After hours of Finn just crying no matter what I tried, he is finally asleep. So I have a split second to explain everything that happened.
As you know, I posted yesterday morning that Finn was up a lot during the night. He had woken up Thanksgiving morning and done great until around 5pm. He became very fussy and nothing was working. When we arrived home after celebrating with our family, it was a little after 7pm and Finn went straight to sleep.
Very shortly after I laid him down, he became inconsolable again. I kept trying to put him to bed and he kept getting up. Around 11:30pm, I heard him wheezing in his room. I looked at the baby monitor and he wasn't moving. I walked in and tried to pick him up and he seemed lifeless and gave me a blank stare. As I looked closer at him when I was holding him, I felt him in my arms and noticed that he wasn't breathing. I rubbed him and tried to stir him and he finally took a deep breath but then did the same thing again.
I called Michael into the room and he unfortunately witness the same thing as myself. I was crying and begging him to breathe. He just wasn't. So, Michael called 911. The responders came very quickly and helped me stabilize him with oxygen. His oxygen was in the 60s. It has been in the high 80s over the past several days and weeks.
Once we had a temporary plan of going to the hospital and waiting for a flight plan, Finn decided to have breathing issues again. When we were at the hospital, he wasn't breathing on his own even with oxygen. It took a lot to get him to start again. Luckily, shortly after tris episode, hey transportation plan became available and we went right away to UVA.
UVA ran all of their own panels and so far, everything including the x-ray have come back normal. He does not have RSV, pneumonia, the flu, croup, MRSA or anything else. His chest Ephesians are still stable. They have not become worse.
Unfortunately, at this moment, we are not 100% sure what caused this episode. He does have a cough, as you heard in the video that I posted. He is very uncomfortable but he is pulling through. As of right now, they want to keep him in ICU for a little while longer. It's just not worth the risk to put him on the floor especially since his worst time seems to be at night.
This stay is such a game changer compared to even the G Tube stay just a few short weeks ago. Finn wants me around all the time. He wants me to hold him or touch him all the time. Before, he was more independent. It is so hard now bc he is very aware and knows what's going on.
I came to UVA with no supplies other than my wallet, cell phone charger, extra paci, blankie and outfit for Finn. Finn threw up all over me twice and the sweet nurses gave me scrubs which are what I am still wearing. I tell you all this because it is more apparent now to me than ever how much these donations that you all help with TRULY change this hospital and this situation for parents like me and children like Finn. You literally never know what each moment will bring. You can never be prepared for this.
One minute we are eating Thanksgiving dinner feeling so grateful to be home and in a split second we are on the phone with 911 watching our baby boy fight for every breath that he takes.
PEOPLE! PEOPLE!!! Cherish every moment of your life and take every single change you get. THIS right here is the sole reason that we do what we do and why we take every opportunity for Finn and Mason that we can. You literally never know what tomorrow will bring. PLEASE take that from us and from Finn and keep it in your back pocket The next time you are trying to decide if you should go ahead and take that vacation that you wanted to or go back to school and get your degree, or just take a chance at life on anything. Please, take that chance.
Live for today. Tomorrow is never promised. Life is NOT measured by the number of breathes you take but by the moments that take your breath away. We will always
#justkeepswimming