Post Vacation Pneumonia Hospital Stay

I have been super busy and just got finished organizing and labeling the 1500 photos that we took on our BENELUX & BALTIC ADVENTURE. I will be back posting those, but I still need to keep up with our current life.

I was extremely surprised at how well we all did with the jet lag coming back. Theo was all ready for school on Monday (October 17th), so I got him ready and he promptly fell asleep in his wheelchair before I even got him out the door! His friend "Gary", bus driver, and bus aid were very happy to see me roll Theo out of the house and onto the bus.

After I put Theo on the bus I went back into the house to work on my LONG to-do list. While I was checking our credit card statement I noticed a charge from the cruise line. When we left the ship we actually had a negative balance on our statement, so we should have received money back. The cruise lines customer service phone line is only open M-F from 10 AM to 4 PM (PST). I send them an email and got a response saying they were super busy and would get back to me in 6-10 WEEKS! Ugh! When customer service opened at noon I called them. I was on hold for 90 minutes when I hung up. I had to get Theo from school and take him to PT and I couldn't just be on hold all day.

I was a little worried about how Theo would adjust to being back at school, but his aid said he did great! He was actually awake and alert most of the day and worked really hard. I then took Theo to PT.

Theo didn't have any seizures today.

The next day (October 18th) Theo's class went to the pumpkin patch! It was freezing cold so I put extra layers on Theo, but I guess he was still cold. Good thing is aid, Ms. Jess, brought an extra scarf! 

[One of Theo's friends at school painted his pumpkin for him. So sweet!]

While Theo was at school I worked on my to-do list and then right at noon I called the cruise line customer service number. I was determined to get through to someone, so I made sure my AirPods were charged and ready. They still didn't answer 90 minutes later when I had to pick Theo up from school, so I put I listened to that elevator music all the way to his school, then I put in my AirPods and spoke to his aid and teacher briefly. We then drove to OT while STILL on hold. I was determined to get through so I put my AirPods back in and took Theo inside. At the Towards the end of Theo's session someone FINALLY answered! I was thrilled! I told her what was going on and she said she would look into it. After being put on hold and chatting with customer service for 30 minutes she finally figured out what was going on. They charged our statement $250 on the final day because they claimed we took a portable BOSE speaker. I told her I knew EXACTLY where that speaker was. I had put it in a cabinet in our room before we got off the ship. She said they would have to do an investigation and it may take a few weeks? WEEKS?! Really?! The room attendants go in there every day and I told you where it was. At this point I was starting to get upset. Why would I spend a crazy amount of money on a vacation (we booked the largest suite on the ship) and then steal a $250 speaker? I've never stolen anything in my life and to be accused of it was so humiliating. Of course, after being on hold for four hours and talking to the representative for almost 30 minutes, nothing was resolved. 

After we hung up I called Josh and told him what was going on. I was bawling. I think it was the combination of stress and humiliation. Listening to the same song over and over for four hours can drive you a little crazy AND I couldn't answer any calls or make any calls during that time. I was so worried that the customer service call would drop. 

A few minutes after I talked to Josh I got a call from the customer service representative that I had spoken to earlier. She apologized and said that after the investigation is done they will refund me the money. She then asked if I wanted it in the form of a "future cruise credit." I was still so upset that I told her we may not travel with them again, so they can just send the refund to my credit card. And of course that made me even more upset. I feel like our traveling days are coming to an end and our best bet to travel with Theo in the future would be this cruise line. They are so accommodating when it comes to wheelchairs and accessibility issues (mostly because they cater to an older group). If we can't get Theo up and bearing weight on his own two feet, we are going to have a hard time leaving the house period. 

But, anyways... I got distracted.

Theo had one seizure today.

On Wednesday, October 19th, Theo woke up with some crusty's around his nose. I was hoping it was from all the hay that Theo came across the day before at the farm (it was literally all over his clothes and wheelchair). He seemed fine so I sent him to school. Just an hour before school ended for the day, I got a call from the school nurse. She said Theo had been coughing and his breathing was "a little wheezy." I told her I would call the pediatrician and come and get him.

[Art from school]

[Please vote!]

I got Theo home and called the Pediatrician. She said it could be RSV (since that's going around), so we can get him started on nebulizer treatments. 

[Not COVID]

That afternoon we Zoomed with Theo's speech/feeding therapist and dietitian. 

Theo had two seizures today.

Thursday (October 20th) I headed out to run errands while Josh stayed home with Theo. I went to the jeweler to look at a few bands they had ordered in. They forgot to order in a few that we had picked out, so we'll go check those out once they get in. I then headed to see my esthetician for a microdermabrasion and facial. She said my skin is improving, but it turns out I was washing my face too much during the day. She wrote down exactly what I should do and she told me to resists the temptation to over wash my face. I'll see her again in six weeks and we'll go from there.

Theo was coughing all day, so we did his nebulizer treatments every four hours. He was also very tired, but didn't have a fever.

He didn't have any seizures today.

Friday (October 21st) was a PJ day at home. Theo continued to cough and sleep a lot, I worked on labeling photos from our trip, and Josh worked. 

[We may be in for a wet winter]

Theo didn't have any seizures today.

On Saturday, I headed up to the Naperville Farmers Market. I wanted to buy some more Elderberry syrup kits and fresh honey before they shut down for the winter. The lady that sells the syrup wasn't there, but I was able to buy some cheese, honey, fresh bread, and rosemary olive oil 😋

Theo didn't have any seizures today, but he did sleep and cough a lot.

On Sunday, October 23rd, I noticed that Theo was breathing with his stomach and abdominal wall. I saw a few videos on red flags when it comes to RSV, so we bought a pulse-oxygen meter. While Theo was napping I put the device on his finger. His oxygen levels were around 87 and his pulse was 142. I decided to call the hospital in Ottawa to see what we should do. After talking to a nurse for 30 minutes she suggested that we bring Theo into the ER. 

We packed our bags and headed to Ottawa. Once we were taken back to our own room in the ER the doctor and nurses came in to chat. We told them what was going on and they did a nose swab to check for the flu, COVID, and RSV. They also did a chest x-ray and hooked Theo up to a machine that would monitor his oxygen levels. After a few minutes the doctor came back in and told us that Theo was negative for the flu, COVID, and RSV (yay!), BUT his x-ray showed pneumonia in his left upper lobe or it could be a collapsed lung (I guess they look very similar on an x-ray). He said they wanted to admit him. While we waited for a room to open up the nurses started an IV and took some blood. 

[X-Ray]

We have never stayed the night at the Ottawa hospital, but it's pretty similar to its big sister hospital that we frequent in Peoria, just smaller. The biggest issue is that his hospital doesn't have a PICU, so if Theo's condition gets worse they will have to transfer him to Peoria. 

We got settled into our room and decided that Josh would stay the first night with Theo and I would go back to the house. Theo only had one seizure today. 

During the night Theo's oxygen levels stayed around 88 and in the morning (Monday, October 24th) he started High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation therapy (aka "the shake-shake vest"). This vest vibrates very quickly and is supposed to help breakup all the mucus and gunk in Theo's chest. He can then cough it up. He will be getting this therapy (along with a breathing treatment) every four hours. 

They also started Theo on antibiotics just in case he has a bacterial infection AND they did another nose swab to test for more viruses.

The pediatrician's stopped by to check on Theo. They said these things take time to clear up and hopefully we will be out of here in a few days if Theo progresses. 

That night we got the results of Theo's second nose swab: positive for Rhinovirus. Yes, the most common of common colds. 

Theo only had one seizure today.

Not a whole lot happened on Tuesday (October 25th). Theo continued to rest and get all his treatments (he really loves the shake-shake vest). That night they had to put in another IV. The one in his arm failed, so they had to poke my poor kid again.

Theo only had one seizure today.

Wednesday morning (October 26th) they repeated the x-ray and got the results back from his blood cultures. The x-ray showed improvement, but the pneumonia/collapsed lung is still present. The blood cultures show no growth, so he does not have a bacterial infection. Theo's lungs continue to get better and better everyday! The doctors stopped by again and said we could probably go home on Thursday if we want to. We can do the nebulizer treatments at home, but we don't have a shake-shake machine. I thought it would be a good idea to stay one more night and get as much out of the shake-shake machine as we can.

[While Theo napped I caught up on Andor and Tales of the Jedi]

[Theo loves his farm book and peek-a-boo barn]

Theo had one seizure today.

The next morning (Thursday, October 27th) while Theo was getting his High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation therapy I spoke to the respiratory therapist about things we can do at home to help Theo's lungs. He gave me a chest percussion cup and showed me how to position Theo to get the most out of the percussion cup therapy. 

In the afternoon the Pediatricians stopped by and asked me if we felt ready to go home. I told them that I wish we could take the shake-shake machine home, but I felt confident that if we use the percussion cups and nebulizer every four hours, we will be fine. I also asked them when Theo should be able to go back to school and therapy. They said that recovery from pneumonia can take 6-8 weeks, but since he isn't contagious he can go back to school next Thursday (November 3rd). 

Theo had one more shake-shake and breathing treatment while I started packing. Josh showed up (he was running all over Chicagoland for work) to help us finish packing and escort us home.

We were all so happy to be home after a long few days in the hospital. 

Theo didn't have any seizures today.

I woke up Friday morning (October 28th) with a runny nose and no voice. I knew there was a VERY high chance that I would catch the highly contagious common cold from Theo, but it still sucks. So far my worst symptom is that my voice is gone and I'm coughing. But I think the cough is mostly due to the harvest, but who really knows? As along as I keep up with my DayQuil it's not too bad.

Theo and I just hung out at home today while Josh went to work. Theo is still very tired, but he is not stuffy anymore and his cough is not as wet. I did the breathing treatments and percussion cups every four hours (even when he was napping). His oxygen levels are 97-98 and he is not breathing with his abdomen. We also put books under the foot of his mattress so his head is on a slight downward angle. The respiratory therapist said that will help get the crap out of his lungs too. Gotta use gravity! We are also doing his breathing treatments and percussion cups on an angle when we can too. 

[Theo's bus driver and bus aid miss him!]

Theo had one seizure today and took a four hour nap!

Over the weekend we continued to rest and give Theo his breathing treatments. Hopefully Theo will continue to get better, so he can go back to school on Thursday!

Theo didn't have any seizures on Saturday, but he had two on Sunday.

[Much better numbers!]

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and good vibes! Theo is at a higher risk for hospital re-admittance and we REALLY don't want that to happen. So keep sending those good vibes our way and we'll continue to do our part to keep Theo happy and healthy.

Benelux & Baltic Adventure: Part XVI - Disembark MS Rotterdam, Rotterdam, and Flight Home

Saturday, October 15th:

We said goodbye to our suite, the MS Rotterdam, and my parents (they are heading to Ireland for a week) this morning. It was sad, but it's time to go home!

Diane came and got us at 8:00 AM and escorted us off the ship. We thanked her for being so great and asked her to say goodbye to Roni and Jon (our amazing room attendants) for us! 

[Cute ducks that a nice lady on the cruise gave Theo]

We quickly found our luggage and our black Mercedes SUV transfer. He drove us across the Erasmusbrug (aka the Swan) and to our hotel, which was 5 minutes away.

We arrived at our hotel, Inntel Hotels Rotterdam Centre, and headed inside to check in. I assumed that our room wouldn't be ready, since it was 8:15 AM, but we were pleasantly surprised when the lady at the front desk said it was. YAY! We headed upstairs to our room and got settled in. I had booked us a walking food tour, but we could do that at anytime since it was through an app on my phone. Since we had arrived so early we decided to do the free city walking tour at 10:30 AM and then do the food tour in the afternoon.

I looked at the weather and it said the rain wasn't going to start until the afternoon, so at 10:00 AM we headed out. The free city walking tour started at 10:30 AM at the Markthal (Market Hall). We got there early and headed inside to check it out.

This building was opened in 2014 and consists of 228 apartments, office space, and a huge indoor market. The inside is like a living work of art!

We walked around for a bit and then headed outside to join the tour. We met our tour guide, Mewis, and the rest of the group which consisted of tourists from all over the world. 

Just as the tour got started it began raining. UGH! I should have known! We have had rain 17 out of the 21 days that we've been on this trip. Luckily I brought my rain coat and an umbrella, but we didn't bring Theo's wheelchair shade. MY BAD! So Josh used the umbrella to cover Theo, which left Josh out to bear the elements.

Mewis started the tour by telling us about the city. The Rotterdam city center was almost completely destroyed during The Rotterdam Biltz on May 14, 1940 (this lead to Amsterdam surrendering quickly to the Nazi's in order to preserve their city). There were only four buildings in the city center that survived. There are so many unique and modern buildings in the city center and it really sets Rotterdam apart. We have been very focused on historic cities during this trip, so ending it in a modern one was a little strange.

[Blaak Tower (aka The Pencil) and the Train Station (aka The UFO)]

We left Market Hall and headed to St Lawrence Church. This large 15th century church is the only medieval building left in the entire city.

It was one of the four buildings to survive the Rotterdam Biltz. Church attendance has declined rapidly over the last few decades, so lately they started having large light show dance parties in the church. After the tour guide told us this he then showed us a picture of the party. It looks pretty fun! Mewis then looked at me and asked if something like that would ever happen in Chicago. I said, "In Chicago? Absolutely!" He looked pretty shocked. A young woman that was standing next to me leaned over and said, "Typical European, they think the US is not progressive." Ohhh. Gotcha. A dance party at a church in Chicago? Yep! A dance party at a church in a super conservative Texas city? Absolutely not.

In the courtyard in front of the church is a statue of Erasmus. He was born in Rotterdam in 1466 and the city loves him. There is a bridge, school, metro line, university, etc named after him. 

We then walked over to the City Hall.

[Bullet holes in the City Hall from when Rotterdam was liberated by the Canadian troops]

We then walked across the street to the Memorial to the Fallen.

[Memorial to the Fallen with the City Hall]

We walked all the way down to the canal where we saw the "Fire Line." This is a series of lights on the ground that mark where the city was destroyed during the Biltz.

[The rain would just NOT stop!]

This Santa Clause holding a "Christmas Tree" statue is either very hated or very loved by the locals. I'll keep this g-rated, but there's a running joke that it's not a Christmas Tree that he's holding.

We then walked down the Witte de Withstraat Street, which is a popular street lined with coffee shops (remember we are back in the Netherlands), cafes, and restaurants.

We then found ourselves at the harbor next to our hotel.

["Hot Tug" - You can rent this tiny boat and ride around the harbor. It is heated and apparently a lot of fun!]

[Harbor with the red Willemsbrug in the background]

Right on the harbor is the Witte Huis (White House). This skyscraper was built in 1898 and was the first "high-rise" building in Europe (10 stories). It was also one of the four buildings to survive the Biltz.

We came to the end of our rainy, two hour walking tour at the famous Cube Houses. These odd shaped houses were built in the 1970s. People do live in them, but it's hard to find furniture because all the walls are at strange angles. Don't worry, they are tilted, but the floor is level. 

[Toonder Monument - Marten Toonder was a Dutch comic strip creator who was born in Rotterdam]

Right when our tour ended it stopped raining, but it was still very cloudy. We decided to walk along the Boompjeskade. This nice walkway is located along the river between the Erasmus Bridge and the Willems Bridge.

[View across the river from the Boompjeskade - You can barely make out the Erasmus Bridge and the MS Rotterdam on the far right]

[View from the Boompjeskade of the Willems Bridge]

[Pano from the Boompjeskade of the Willems Bridge and Erasmus Bridge]

[Erasmus Bridge and the MS Rotterdam (parked to the right of the bridge)]

[De Boeg (The Bow)]

As we were about to cross a bridge to go back to our hotel it started to lift up. We waited behind the barricades as this adorable tug boat cruised through! All of a sudden it let out a high pitched whistle. I had to cover my ears and Josh covered Theo's. I was worried Theo would be scared, but he was just laughing!

[Our hotel right on the river and harbor - the perfect spot!]

[Erasmus Bridge aka "The Swan"]

After walking along the Boompjeskade we went back to the hotel to dry out and rest.

Photos from our hotel room:

After Theo woke up from his nap I opened the shades and saw this:

YAY! The sun was out and it was time for our food tour!

This tour took us to six different restaurants (yellow markers) and 10 different interesting locations (blue markers) throughout the city. We could go at our own pace and we didn't have to go to everything if we didn't want to.

We started the tour by heading to the furthest northwest location. This took us unto Chinatown!

STOP #1: Super Crepe (Food)

[Josh like this crepe, but I wasn't a huge fan]

STOP #2: Wijkpark Oude Westen (Location)

STOP #3: Bram Ladage (Food)

I love that Europeans think it's normal to eat their frites with mayo. It makes me so happy! I do it back home and people think I'm strange. At Bram Ladage we got two small frites - one with mayo and the other with peanut sauce. They were both SOOO good!

STOP #4:Central Station (location)

STOP #5: Sue Bites (food)

We arrived at Sue Bites right as they were closing at 5:00 PM. But they still let us have one of their famous "SUE bites."

[Delicious!]

[Another unique building]

STOP #6: Chinny (food)

[Chicken curry sandwiches!]

Chinny is located between Market Hall and St Lawrence Church. We were pretty familiar with this area, so we weren't too worried about getting lost or being out when the sun was setting.

STOP #7: Botersloot (location)

STOP #8: Panzero (food)

[These panzerotti were very delicious! They are like little calzones 😋]

STOP #9: Tante Nel (food)

Our final food stop was Tante Nel where we shared a drink and had a couple Truffle Croquettes.

After we finished the food part of the tour we headed back to The Market to take pictures and find some sweets. 

[Library]

STOP #10: De Verwoeste Stad (location)

The entire time I was walking around Rotterdam I just kept thinking how much one of my best friends, Katey, would LOVE this city. This whole city is like a modern art museum and the architecture is so unique. I think she needs to go there! 

Rotterdam was so much fun and I'm glad we stayed an extra day and explored the city!

We then headed back to the hotel and went to bed. We had a black Mercedes SUV coming to pick us up at 6:00 AM!

Sunday, October 16th:

I was woken up in the middle of the night by a series of text messages letting me know that our flight was delayed one hour. It was too late to let the driver know, so he still arrived at the hotel at 6:00 AM. Right on time! It was a 45 minute drive to the Amsterdam airport and we got there without any issues. Our driver parked in one of the garages, helped us with our luggage, took us into the airport, and helped us find our check in counter. Such great service!

It took us over an hour just to check in our luggage, about 15 minutes to get through security, and another 15 minutes to get through customs.

[It's always hard to find a handicap bathroom]

[Theo's a little too big for the baby changing table - This is why we NEED adult changing tables]

Once we got to our gate we found a nice big couch where Theo could lay down. The flight was delayed, so we got to our gate about 3 hours early.

I took out all of Theo's meds and got everything ready for the flight. It's just easier to get them in the syringes now rather than trying to do it while the plane is bouncing!

We were able to board first, which was super nice, and the airport workers were all very nice and helpful.

Theo struggled on this flight, just like he did on the flight to Europe. It's hard to be in a seat that long. He doesn't cry when he's upset, he yells! We had to give him melatonin a few times which helped. AND since we left over an hour late the pilot made up some time in the air so we only landed 15 minutes late! 

When we landed I got this alert on my phone! Luckily, it was another false alarm!

Since we have Global Entry we went right to the front of the line and made it through customs in record time! The normal line was LONG!

While we were waiting for our luggage to come out, I checked my phone and saw that they were all at the airport! YAY! We made it!

After we got our luggage (it took forever) we met Lucas outside, threw our things in the car, and headed home! We got home at 3:30 PM and we knew we had to stay up in order to overcome the jet lag. I was worried about Theo, but when he saw all of his toys he got so excited and that rush kept him awake until 7:00 PM (2:00 AM in Rotterdam). I stayed busy and awake by unpacking and doing laundry. And Josh just doesn't need sleep, so he was fine!