Thursday, June 28, 2007

I'm here. I'm alive, and I'm so happy that I am! It was touch-and-go for a while early this morning. Really bad, actually. Very scary.

Only one time have I ever had a real problem with my oxygen level while I've been sleeping, and it was when I was in the hospital a few weeks ago. Other than some fairly fast de-sats that are solved by deep suctioning or repositioning, I do pretty well when I'm sleeping, but last night was different.

At 3:47 a.m., my oxygen level started to drop so the nurse was getting ready to deep suction me, when I started gasping and my oxygen level crashed quickly. She called Mom on the intercom and somehow Mom teleported herself into my bedroom within about two seconds. Mom and the nurse were using the ambu-bag on me, and they hooked up the oxygen tank to give me some extra help. I was scared because I couldn't catch a good breath. As long as they were pumping the bag, I was pink and my O2 level was 95-99, but when they stopped using the bag, my O2 would start dropping. They tried repositioning me, deep suctioning, the CPAP machine, and even a breathing treatment. Nothing was working. Mom called Dad in New Jersey and he talked to me on the speaker phone while Mom and Nicole kept working on me. After about 30 minutes total, I was able to maintain my O2 level without their help.

It's 7:15 a.m., and right now I'm sitting in my chair. I was listening to music for a while. Mom held me in the rocking chair before she got in the shower, and I've talked to Dad a LOT on the phone this morning. He was going to get an earlier flight home, but he said the airport in New York is having problems, so people are driving to the Philadelphia airport to fly out. No flights available. He's hoping his 6 p.m. flight will leave on time.

While I was having my problems this morning, I kept thinking about how I had to breathe, breathe, breathe because my cousin Addison is coming to Farmington tonight. We're supposed to play with our Elmo dolls together. Also, Dad will be home tonight to give me kisses. Plus, Grandma Powers, Uncle Don, Aunt Marie and Cousin Asher are supposed to be here this weekend to see me. So many visitors! I have to keep breathing so I can see everyone.

Mom said she was praying, "Please don't let today be the day."

It wasn't! I'm still here! Thank you, God! Another day to see the trees and hear story books. Another day to snuggle and be kissed on my soft, pink cheeks - the SOFTEST cheeks in the world, I've been told.

The other night, my friend Jacob (Nurse Nicole's son) came over to read me some books and show me the shells he got on his trip to Florida. It was really neat. He even had some alligator bones and told me the difference between alligators and crocodiles. Nurse Diane watches Animal Planet all the time, so she told us all about the creatures that lived in the shells he was showing me. Jacob read me a story about monkeys, and he was such a good reader! I love it when he comes to visit me, so I have to keep on breathing every day until he can come again.

I am so thankful to be here and to be able to share my story with you. I feel like all my friends out there are praying for me all the time. I can hear the prayers. The angels sitting on my shoulders tell me all about them. Thank you!!! I'll talk to you again soon.