Still Seoul Searching: Caleb's Hospital Stay

Last month, we had one of the most exhausting weeks of our life. Our five week old Caleb had pneumonia, caused by RSV. After a few weeks of sickness being in our home, and our exhausted efforts to keep Caleb safe from the germs, the poor little guy caught it and became very ill.

After two long nights of caring for him at home and getting very little sleep, I groggily dragged Caleb and myself to the pediatrician's office at our nearby international clinic. He had no fever, just congestion and decreased appetite, so I was surprised when she suspected pneumonia and ordered a chest x-ray. The x-ray confirmed her suspicion and she suggested he be admitted to the hospital. Again I was surprised. None of my children have ever been admitted to a hospital. I myself have never been admitted to a hospital, except to give birth. So this was a new experience for us. And, being in a Korean hospital, I was a bit worried about translation abilities & English proficiency of the hospital staff. Would I be able to communicate and understand what was going on?

We live a short 5 minute drive from the hospital. So I drove home and packed our bag and then returned and checked in. It was Friday early evening when we got settled in our room. All the shared rooms were full, so they put us in a private room. Though it was pricey, it ended up being a blessing because it was so quiet and I was so incredibly exhausted and in need of a good night's sleep.

Caleb's condition worsened greatly throughout the day on Friday. And by nighttime, his cough sounded terrible. So I was SO grateful that we were in the hospital by then. He was also down to eating less than half of what he normally ate. So he was in pretty bad shape. I was so thankful to get him on an IV to get him some fluids. However, I cried the whole time they were putting the IV in. This was half because I was so tired after two nights of very little sleep, and pretty much anything will make me cry when I'm that tired. And it was half because it took the nurse so long to find a suitable vein on such a tiny baby. Caleb was only 5 weeks old and his veins were so tiny and hard to find that she had to poke him several times before she found one that worked. I think he was poked about 4 times in the foot and 4 times in the hand before a good vein was found. His little hands and feet got so bruised throughout that week from all the needle-poking.

After a couple of hours, I noticed his arm was swelling a lot. I showed the nurse and she sent me back to the needle-poking room to start over again, getting him a new IV because apparently this first one didn't work after all. This time she found a good vein on the first try, so I was very pleased. Back to our room, we began his treatments and medications. I was so grateful that my friend, Ji Yeon, came that night to help me. There were three different oral medications we had to give him and two different nebulizer medications and they all had to be given at different times, a certain number of hours apart from each other. I was way too tired to process all the information and carry out all I needed to do to take care of him. Ji Yeon got me through it. She kept track of it all for the first 24 hours or so. Honestly, I don't know what I would have done without her. And that first night, she stayed there with me and helped me care for Caleb throughout the night so that I could rest. I needed rest so badly and would not have gotten hardly any had she not been there. Caleb was so uncomfortable, he could hardly sleep unless he was being held and walked.

The next day a shared room became available. I was not too excited about the thought of a shared room, being so worried about Caleb being exposed to more germs and me being in a noisy room where it might be difficult for us to sleep. But the private room was simply too expensive, so I just prayed that we would be matched well with roommates. And my prayers were answered. A lovely little 11 month old girl with pneumonia and her mother roomed with us. Her was mother Korean, her father Canadian, so they spoke English well and we enjoyed visiting with each other. I really enjoyed getting to know them. After a few days, they went home and we remained in the hospital. Again I stressed about who would take their place. My prayers were answered again as a sweet mother and her 4 month old baby joined us. She also spoke English, well enough for us to communicate, and we had a really great time talking to each other. She was very cheerful and positive. Rooming with her was a great blessing. We exchanged phone numbers and I hope we will always stay in touch and be friends from now on.

My prayers were answered in many other ways as well. During my 7 day stay, Ji Yeon was able to stay 3 nights with me. Those were the most difficult nights and I don't know how I would have survived them without her there helping me. My home teachers came one evening and gave Caleb a blessing. Brother Ahn from my ward came and gave me a blessing. The full-time missionaries visited me and shared a meaningful scripture. My Relief Society presidency came to visit me. And every day, at least one sister in my ward came to visit with me for a couple of hours and hold Caleb so that I could take a shower. All the doctors and nurses were exceptional. And most of them spoke English very well. I now have great confidence in Korean hospitals. Caleb received excellent care. Joel and the kids were also helped a great deal by ward members and friends who brought meals and watched Sarah so Joel could continue to go to work. We were overwhelmed by all the love and support we received. I don't know how we would have made it through the week without all the help they gave us.

The scripture the missionaries shared with me was Mosiah 24:15,

"And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord."

The night the missionaries shared this scripture with me, I had had a very difficult day. I had thought Caleb would be well enough to be released that morning, but that morning's chest x-ray showed that his condition had worsened rather than improved. He had coughed so hard the previous day that he could hardly hold down any food or medicine. He was therefore so hungry that I had spent that entire night awake, feeding him. So I was not surprised that his chest x-ray showed that he had worsened, but the news was still very discouraging. This meant we would be staying a few more days. I was very discouraged and exhausted. When the Elders shared this scripture with me, I felt the Spirit strongly. I knew I needed to cheerfully submit and that if I did so, the Lord would strengthen me.

Right after the missionaries left, a nurse came in to check Caleb's IV. It had stopped working again. We were back to the needle-poking room, getting a new IV. This time the needle-poking nurse was a woman who spoke excellent English. She told me about her son who is ten years old and has always had serious health problems. He has spent nearly 365 days of his life on an IV. She told me she has had to learn to be a strong mom. She had to poke Caleb a few times before finding a good vein, but I did not cry. I felt strengthened by her words and by the scripture the missionaries shared. Cheerfully submit, cheerfully submit, I silently repeated to myself.

From that point on, Caleb's condition started to improve. He was able to hold down his food and medicine. He was able to sleep better. And the congestion in his lungs began to release. I felt stronger too. By the end of the week, I had truly learned how to cheerfully submit to all the challenges we faced there. I learned to trust in the Lord and have faith that He knew what I needed, what Caleb needed, and what my family needed to make it through that week. He strengthened me. And He sent people to help us. It was a real faith-building experience for me. I really was able to bear up my burdens with ease. That strength was truly a gift.

The next day, Brother Ahn sent me a text on my phone. It was a scripture, Mosiah 24:16:

"And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage."

I cried when I read this. The next morning, after another chest x-ray and visit from the doctor, she told us Caleb could be released that day. I was so happy. After seven days, Caleb was finally well enough for us to be able to go home.

I was a bit nervous to take care of him at home, since he was not fully recovered yet and still required so much care. And I knew I would miss delicious Korean meals delivered to me three times a day. :) But I was really happy to go home as well. Joel had stopped by a couple times to visit, but I hadn't seen the kids for a full week.

I called Joel to tell him the good news. Then I packed up our things and he came to pick us up. I couldn't believe we were finally leaving. I had spent so much time in confinement, that I had begun to wonder if there was life outside that little hospital room. Before we left, I took a few pictures, so that I would always be able to remember our time there, and all the blessings we received during this trying week.

Our hospital room: