6 days in chong hua hospital

The last news grandmothers would like to hear: “your grandchild was hospitalized”. It took me hours to think and rethink if I would send her a text message about fender’s situation. Three days ago, I started to notice that fender is coughing frequently; I can’t ignore the pain and hassle it brought him. I had to ask my wife what she thinks about the situation, she was kinda relax about it. Saturday came and the situation got worst, he’s coughing more frequent now, and it even wakes him up from sleep. “I think this is serious, we have to look for a pedia” I told my wife. That afternoon I called our company’s insurance and asked for available doctors, she referred me to a doctor in cebu doctors hospital so I called the office, but to my surprise, they doctor is not available till Monday. So I have to wait 2 more days, I started to feel guilty about fender, I just can’t bear hearing him cough with so much difficulty. Sunday came and I started to panic as fender show’s signs of tiresome coughing. I chatted with our company’s floor coordinator and I told him that I will not be able to report to work Monday since ill be taking my little boy to the pedia. Amazingly, Mark told me that there is a consultation in the Emergency Room of chong hua hospital, so we get dressed and rushed to the hospital. His breathing and heartbeat rate were checked, the doctors asked questions about the cough, fender’s medical records as I tried to answer every question most honestly. A few minutes later, the doctor advised us that fender needs to be admitted to the hospital since heartbeat and breathing rate are above normal. My wife fainted, she didn’t dare watch as the nurse put the needle in fender’s arms, then she cried. Amazingly the baby didn’t even cry. We were then transferred to room 330 where I wondered what will happen next.

1st night (Sept. 7, 2008)
Me and my wife had little sleep, fender is not used to have dextrose in his right hand, so every so often he would use his left hand to try to remove the thing on his right.

Day 2 (Sept. 8, 2008. Monday)
We met Dr. Lim, our pediatrician, he asked if we have had histories of asthma or coughs, and he told me about fenders possible problem, pediatric community acquired pneumonia-C, transmitted to him probably from somebody else’s. He also provides me a time-table for fenders treatment. 3-4 days observation with the antiviral medicine, and he will be referring us to another doctor. He also assured me that fender’s case is not critical and that he has had worst cases of pneumonia before. His assuring words lift up my spirits.

Day 3 (Sept. 9, 2008. Tuesday)
Doctor Lim visited us in the morning and asked about fender’s situation. Fender is not coughing as frequently as before. In the afternoon another doctor checked fender’s situation. We were shocked when she told us that fender needs to be put on oxygen. She explained that fender is breathing heavily and the rate is above normal, and that the oxygen that he would inhale may not be enough. She told us further that if his breathing rate continues to increase, his brain and other organs might suffer. So the nurses put another tube to fender.

Day 4 (Sept. 10, 2008. Wednesday)
Doctor Lim rushed early in the hospital and explained why we have to put fender on oxygen, he also told us that they need to apply some kind of steroid so fenders breathing would relax, and they also added another hose for the antiviral medicine. Fenders already have 3 tubes on him. Doctor Lim assured me also that the oxygen might be removed later that day since fender’s breathing is back to normal. I went home that day and sent an email to my sister about fender’s situation; I almost cried my heart out while writing my email. Why is this happening to my baby?

Day 5 (Sept. 11, 2008. Thursday)
Doctor Lim checked fender early and told us that he will take charge of fender’s medication. The oxygen tube has been removed that day and fender shows better signs, his breathing is back to normal and coughs less often. Fender however did not poop for like 3 days and I started to worry about it, he also refuses to drink milk from the bottle and from his mother’s breast. We also noticed that he’s lighter than before.

Day 6 (Sept. 11, 2008. Friday)
We were so relieved that fender finally pooped and breastfed. Doctor Lim also assured us that fenders breathing and heart rate are all back to normal and that we are already ready to be checked out. I processed my intellicare insurance and philhealth insurance and we went home that day.

Fender is still coughing but less frequently now.