Fever and Breathing Problem: Quick Trip to the Hospital

Friday night around 11, my husband made a decision to take our daughter to the Cardon Children's Medical Center. She got cold, fever, and cough. But the one that he worried the most was her shallow breathing. He actually got her a pediatrician's appointment Saturday morning, but he just couldn't bear the "wait and see" feeling seeing his daughter not breathing normally.

We took her to the hospital's emergency section. There were several children and parents in the area. While waiting on line for registration, there were two patients ahead of us, and two other behind us. An hour after waiting in the lobby, her name was called. A nurse took her vital signs and asked us questions about our observations when she got fever, cold, cough, and her breathing. Evie was not happy at all when the nurse tied the gadget on her toe to monitor her pulse and oxygen level. She was in crying spells almost the whole time we were in the room. After the check-up, we went back to the lobby and wait. It was past midnight. Two hours after, another nurse called us again to take her lung X-rays. It was quick.

The waiting felt like forever. We didn't have any clue whether she will stay in the hospital or not. None of the employees in the hospital ever checked the children-patient waiting in the lobby of how they were doing. Evie was very tired, so was me and my husband. She tried to go to sleep in our arms, but sometimes awakened when either of us tried to lie down on the couch. The place is new. I think she didn't feel secure inside the building. She kept telling us that she wanted to go bye-bye. She just wanted to go home. Like her, me and my husband wanted to go home. It was very uncomfortable and tiring waiting in the emergency lobby. We tried to get some sleep but were unsuccessful because of how inconvenient the place where we were.

Two hours after, her name was called. Another nurse took her vital signs and asked us the same questions the first nurse was inquiring us. As usual, the little patient was not happy. She just didn't like that gadget tied around her toe. She expressed her discomfort and insecurity inside the place by crying. She was given a dose of ibuprofen for her fever. Several minutes after, she was finally attended by the Dr. James Reingold. We were very happy when he told us that her lungs sounded clear and there's nothing serious going on at all. He said that sometimes a fever can cause the little ones shallow breathing. We were actually worried of her getting asthma since my husband's brother had asthma when he was younger and my sister had it too. God is great after all. He kept Evie in the palm of His hands.

We were so glad to be home at 5 in the morning. It was a very long, tiring day for the three of us. At the same time a day that gave me and my husband peace of mind that there's nothing serious to be worried about for our daughter. At the time of this writing, Evie's breathing is back to normal, no more fever. She still got cough and cold though. But, she's active and having a great time.