Vamanos! (or, "Get Him To The Geeks")

I knew we'd be back in the bubble. For CFers it's inevitable. But knowing that doesn't make it any easier.

Samson caught a cold. That's what started this one. And it got out of control. It sounded like croup. Dry cough. At home we tried everything - albuterol, vest, steroids, and antibiotics. But by the fifth day I had a hunch we'd end up in the bubble.

He was up most of each night coughing. We couldn't stop it. And finally he was breathing very shallow, and quickly. And his blood/oxygen levels were in the 86-88% range. Yikes.

Our pulmonologist on call in St. Louis told me to get him into the ER today - at Carle in Urbana - and get him on oxygen ASAP. I was reluctant - Carle is not particularly awesome for us CFers. They don't speak our language. They don't know the code. They ask inappropriate questions. I can't trust them.

Sure enough, our Carle ER doctor asks me: "so. Who's got the CF gene?" Referring to my wife and I. What an ass. Obviously he doesn't know that this genetic disorder is recessive and homozygous. He immediately lost all credibility. (He also asked Sam more than once if he had any girlfriends. Sam is 6.)

We got our walking papers, and got an ambulance ride to s Louis children's hospital (our people!). They certainly speak the language.

We are here for a pulmonary exacerbation. Sam cannot leave his hospital room until he is off oxygen. He's on two iv antibiotics. He is getting vest treatment every 6 hours (yes even at 3:30 am).

He is tough kid. I am so damn proud of him. We will try not to go crazy in the bubble.

(PS - I am also trying not to go crazy without a laptop - I'm blogging from my iPhone. I'm going to attach pictures if I can figure ur out on this little screen!)