Hospital!

Something about that word sends all children into a panic. Hannah's pneumonia just was not getting any better and then she spiked a fever. We took her into the dr.'s office. Hannah had lost 3 pounds in a week! The dr. said that the best place for her was in the hospital and we agreed. She was a direct admit. She was so dehydrated that the nurse couldn't get into her vein the first time. When she did get in, she couldn't get enough blood to cover all the cultures they wanted to do. They hit her pretty hard with three doses of IV antibiotics. They did another xray and found that she had a pleural effusion too. I really didn't realize what this was. It is fluid build up between the lung and the lining of the lung (the pleural lining). The lymph nodes don't drain it like they should due to the infection in her lung they were trying to keep up with. That would explain why she had shoulder pain and pain around the infected lung. She recovered quite well in the hospital and was out in three days. She remained weak but at least she was eating again. We were conservative in sending her back to school. I took her to the dr. before I let her go back. Hannah gained back a pound and her color has returned. The dr. said the effusion is still present but that we should carry on with life as normal. She wants her back for an xray next week to make sure it has gone away. This child just scares the heck out of me!
She returned to school yesterday and her classmates were beside themselves. They had a big sign hanging from the doorway welcoming her back. The children started filing in the classroom. When they saw Hannah they all rushed her...she ran! I laughed so hard. Then Hannah took off into the bathroom. I am not sure if she had to use it or just needed a breather. The other kids spread the news quickly that Hannah was back to the kids who hadn't seen her yet. Being that Hannah was in the bathroom, they expressed their glee to each other by hugging whoever was nearest to them! If the world could love with this kind of uninhibited affection, what a world we would have!
Hannah is back in school for a full day today (yesterday I only let her go for a 1/2 day). I am praying I don't get any phone calls coming to get her. I think she will be fine.