SamBeller.org
Welcome to Sam's New Web Site! We will continue to add more news and neat stuff, but in the meantime there's lots to check out--including recent photos of Sam, the full archive of journal entries dating back to 2000 when the site originally launched, and links to resources for families with special-needs children. You can also send a message using the contact page, submit comments on your favorite entries, and join the e-mail list to be notified of special Sam news!
Monday, September 18, 2000
Pneumonia Bummer!
Dearest Sam’s fan club,
I was hoping to update you all on all good stuff regarding Sam going back to school. However, presently, Sam is in Medical City’s Pediatric ICU with pneumonia. It snuck up on him with a bad fever on Sunday night (9/17) and increased heart rate and breathes per minute. We took him to ER Sunday evening and they admitted him to ICU. After breathing treatments and excessive Oxygen usage, they hooked him up to a ventilator (easy to his trach). They also suctioned out tons of stuff from deep in his lungs. We didn’t even know that much was in his lungs! He started breathing easier and was calming down. He was still moaning a lot - so tired and the fever was making him uncomfortable. They gave him something to take the edge off and he started to sleep finally. On Monday morning, the fever broke and he slept well. He still has a lot of stuff in his lungs. The initial tests showed an elevated white blood cell count and bacteria in his lungs. So, he’s fighting something off. But, hopefully, it’s just bacterial - so it’ll respond to antibiotics well (vs. viral).
By Thursday, we hope to have him off the ventilator and just using the BIPAP machine (also assisted breathing - but less). At that point, we need to have the docs replace his med-a-port (permanent IV site that is clogged) - a short surgical procedure. Then, by Monday, we should be able to go home to finish the IV meds there (with some home nursing).
Family and friends are helping with Tevah, Jacob and Simone. David is trying to go to work during the days. Kelly and Ursula (our nanny) and Cara (our nurse friend) are all taking turns with Sam care at the hospital.
Please pray for speedy recovery, no complications or additional infections, easy replacement of the med-a-port and the ability to come home soon.
Also, with another aspiration pneumonia, we are faced with the decision regarding the removal of Sam’s salivary glands. The doctors are still encouraging us to do this. It is a relatively new way to treat aspiration pneumonia. It makes us nervous to remove glands and change his anatomy more! Please pray for wisdom for us.
We covet your prayers in all of this!
more updates to follow…
love to you all,
David & Kelly
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