RSV??? Seriously???

Carter and I both started showing some cold symptoms the Saturday after Christmas, but as last week progressed, I got better and he's been getting worse. Over the New Year weekend, his cough got very deep, "junky" and he developed a wheeze. He's eating well, and plays like usual, but he gets out of breath very easily (just from reading a book or playing with blocks) and has terrible coughing spells that often lead to vomiting. He had a coughing fit one night while he was sleeping that really scared me.

We took him to his Pediatrician this morning who confirmed that he does have RSV/Bronchiolitis. Because of his Chronic Lung Disease, this is a terrifying diagnosis (if you click on the link above, C's lungs are much like those of a premature infant in the diagrams). Luckily, C's case is not severe enough to warrant a hospitalization, and we're praying it won't turn severe. We know that children can decompensate very quickly, so we're keeping a very close eye on him and are prepared to take off toward Duke if we need to.

We've had several people very surprised that C has RSV since he gets Synagis every 28 days. I think it's very important for parents to remember that Synagis does not prevent RSV like the chicken-pox vaccine. Synagis actually provides antibodies to help prevent RSV infections from becoming serious ~ it just helps kiddos to fight off an RSV infection. These antibodies only last for 28 days, which is why C has to get a repeat shot each month. For more information, please ask your Doctor and read the Synagis website. So, C can still catch RSV, but it is the hope that Synagis helps keep it from becoming serious.

C actually recieved his RSV shot last week, so we hope that is helping him fight off this infection and keep him out of the hospital.

I also want to ask that keep Mercy Grace in your thoughts. She was C's ECMO roommate and they were discharged from Duke on the same day (see Carter's Story for a picture). She has been fighting off an RSV/Bronchiolitis infection and was being rushed to the hospital via ambulance this morning for breathing complications resulting from the RSV.

I'll update you as soon as I have any news on MG or C.