Subject: back to the hospital
June 3, 1999
Hello family and friends,
Boy I am really getting to know my way around Huntington Memorial Hospital. I am beginning to think that room 4405 with grandma mary's quilt on the floor is my real home! I have had this bad cough and cold for 3 weeks and I was getting worse and worse not better. Finally they did another set of xrays at the hospital (I have had three and the guy is nice but he makes me lie down in weird positions). They found out that I have pneumonia in the bottom of my right lung. Yuck!
I am still in pretty good spirits and of course mom and dad or my nanny sara have been with me all the time. After they take blood or whatever I usually can start cooing and playing pretty soon because mom or dad are there to hold me. I feel confident that they are taking care of me. At night we get up about every hour just so I can get held and put back to sleep. If its going to hurt, at least I know they are there.
They have had to put in a new iv for the antibiotic drip three times! The nurses are nice and some of them I smile and wave at. Otherwise I don;t think I would like this place. They also give me stickers which I try to eat. And they have a good toy room with lots of new books.
The best part is I get to walk round in my room ( even with the Iv bag dangling behind me) and so I can still practice my walking. I also am wokring on my words. SOmtimes I will clearly say things now so mom and dad know I am understanding more.
What I am really dissappointed about is that Tia Joanie and Tio Bill, Aunt Susan and Grandma Mary are all planning to come in the next few weeks. They think I may be discharged next week (like June 9 or so, but the doctor said to expect a long recovery. That means lots of sleeping and lots of getting up at night with my cough. I want to see everyone and if they are still coming I may be awake some of the time, but mom has called them to see if there is any way they can arrange to come at a time when I will be able to play with them. It makes me sad, we have been talking about the visits for a while now.
SO my new thing is that I sleep some and fuss some ( you would too with all this poking going on). The good news is that I am stronger than I was the last time in the hospital and my bronchial tubes are bigger so I actually got more of the stuff coughed out before I got here. They aren;t even giving me any asthma treatements, but are just treating me like a sick adult. SO I know I am getting stronger and may not have these problems as bad later on. Also mom and dad are not longer sick, so they can get around better.
If you were here I might smile and hide my head on mom or dad's sholder and then after a minute or two I might wave at you or let you hold me because I am so tired. I still like to be sung to and do my little wiggle dance even when I am being held.
Love
Emily