RSV & Pneumonia, Oh My!

Yes, we have a house full of sickies. Raegan was first with bronchitis. Brooklyn soon followed with RSV and pneumonia. What a roller coaster week it has been! Sunday morning we decided to take Brooklyn in after repeated breathing treatments weren't helping with her wheezing, coughing & listless behavior. We got word - through the NICU - that Brooke was diagnosed with RSV. We were NOT happy that ER never told us that she had RSV but that's a story for another day.

RSV is a rather mild illness in older children and adults that usually presents itself as a cold. In younger children, however, it can be a bit more severe with pneumonia often following (as in Brooke's case). With premature infants, especially those with chronic lung disease like the twins, it can be frightening. Because I had been exposed to it, I had to wear a mask and gown in order to hold the boys and was able to come in to the NICU as long as I wasn't showing any cold symptoms. Monday, it hit me and I was in bed all afternoon. This meant that I couldn't come in to see the boys. I was devastated. I called the NICU that night to let them know I wasn't going to be coming in and to check up on the boys. Both were doing great and were not showing signs of RSV despite my holding them that Sunday before Brooke's diagnosis. Such a praise.

By Tuesday I was feeling much better. I called and spoke with Jenni (NP) to see what the incubation period was for RSV so that I knew when I could return and what the protocol would be at that point. The doctors had decided that I could come in and interact with the twins once my cold symptoms went away as long as I wore a mask, gloves and a gown. Brooklyn was beginning to show signs of feeling better by this point. She still has a nasty cough but the high fever and listlessness were gone. I was still leery of being in close contact with the boys so I kept my visit to the NICU very brief and avoided contact with them.

Brooklyn has continued to improve and has gone from needing the nebulizer every 4-6 hours to only needing it once a day; usually in the morning. I called the NICU this afternoon to see how the boys had done the previous night and learned that Ashley (OT) would be sitting down with Grant tonight and provided he was alert, would attempt his first bottle feeding. What a praise it was to get that news!! Bryce has been attempting bottle feeds for about a week but Grant has not shown any signs of interest until the past few days.

This evening I headed to the NICU for their 8/9 pm feeds. After a thorough scrubbing, I grabbed mask & gown and headed to their bedside. How big they've gotten!! Bryce is now 5 lbs even and Grant is 1 oz short of 5 lbs. They look like normal newborns at this point! Ashley sat down with Grant to see how he'd do with the bottle and he took 10 mls; 1/4 of his full feeds! What a blessing! While Ashley fed Grant she asked me if I planned on breastfeeding. As soon as I get the clear as far as RSV is concerned, I can attempt nursing Bryce since he does so well on the bottle! That made my day! I talked again with Jenni about the incubation period and they're going to call the CDC to find out the incubation time for RSV so we know how long I need to stay suited up. God-willing, that time will fly. The next time I am cleared to do skin-to-skin with the boys, I will be able to nurse my baby boy for the first time, provided he is alert for the feeding! What a blessing!!

Please pray that the illness that has shrouded our home leaves quickly, that Bryce does well at the breast and that Grant and Bryce both continue to improve on the bottle. We have come so far in the past 8 weeks. God-willing, we will be able to bring these precious boys home where they belong in the next 4-6 weeks!!