The Health Update

It has been a week.

After I last posted, we were moved to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, where Twin A's bout with RSV proceeded as, I guess, is the usual-- condition worsening until hitting Peak Awful around day 4/5. Our son needed increasing amounts of oxygen support as well as iv fluids to compensate for not being allowed to eat. Our ordinarily bright and cheery child was miserable, lethargic, and sleepy-zombie-ish. Also it turns out he's hard to stick with an iv (and inclined to rip them out if not carefully guarded) and so we were also treated to several rounds of baby-stabbing. We got even less sleep than usual for a few days, which wasn't helpful, either.

CHP is about 90 minutes away from home, so we mostly stayed in the room. Twin B stayed with Aunt and Uncle-- then decided to throw his hat into the ring Thursday by spiking a fever, which turned out to be an ear infection, which is not nothing, but we can deal.

Today, after a couple of days of perking up, Twin A was given his walking papers and we are all back at home.

I'm providing this update because, first, you don't start a story without finishing and, second, I have to acknowledge the huge outpourings of support. Our families helped watch whatever needed to be watched and my mother-in-law the nurse helped interpret and my mother hung a big welcome home banner in our house. But beyond that, all sorts of people we know in Pittsburgh let us know they were available to help, and people-- you reader-type people-- contacted us through comments and messages and emails to offer support. It was kind of amazing and definitely humbling and helpful as well (sooooo many parents have had the RSV experience). 

So we are back at home, attempting to re-establish some routine and holding the babies and generally not leaving the house until it's time to go back to school.

A big thank you to all the people who called and wrote and messaged and just let us know there was a larger community thinking of us. It was and is much appreciated.

Here we are, ready to go

At home at last. The dog is a terrible photobomber.