PICU time

During our stay in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) at Primary Children's, Robyn had 2 Echo Cardiograms, 2 IV's, a PIC line, a blood transfusion, meetings with with the Cardiology team daily, a one-on-one nurse, and lots of special one-on-one care. We had great nurses and doctors who tried to be her friend, but she wasn't having it.

Because we don't know what has caused her to go into heart failure, she is under precautions. Which means that all Doctors / Nurses / Medical personnel have to wear a yellow protective coat and a mask and she wasn't allowed to leave her room. So all Echo's were done in her room. All labs were done in her room. Her PIC Line was done in her room - well, the first try, anyway! It didn't work the first try, so they took her to a sterile room to do it thru Xray.

They did lots of blood work and lots of labs. From tests on her mucus (yep, booger tests) to blood tests. The only 'virus' that came back positive was for the Common Cold. They don't believe that the Common Cold is the cause for her to go into Heart Failure, so there was probably something else some time ago that is just now bringing her down now that she has a cold.

We had one nurse for 3 nights in a row. Her name is Cindy and Robyn actually started warming up to her by the time we were transferred off the ICU floor and on to the Surgery floor. She was great. She gave Robyn a sponge bath, did her hair in piggy tails, put her in PJs, took out one of the IVs, fed her and just loved on her while we were there. Seriously, I love this lady.

Several of the other nurses would come back in to check on her when they were assigned to other patients. Even nurses that were never assigned to us would pop their heads in to see 'the polite and cute girl with the heart problems that talks really well for her age'. :) She got a reputation on the floor for saying 'See ya' and 'Thank You' after people left the room - even after they poked her. But she also got the reputation of the girl who would scream, cry and fight you just for walking in the room in a yellow coat and mask. Yep. She's a fighter. A fighter who's going to hate the color yellow...

I also think that everyone knows who Archer is now. Robyn kept asking for Archer and blaming him for making her hurt. She'd point to the IVs, PIC Line, her 'red toe', the blood pressure cuff, anything - and say 'Arsher hurt me'. Poor Archer. He's her hero and now he's also the person she blames for everything. She's learning early! Blame it on someone else.

We also met a few other families that are dealing with the scary PICU. There is a family of a little 7 year old girl who is on her 22nd Heart Surgery. Twice while we have been here they have had the scariest thing happen. They've been told that they think 'this is it, come say your goodbyes'. Both times she has pulled thru. :) There was a 13 year old boy who was riding 4 wheelers with his cousins and grandpa. The 4 wheeler rolled over on top of him and punctured a lung, broke some ribs, broke his wrist and other not fun and serious things. But he was okay. There is a family who's 9 month old daughter has been sedated for most of her time here (came in the same day as us and is still here). She can't breathe on her own. One of her lungs has collapsed. They don't know what is going on and why she won't stabilize. We've kept each other updated on our baby girls conditions...

Honestly, for such a scary experience, it was a good one. We had great doctors and nurses and techs and everyone. I just loved the PICU people. Never once did they make me feel bad or ashamed that we're doing all of this **GULP** without insurance. Instead, they would say "Don't worry about that right now, let's just get her better" and "You know, there are a lot of people who will help you out and just don't think about it". Not once did they make me feel bad for having to leave the second night because I was so freaked out by all of this that I made myself sick. In fact, they made me feel like I did the right thing!

I wouldn't want anyone to have to go thru this experience, though many have. It is scary and sad and horrible. But you know, you learn. You will make it. And things will be okay.