Move Over Matterhorn...

I tell ya, Disney's best roller coasters have nothin' on our last 24 hours.

Remember last night's post... about Kean being happy and ready for today?

Forget that!

Two hours after I put him to bed, he woke up wheezing.

I gave him a breathing treatment and he seemed a bit better.

He went to sleep.

I stayed awake.

Listening and tensing over every cough and wheeze.

He woke up again a little after two.

and let's just say it wasn't pretty.

Neither was I, as I ran out the door sans hair combed or teeth brushed.

This is what he looked like in the Emergency Room.

 Several hours later and after a breathing treatment and a steroid shot to the thigh (which he hated),

the E.R. docs told us it was the 4th case of Croup they'd seen that night.

We got home at 5 a.m., slept for a few hours before heading downtown to the hospital (yes, they still wanted to see him).

 I have to say, I was amazed at how well the treatment in the ER worked on his breathing.

He sounded and even acted like a different child, albeit, a grouchy one.

 My dear friend, Calene Borup was today's date.

And somehow, in my lack of sleep stupor, I forgot to get a picture of her with Kean--
I even missed what would have been an award winner, I'm sure...

when Calene and Kim (one of the Child Life Specialists at the Cancer Center)

sang and danced the Chicken Dance to keep Kean entertained during blood draws.

So are you sitting down?

Remember how his counts last week were at 650 (and needed to be at 750)?

Today's counts blew us out the door. They came in over 5000.

No, that's not a typo.  Over 5 Thousand!

The doc said he got a boost from the steroid shot in the E.R.... but geez, that was quite a boost.

They sent us over to the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and had a couple of the

doctors evaluate him.  They determined even with the Croup, it was worth taking the

chance for complications and getting the Chemo into his body.

The doctor on the left, I only know as Derek.  I like to think of him as Dr. Surfer.

Anyway, he's the Intensivist who oversees Kean going under and out.

On the right, is Dr. Hansen, one of Kean's Pediatric Oncologists.

Love these guys.

 They said Kean handled the Propofol (Michael Jackson drug) without any problems.

But geez, did he struggle once he finally woke up.

His Oxygen levels were consistently on the low side, so they finally admitted us to

the hospital,

Cringe.

I didn't freak out too much (mostly because I was just to darn bone tired).

But also because, my gut told me he'd be fine in a few hours.

And sure enough, shortly after Calene left with my car and headed home, Kean's

Oxygen levels climbed and stayed at normal levels.

Thankfully, Calene (who also has earned her sainthood position at the Vatican)

came back and got us.

I won't bore you with the hours and hours of crying Keanut logged today and most of the night in the E.R.

I'll just say we are both going to bed early tonight.

But I will be going to bed with a smile on my face.

Greer decided to surprise her dad and make him a special lunch for tomorrow.

Check out what she wrote on his lunch bag.

Love sure soothes even the tiredest of souls.