They say when it rains, it pours. That has certainly been the case the last three weeks. I've had a important work project going for that last few weeks that has required overtime to keep on track. Labor Day weekend, Ellie and Braven traveled to stay with her parents in Colorado during this project, as she would have more support than at home through the project.

It was a bit of challenge getting them both through the airport when her nervous system has been so dysfunctional, but I was able to get an escort pass and take them all the way to the gate. 

We were also able to use the TSA Cares program, which allow us to get through security with an TSA employee and bypass much of the hassle. We were very grateful for that. Braven had a great time on the airplane, including yelling, "The plane is crashing! Woooooaaaaahhhh!" repeatedly on the descent. Almost everyone got a good laugh out of that. Her parents were also able to get escort passes and meet them at the gate with a wheelchair. Other than her usual symptoms, Ellie was feeling "normal."

That next night, she started experiencing symptoms of a severe UTI. She had had labs just a day or two before traveling with no indication of infection, but it came on strong and her regular doctor can't prescribe medication out of state.

 Fortunately, there's a quality Urgent Care clinic just a few minutes away from her parents, so she was able to get in on Tuesday morning. She was able to get in and out quickly with better care than she's ever gotten at home. They prescribed the antibiotics and sent her on. After the first dose, she started to feel better that night.

Early on Wednesday morning, a fever spiked and her oxygen levels dropped, with tachycardia. Her mom got her back to urgent care as soon as it opened and kept Braven occupied (with the elevator). 

Urgent care sent her to the ER (also nearby), worried about a possible pulmonary embolism. Ellie was shaky, cold, and miserable. Even though she was in the waiting room for a while, a nurse brought regular doses of oven-warmed blankets to keep her comfortable until a bed was open. After scans and tests, they determined there was no embolism, though the infection had quickly spread into her blood.  They prescribed a different antibiotic to combat the infection in the blood and discharged her later in the morning.

Her parents had a scheduled trip later that day to attend Chad's mom's celebration of life in WA State, but Wendy decided to stay home with Braven and Ellie while she was recovering. I'm very grateful for their support, as I know it was a sacrifice to stay behind. Braven loved time with Nana and Papa, but also missed home and Daddy so much.

The antibiotics seemed to be working and providing relief at first, but Ellie's fever spiked up and her o2 dropped really low into the 80s again on Friday, so back to the ER she went. They didnt even pause but rushed her back to a room. Her blood infection levels were down, but her heart was stressed and she was experiencing respiratory distress. The doctors concluded that her body is just so weak from this summer's chronic battle and the elevation was not helping her out. After leaving the ER (again), she went home to get some rest. She then had a full allergic reaction to the antibiotics, which was probably part of the earlier respiratory and tachycardic issues, so she had to stop them. The infection seemed to have cleared up enough for her body to fight on its own by Tuesday. 

And then it started back again on Thursday morning. The bacteria culture came back from the lab, and it showed that it was a intensely antibiotic-resistant strain with high sepsis risk (of course it would be). Her only options were now between two different antibiotics: one she'd never had before but her family members have severe allergies to; or another with black box warnings including the possibility of ligament ruptures when lifting weight (like maybe a toddler). Of the options, the second one seemed the least risky. 

Part 2 coming soon