Still Driving Down that Road

Yes,still driving down that road to recovery.  Brandon had another scare at school.  This is the second scare in a few weeks and the second scare where Brandon could not breath.  It is starting to worry me and I dont get worried that often.  This week I had to go to Houston to work.  After last week's scare I sent everyone information on how to get in touch with me and all my back-ups.  However, wednesday there was not a great deal of coverage.  Sure enough, I get a call from Brandon's school that Brandon was complaining of not being able to breath.  He looked in distress. His oxygen saturation rates were 78 and his heart rate was high.  Having oxygen rates at 78 is bad.  When Brandon was young we had orders to call EMS if Brandon oxygen rates fell below 85 and this was below 85.  This is also the second time Brandon has appeared to struggle breathing. 

I called the doctors office and they wanted EMS to go to the school.  When I called back to the school and after Brandon breathing treatment was complete his rates had gone up to 88.  Most of us walk around with oxygen rates between 98-100.  So 88 is not that great either.  The nurses at the school said they were not hearing oxygen moving in the lower lobes of the lungs.  I finally got ahold of my brother and he agreed to go get Brandon and take him to the doctor who was willing to see him. 

So once again Brandon still has pneumonia even through he has completed his medicine.  We switched him to another antibiotic.  We are going on three weeks of lung problems and I hope this antibiotic clears up Brandon's lungs. 

No special olympics track tomorrow for Brandon.  Brandon really likes track the best.  However, Brandon is very excited to be able to watch the Royal Wedding tomorrow.  You know it is in "England" where the "Beatles" started their career.  Brandon may show up in my bedroom tomorrow morning at 5:00 am and turn on the TV to the royal wedding while he is going around the house turning on all the TVs. 

I just hope he clears up soon so I can stop worrying. 
More later
Leah

The Road to Recovery

Brandon and I have been a little under the weather the last two weeks.  At first I thought it was allergies with all those great tree pollens with the trees in full bloom and the wind blowing more than usual.  But by the end of last week I realized it could be some kind of illness.  I thought we had recovered by Sunday last week.  I sent Brandon to school on Monday and I went off to my usual meetings.  I was in a meeting Monday afternoon when my phone started ringing over and over.  I finally realized this and saw it was the school.  I called them back to find out Brandon was in the nurses office with 104.7 temperature.  I have no idea what happened from 8:00 am to 3:30, but is was a downhill spiral.  I rushed to the school finding Brandon fairly lifeless.  I called Brandon's PCP and they said bring Brandon directly there.  We rushed to their office.  That reminds me - I HATE AUSTIN TRAFFIC.  This all took over an hour.  By the time I made it to her office, Brandon's temp went down to 103.  I was very worried that he would have a major seizure while I was driving him around.  We got to the office and Brandon looked much better.  After several tests and xrays we determined that Brandon had pneumonia.  Man, I was so off on thinking he was fine when he went to school.  So we started aggressive breathing treatments and antibiotics.  The next day I started to feel bad and I went to the doctor and received the same medicine.  So it has been a long week with Brandon and me recovering at the house.  He is much, much better now and will probably be ready for school Monday. 

Monday, I close on the new condo where Brandon and I will be moving.  It has been a complicated closing with setbacks every few days.  We have one more hurdle to overcome before closing on Monday.  If all goes well, we will be the proud owners of a condo in the Eanes school district.  We will spend the next few months updating the condo and move in this summer.  It will be nice to not have to worry about a yard for a while, be able to walk the trails around Zilker from the condo, swim in the pool and have much less to clean, but I will miss the country.  Brandon will be fine wherever he lives as long as he has his crucial items - the Internet, the Beatles music, the TV (he kind of has a little crush on Selena Gomez), goldfish (the snack) and pediasure.  Oh - and his mom.  The only scary part of the move for me, are all the back-ups I have established where we live currently.  If I need to work early or stay late I have people lined up to help.  I won't have that support network in town and will need to establish it.  But that is part of a mom's job is the challenge of scheduling on a daily basis.  We will get through this. 

So we are on the road the recovery.  Recovery from our illness and moving to the next chapter of our life as Brandon graduates and moves into learning about life in the working world.  We are ready for the move and ready for the challenge. Wish us luck.
More later
Leah