Attack of the RSV

No, this is not a post regarding bible version wars… it’s about human respiratory syncytial virus.

Last Friday, Tabitha started getting a bit of a cough, considering the amount of dust and pollen in the air and the rest of the family (and county’s) issues with allergies, we did not think it was anything too bad. We kept her home, and ran the humidifier to help cut down on the dust and pollen in the house. By Monday however, this “innocent” little cough had turned into a horrible, gag inducing, phlegm-ball spewing illness. Denita had to call EMS out while I was at work to have Tabitha checked out.

By the time the EMTs had checked Tabitha out, her vitals were stable and she had calmed down. Denita called Tabi’s doctor first thing in the morning to setup a checkup for her. I got Tabitha to the doctor at about 2:00pm and her PulseOx reading was about 88%. They put her on an O₂ line and her PulseOx reading would go back up to 98%, but when the O₂ was taken away, her level would drop to 88% again. She also had a serious mucus buildup going on in her sinus cavities.

After a few breathing treatments and several attempts to remove the mucus with a bulb syringe, the pediatrician got the results back from the nose swab test… Positive for RSV.

For adults and older kids, RSV is just annoying, but for babies (especially those just over a month old), it can become life-threatening due to the mucus buildup leading to further complications like pneumonia. Tabitha’s pediatrician arranged transportation via EMS to Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin so there would not be any chance of her choking on mucus during the trip.

Thankfully, the infection had not reached the point of mucus getting into her lungs, so with just a lot of vacuum line work with her nose and overnight observation, Tabitha was able to return home Wednesday afternoon.

Since then, we have gotten some better air purifiers for the house (to cut down on the irritants in the air) and after just one hour of these things running, there was a noticeable difference to the air quality (in fact, I was actually getting a little light-headed from extra oxygen due to the fact that I was breathing easier than I probably had in years! [for those interested, the Therapure 201M is well worth the investment]).

Tabitha is now sleeping easier and able to keep down her food (Thursday, we almost had to take her back to the hospital because, while the mucus buildup was not as bad, she was still getting into coughing fits that would cause her to eject everything she had eaten). Things are slowly returning back to normal here at home. Tabitha will be confined to the house for a while as this virus runs its course. The doctor said that it might be 10 days or so before the mucus issue goes away, and it might be up to 6 weeks before the cough finally goes away.

Was it Really Just One Month Ago?

 

Fun with Digital Cameras

 With a slow shutter speed, you too can have Demon-possessed family members!

Can Anything Good Come out of Nazareth Hip-Hop?

For those out there that think that Hip-Hop is only evil, has nothing good to give to this world... take a listen to this young man:



One of the side effects of my recent fast was to awaken an even greater hunger for the Truth in my life. Especially in the things I listen to and watch.

Unfortunately, I have to say that I still find most modern, Christian themed music to be incredibly uninspired or lacking in creative talent.

Then, of all genres of music, I found Christian Rap!

Until just recently, I NEVER would have thought that I would like any rap song other than Anthrax's "I'm the Man". But listening to the Truth in the words of some of these rap artists (yes these guys actually do, through God's Grace, elevate rap to an art form), I am floored, and hooked.

The young man featured above is the rap artist Lecrae. What the Lord is doing in his, and other rap artists' lives is nothing short of awesome. Do yourself a favor, even if you do not like rap in the slightest, head on over to Reach Records or ReachLife Ministries and see the wonders of the Lord's power and Grace.

May the Lord continue blessing these Godly men in their mission to bring the Gospel of Christ to the inner cities.

The Problem with the Mountain

I don't have a lot of time right now, but Denita wanted me to post this thought I had soon after finishing my fast.

Many religions state that God is on the top of the mountain and that there are several paths to the summit, all eventually leading to God.

Problem: God is NOT on a mountain, He is in Heaven. The top of the mountain gives mankind a place above man's workings, to survey all of his works... but it is still below the view of all of God's workings.

God HAS to come down to meet mankind!

If God has to come down to mankind, then God must choose where to meet man... Christ Jesus.

Happy New Year!

 
I know New Year's Day is really just an arbitrary date, but having milestones in life help keep things in perspective. 2008 was a whirlwind ride for the family with blessing after blessing for us.

We had Denita's pregnancy and then Tabitha's arrival.

We had Denita's mom and my aunt and uncle being affected by Hurricane Ike. God provided strength for them to get through the worst times. Even though my family members are living in a FEMA trailer, still fending off looters, my aunt was able to visit her mother in New Braunfels for her 90th birthday celebration at Thanksgiving and was able to take the time to make a beautiful little dress as a gift for Tabi.

God continues to provide us support and love through the little church he brought us to.

And most importantly, God brought us closer together as a family, not just between Denita, Zane, Tabitha and I; but also bringing us closer to HIM as well.

May everyone realize that even in the worst of times, there are always blessings from God there to help us through the trials.

Happy New Year to all of you!