determined that she was probably so full of 'something' she wasn't connecting the suck/swallow reflex. They gave an 'npo' order (no oral intake) until further notice.

The long and the short is that Kurt and Peyton headed back to Leask while Tenley and I headed upstairs to the pediatric isolation unit.

The doctor we talked to seemed to be fairly confident it was a virus: but with that possiblity of meningitis they wanted to do a lumbar puncture... that thought of which put me into tears. She was such a trooper with the blood draws (twice!) and the two unsuccessful IV pokes (they tried her hands first) and the successful start, plus two catheterizations for urinalysis - but I knew the LP would be horrible. However, due to her heart rate dropping so severely when she tried to nurse, they weren't willing to risk stressing her more with a LP that night and opted to hit her with three broad-spectrum antibiotics 'just in case'. I was more than okay with it.

Fast forward: it took just under 72 hours - but her nasal swabs came back positive for para-influenza (a virus) and her blood and urine cultures were negative by Saturday afternoon. The antibiotics were overkill (don't need them for viral infections) but at the time it was the best course in case it was a meningeal infection. The biggest difference probably was the 48-plus hours of IV fluids... I'm thankful to live in 2010, if you know what I mean!

I've shed a lot of tears over the past few days: my goal during everything was to trust God with my precious gift - and know He would take care of me. But it has been a battle. I'm exhausted from the days and nights at the hospital - plus the emotional strain of being on the pediatrics unit...

... but we're home and she's doing well.
She's snuffly, but alert and hydrated and eating like crazy. Praise God.

For everyone who knew and prayed - not to mention those who extended offers of help! - thank you. For the rest of you: sorry for the delay in information - but things are good now.

Please pray for continued healing for Tenley, wisdom for me as I observe her - and thank God that He has let us keep her for a while longer. I'm worn out - but very, very thankful.

Goodnight for now from the Manz house. :)