Parker is SICK....

Well, we have had a really rough week with Parker being sick. We got home from Ohio on Sunday afternoon and Parker wasn't feeling very good. By Monday morning, he was really sick with a terrible cough. I went ahead and took him in and had him tested for RSV and it came back positive. They went ahead and did a breathing treatment in the office and then set up for home health care to deliver a nebulizer for him to use at home. We got home and he just slept in my lap all afternoon. Thankfully, mom and dad came to the rescue and took Mitchell home with them in hopes that he won't get this. By the time Kyle got home, Parker was having such a hard time breathing. We decided that we should take him to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital. We got there at about 6:45 p.m. and waited for over 3 hours. Finally, they called us back and told us that there were no rooms available and that they would have to see us in the hallway. That seemed a little weird, but I just thought, oh well we've got to see a doctor. They decided that Parker needed an IV b/c he was dehydrated. So, several nurses surrounded his bed, in the middle of the hallway and tried to get an iv started. After 4 attempts with no luck, Parker screaming at the top of his lungs, and everyone else in the hallway staring at us, Kyle said, "ok, I am having a hard time keeping my cool, this is ridiculous!!" I agreed! He told them NOT to stick him again until we were in a room. Finally, we got a room and the nurse came in and got the iv started on the first try and then they put oxygen on him and admitted him (but b/c they were so crowded we stayed in the ER). By this point, Parker is absolutely TERRIFIED and is clinching on to me, not wanting to be put down in fear of what would happen next. The room they put us in was much like a closet, no windows or anything. At this point it is 2:30 a.m. and we are all exhausted!! I asked the nurse if I could lay in the crib with Parker so we could rest. She feared that it could turn over, so we were stuck just sitting in chairs. Finally somebody brought us a little twin sized cot for one of us to sleep on. Mom and Kyle went to get some dinner and I just layed down with Parker so he could sleep. Once they got back, mom went home. Kyle sat in the chair and tried to sleep and at 5:30 he went home b/c he had to get some sleep b/c he had a meeting at work that he couldn't miss. So, all that to say no one got ANY sleep that night. By morning, the day nurse came be-bopping in turned on all the lights and was talking really loud to her side-kick (I really wanted to clock her b/c we were so tired!!) Anyways, by this point Parker had had nothing to eat since the day before (which he pretty much ate nothing). The nurse never said anything about breakfast, so at 10:45 I asked her if he could eat and she said, "oh sure, I'll get you a menu." and I was thinking, ok if I didn't say anything would he had ever gotten to eat?? Uhhhh....by this time I am over it....I hate this stupid place!! they had taped the oxygen to his face, then when it was time for them to take it off, that same DUMB nurse just ripped it off instead of trying to use a wet cloth to ease it off like they did at Centinneal. Next, they decided to do a chest x-ray to check for pneomonia. After we finished that they moved us to an even smaller room that didn't even have any chairs and was on a hallway where the lights were out. Then, a new nurse came in and said, "Looks like y'all are being discharged." and we were like, "are you kidding me, we haven't even gotten the results back from the chest x-ray" so she went to find out what the deal was and a resident doctor came in and said, "well, the x-ray showed that he does have pneomonia but we feel like he'll be fine going home". So kyle said, " you feel fine sending a 14 month old child home who has RSV, pneomonia, and a double ear infection?? we feel like if y'all weren't so crowded there would be no question about discharging him and you would definitely keep him." She said, "well, I can't tell you what we would do if we weren't this crowded" so that of course set us off and I just went off!! Then, we ended up talking to a manager, who recognized the situation and was quite embarrassed!! We ended up going home, but we had the WORST experience there and would never set foot back there if we had another option!! The manager told us that they had plans to add on but b/c of the economy they had to put it on hold. Is that not absolutely ridiculous??? When we left, they had 39 patients who were admitted but had to stay in the ER b/c there were no rooms available in the hospital!! Uhhhhhh, just thinking about it infuriates me so for those of you that are for sociallized heathcare...there you are, what do you think?? Anyways...we are home now and about to go back for a follow up at the pediatrician. Hopefully, things are getting better with little Parker...he has been through so much and has been quite the little trooper!!