Leah's First Hospitalization

There's a First Time for Everything

BUT, this is a first that we didn't want... but knew to expect at some point.  Please pray for Leah.  She is having a significant pulmonary exacerbation and was hospitalized on Tuesday.  This is her first hospitalization.  So everything feels a little traumatic, but she is such a trooper!

She had been home from school all last week with increased cough and congestion.  We thought she was probably fighting some type of virus.  But rather than getting better over the weekend, her cough worsened and was deep and persistent.  She also ran a high fever and had very little appetite, so she barely ate anything.

We brought her in to see her CF doctor on Tuesday. He wanted to examine her, get a chest x-ray, and run some tests.  Noticing the changes in her chest x​-ray, he decided to admit her to the hospital to recieve two antibiotics intravenously.  She started both IV antibiotics on Tuesday and will need to be on them for 14 days.  We expect ​her ​to be in the hospital for at least one week, or possibly the full 14 days, depending on how she does. 

Leah had a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter​) line placed on Wednesday, which will stay in for the duration of her antibiotic treatment.  ​This allows her to move around more freely, as it is in her arm, compared to the IV that was orginially placed in her hand.

​As you may know, we have been concerned about the NTM infection that Leah has.  ​Doctor ​does not think this is from the NTM infection.  Rather, this is ​most likely due to a pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, a typical CF pathogen. ​Even though Leah has not cultured pseudo in her ​throat culture, he suspects that it is present in her lungs.  He expects her to feel much better as we treat the infection. 

She's being well taken care of and is mostly in good spirits.  She especially cheered up when her sisters came to visit last night​.  Between her different treatments and our regular CF clinic team visiting throughout the day, there seems to be a constant flow of people coming in and out of her room checking on her.​  ​She even had a magician visit her today, who taught her how to do a magic trick.​

We will keep you updated as we are able.  ​We appreciate your prayers!​