until today started. I was doing my normal morning routine with Autumn and gave her a bath. When I took her out of the tub and laid her on the floor some of the condensation from her tubing went into her trach. (at home her tub is higher). She coughed a little and then started turning a little dusky. I walked over and turned on her O2 from her concentrator. She was turning dark blue by then and so I yelled for my mom to come and I was trying to stimulate her. I suctioned her but hardly got anything. I was looking for her oxygen tank to hook the ambu bag to so I could start bagging her since she was unresponsive. The O2 tank was still in the car since we forgot to unload it yesterday. I told mom to yell for James to get the O2. I then had mom get the ambu bag to hook up to the concentrator (forgot I could use that instead of the tank when a crisis is going on). By then James came running in with the tank and we hooked the bag to it and I told mom to call 911. Autumn was just laying there completely lifeless. I really thought we were going to lose her. I remember feeling helpless and trying to run through my mind what else we could do. I got her hooked back up to her pulse ox (it was off because of the bath) while James was bagging her. She started responding immediately and her stats were fine. James breathed for her a couple more times before we put her back in the vent. It crazy that I can not remember any alarms from the vent going off or what we were really saying or doing. She must of been unresponsive for about 2-3 minutes. We suctioned her again and I thought about doing a trach change but was too afraid to lose a good airway since her trach did not seem plugged. We waited a few more minutes just watching her and waiting for the paramedics to get there. They came in and saw she was stable and listened to her lungs...she has fluid on them. Since she was still lethargic we decided to go ahead and have them take her to Children's. So, I had to sit and hold Autumn on the stretcher on the way to the hospital. I get car sick and this was my first time riding in a bumpy ambulance. Just as we got to the hospital I managed to throw up all in the ambulance. *sigh* She started acting better on the ride there and was smiling for me. Anyways, we got her admitted. They did EVERYTHING to her. She got an IV, got a chest x-ray, got blood work, gave a urine sample and secretion sample from her trach. They decided she needed a CT scan and a complete shunt studies done by radiology. So, everything came back normal except the urine sample...they said she had a slight UTI so we got an antibiotic for it. One dr. was concerned about her heart because I guess since she was unresponsive for so long. I told her the only reason it was for as long as it was is because it took us too long to get the ambu tank and O2 tank to her but once we started bagging she came right back. They are not use to how she is and I felt comfortable with seeing how good her stats were and seeing everything coming back that I was ready to go home. One dr. wanted to keep her overnight for observation but her pulmonologist said it was up to us on what we wanted to do. I decided there was nothing more they could that we could not do here at home and felt confident it had nothing to do with her heart. I promised we would call 911 or bring her back if there were any changes. She took a LONG nap at the ER and woke up perfectly normal. She was happy, smiling and finally got to eat. Her stats were even better at the ER than they normally are at home when she's sleeping. So, they finally released us after being there for about 6 hours (which is actually good for all she got done to her in an ER). We got home and I did a trach change and gave her nebulizer meds. She's now sleeping peacefully again. I guess when you quit breathing for a couple of minutes it really wears you out. Autumn really got mommy shaking this morning and SCARED TO DEATH!! I was even trying to suction her but my hands were shaking so much I could barely put the catheter in her trach. When we were waiting for the ambulance I had tears starting to well up while I was holding her and thinking how close I came to loseing her today. Thank you Lord for not taking my daughter away from me. I have learned my lesson though....she would not of been down for so long if I was more prepared. I ALWAYS have her O2 tank with her ambu bag hooked up and ready laying across her bed along with her trachs taped to her bed. I got a little too comfortable and jsut had the ambu bag and trach still in her to go bag and the O2 tank still in the car. After 7 months of never having to be bagged I thought it would be okay but now I know to never get comfortable. Even last night I was going to run and pick up James' meds. I asked mom though if she would do it since if there was an emergency I knew James would be too sick to respond. Mom and I both agreed it would probably be fine but "you never know". That was confirmed today that even just a little condensation in her tubing can cause a big ordeal so I will make sure I never get too comfortable with Autumn. At home I use to take her ambu bag, trachs, and suction machine in every room with her but then started only taking her O2 tank and leaving everything else in her room but mommy was taught an important lesson today. If something would of happened I would feel so guilty that just those little extra things I hate lugging around could be the difference between life and death so now I don't care how annoying they are they will be Autumn's side ALL THE TIME!!!
BTW, today is James' birthday and he's still feeling a little bad...what a horrible 34th birthday but it could of been worse so we are thanking God for our little blessing still sitting here with us.
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