Hospital stay

As most of you know, Wilson Manno had to be admitted to the hospital this week for what was supposed to be a quick procedure and overnight stay. Instead, it turned into several procedures and two overnights. The good news is that many tests were done and his amazing doctor and nurse practitioner now have a good plan to get him healthy. 

Many of you have asked me the details of the past couple of days. I love how much you care about him and our family. Here is my attempt to tell you what is happening and where we are headed without boring you to death with medical jargon that I am only pretending to understand. 

Wilson Manno has had a cough and suspected TB for the past 4 months. He has been on meds but they don't seem to be working so further testing was needed. Yesterday, they did a bronchoscopy to collect some of the 'goodies' he has been hiding in his lungs. It was a very difficult day because he could not eat before the procedure. There was a mix-up about which room we would be in for the procedure and there was a lot of over-reaction about his TB status and whether he was allowed among the general public. The research and the doctors in charge of his case agree that even if he has it, he cannot spread it. The nurses on the floor did not agree. ;)  We were quarantined in a room for 3.5 hours while we waited for the medical staff to be available. At 1:00, they started. By then, he was very angry and very afraid that he would not eat. Needless to say, he was very happy to have his beloved goldfish back in his hands. (ok, so he doesn't exactly look happy here but that was the anesthesia talking...not his true feelings. A mom knows.)

The view from outside of our door. (this photo was obtained illegally.)

Every person who entered our room had to wash and put on a mask and gown--and then do the reverse when they left. 

Our view from inside of our 'Outbreak' room. Dustin Hoffman never showed up which was very disappointing.

They have decided that he either has TB (and is resistant to one of the meds he was taking) or has something different (but similar) called MAC. Either way, they have decided to treat both of them now instead of waiting until the cultures grow while he gets sicker.  

One of the meds he will be given daily is an IV med and will have to be given through a picc line. This line will also allow them to draw blood to check his levels without having to poke him every time we come to the clinic. They had to do a quick procedure this morning to put that line in and while he was under, they put an ng tube in to get a sample of all the goodness that is living in his belly right now. That will come out tomorrow before we leave.

A gift from Gramma and Grandad:

Chicken and rice and yogurt!

Giving the new picc line a spin.

We are leaving tomorrow after one more dose of meds through the line. 
For those of you who know me well, this next part will shock you. I can now watch a blood draw without passing out. I can hook and unhook all the wires attached to him and still get him to the bathroom on time. And I can almost hold the cup to collect the sputum sample. Almost. 

One Game, Two Games...

Old Games, New (to them) Games

We went to a birthday party today for our friend, Abel. I took my good camera so I could get lots of great pictures aaannnd, I forgot the SD card so you get pictures from my phone instead.  
There were a bunch of old-school video games that were FREE! The kids played on those for the first hour until it was time to go upstairs for pizza, fruit and cupcakes. Then back downstairs for more games, a pinata and fun with friends. They had a great time and were all asleep in the car 10 minutes after we left the party.

Halloween Firsts

Tonight, Wilson Manno went trick-or-treating for the first time. I try to keep things simple during Halloween because the boys can become over-whelmed, over-loaded and over-sugared pretty quickly. We spent the afternoon at the boys' school watching them march in the Halloween parade and then came home to drop off backpacks and goody bags so they could go out trick-or-treating. It rained all day here but the boys didn't mind. They love any chance to stomp in a few puddles. Add candy to that and they were in heaven!

My little Zookeeper. Since the time that he knew that he could 'be' something when he grew up, he has wanted to be a zookeeper. He loved putting his costume together this year.

 Cutest Cowboy ever.

In Haiti, Wilson Manno wanted the drs. and some of the staff at the care center to call him Dr. Manno. His costume was an easy choice. 

Ready to roll!

Wilson Manno's very first trick-or-treat experience:

He's a pro!

Andrew ran out to give the mailman a piece of candy. 

Eating candy, counting candy and waiting for more candy. Happy Halloween!