Last Sunday started out like any normal day. We played in the basement. There was grocery shopping. We even got to go to the park which was a real treat because the weather has been terrible lately. In the morning, Rowan had a cough. We noticed he was breathing faster than normal and gave him a couple puffs off his inhaler. A couple hours later, we gave him a couple more puffs. He wasn't improving. After his nap, we did his first nebulizer treatment to see if that would help. We weren't really that worried at this point.
Around 4, Sydney and I went to another park. We had promised her we would go and she was really mad that Rowan was getting sick. After no more than an hour at the park, Meghan called saying that Rowan was breathing hard and looked like he was going to pass out. Home we went. Rowan looked much worse for wear. He was lucid but clearly tired and pretty floppy. Meghan took him to the ER where they immediately called a code for respiratory distress. Later he was admitted to the pediatric ICU. Meghan stayed with him Sunday night.
On Monday around noon, they moved him to a regular room. Meghan and I both spent all day there. Rowan had an IV, an oxygen/pulse sensor on his toe, electrodes on his chest, and a mask with a hose going to it. He was so wired up he kept getting tied in knots. Meghan also stayed with him Monday night.
On Tuesday, I went back and we both stayed with him most of the day. He had improved considerably and we really hoped we would be able to take him home. By this point, he only had the oxygen/pulse sensor and the IV was disconnected. That hope got shot down though. I spent the night with him Tuesday night. ...amusingly, at 2:30am in the wee hours of Wednesday, he woke up and thought it was party time. He was jumping on the bad, yelling, and having a fantastic time. It didn't take long for the nurses to come in to see what was going on. Somehow I got him back to sleep about a half hour later. (we watched several kids music network videos)
On Wednesday, Rowan was finally disconnected from his last sensor and we got discharged around lunch time.
Facebook Feed:
March 31
Rowan is back in the hospital. Again, pediatric asthma. Took him to the ER last night. He spent the night in the picu. We're supposed to be transferred out of the picu soon but he won't be going home today.
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Brent Taylor likes this.
Amanda Raymond Sorry to hear. Hope he's better soon!!!
March 31 at 10:27am · Like
Laura McManis Mulhern Oh no. I don't know what to say anymore. Did it start with a cold this time? Poor baby. Wish I could seal him away from all the bad stuff that makes him sick.
March 31 at 10:33am · Like
Faye Yang We are thinking about Rowan and hope he gets better soon!!
March 31 at 10:43am · Like
Mike Mulhern No cold.
Mike Mulhern's photo.
March 31 at 10:51am · Like
Emily Tompkins Let me know if you need anything. I only work until 1:00 tomorrow. Also am available today if you need anything
March 31 at 11:03am · Edited · Unlike · 1
Laura McManis Mulhern Dad and I can come up there at a moment's notice. Let us know if we can help.
March 31 at 11:04am · Unlike · 1
Victoria Majerczak Tavares . Hugs and prayers he's home soon.
March 31 at 11:25am · Like
Noopur Vijaya Goyal Hope he feels better soon
March 31 at 11:25am · Like
Maureen Mulhern Lewis Poor Rowan. Feel bad for him. I suffer from asthma. Adam did when he was younger but it seldom bothers him now. That can give u hope he will outgrow it
March 31 at 11:45am · Like
Caren Roush Hang in there mom and dad. Good healing thoughts are being sent to you and your little guy!
March 31 at 12:17pm · Like
Christopher Lutz Sorry to hear this! Hope he gets better soon!
March 31 at 12:27pm · Like
Elizabeth Hagerty Sorry to hear about Rowan. Hope he starts feeling better soon
March 31 at 1:03pm · Like
Mike Mulhern Improving. He's happy and talking up a storm.
Mike Mulhern's photo.
March 31 at 1:33pm · Like · 5
Mike Mulhern To the nurse's surprise, he identified the numbers and shaped buttons on that toy.
March 31 at 1:34pm · Like · 2
Amy Pufahl Ziolkowski Poor guy! Hope he can go home soon!
March 31 at 1:41pm · Like
Frank Omana Hope he gets well soon!
March 31 at 4:55pm · Like
Amanda Raymond rest up, lil man!
March 31 at 5:00pm · Like
Kathleen Landers Samuelson Oh no! How is he doing? Do you need help with Sydney?
March 31 at 5:39pm · Unlike · 1
Linda Mulhern Dalton Hope he's all better soon. Poor little guy has had a rough winter
March 31 at 5:41pm · Like
Mike Mulhern Row Row getting a breathing treatment. He has been very cooperative with that.
Mike Mulhern's photo.
March 31 at 8:04pm · Like · 1
Mike Mulhern ....and watching Super Why.
Mike Mulhern's photo.
March 31 at 8:04pm · Like · 1
Mike Mulhern Thank you for the offers of assistance. Assuming he gets to come home tomorrow we should be ok. The hardest part is that there is only one Meghan and both Rowan and Sydney really want each other and their mommy. Rowan is in partial quarantine while they rule out a virus so Syd can't visit. Fortunately Syd is in school all day.
While I was with Rowan today we had 2 I want momma meltdowns and he asked about her every 20 minutes. He probably asked for Sydney every 35 minutes.
Sydney is taking the separation marginally better.
March 31 at 9:35pm · Like
Jennifer Yang We are thinking of you guys! Poor little guy, hope his breathing is better soon. Do let us know how we can help, besides figuring out how to clone Meghan!
March 31 at 10:12pm · Like
Lisa Eakin So sorry to hear he's going through this! Hope he gets to go home soon. You guys hang in there.
March 31 at 10:59pm · Like
Mike Mulhern Doesn't look like he's going home today. The pulmonologist is saying maybe tomorrow.
April 1 at 10:35am · Like
Jenny Loveless Ah, I hate to see him like that. I'm amazed he keeps all those hoses in place. Hang in there! I hope he is able to go home soon.
April 1 at 11:31am · Like
LeLe Alwayzgonbme Smith Prayers to your family and hope he gets better soon. Respiratory issues are scary.
April 1 at 1:14pm · Like
Mike Mulhern We were told last summer after his first episode that Rowan had "pediatric reactive airway disease". Today the pulmonologist said very bluntly, "He has asthma. These are asthma symptoms. Don't listen to the other things they attempt to call it. They do that not to frighten parents."
April 1 at 1:29pm · Like
LeLe Alwayzgonbme Smith My kids have it to and allergic to dogs and cats
My son has "attacks" sometimes n it's very scary trying to keep him calm and getting his breathing right.
April 1 at 1:35pm · Like
Becky Graziano Thinking of you guys!
April 1 at 1:47pm · Like
Mike Mulhern Off oxygen sensor and totally unplugged. Everyone says he sounds great and is well behaved. Just waiting for the pulmonologist to agree to discharge us.
Yesterday at 8:48am · Edited · Like
Michelle Beason Roush Hey good luck with everything! Hope you get to go home soon and he's on the mend.
Yesterday at 8:52am · Like
Mike Mulhern Mmmm. Donut.
Mike Mulhern's photo.
Yesterday at 8:56am · Like
Mike Mulhern We're home. Rowan will be on an additional preventative inhaler for the next 2 or more years to hopefully keep him out of the ER. This will be in addition to his other inhaler and our nebulizer.
Yesterday at 2:20pm · Like
Mike Mulhern Both Sydney last night an Rowan upon arriving home today have felt an obsessive need to clean the house. Last night Sydney insisted on running the vacuum cleaner herself. After arriving home, Rowan ran around and brought me everything in our basement that was out of place. Very odd.
Yesterday at 3:26pm · Like