Complications

Sunday December 26th Julia developed some fairly significant fevers in addition to her nasty cough.  We were able to bring them down with Tylenol (no ibuprofen with recent surgery) and on Wednesday she went  24 hours without a fever.  Yeah--thought she was on the road to recovery.  NOT!!  Thursday, after our last social work post placement visit, Ted and I took the kids to a movie.  After the movie, Julia coughed so hard she vomited all over the van.  And the fevers came back.  I listened with my stethoscope and thought I heard some crackles--but it cleared quickly.  During the early hours of the 31st, Julia woke up with a severe coughing fit, high temperature, rapid breathing, and some "tugging" when breathing.  Needless to say--momma the pediatric nurse was scared shitless--but was also concerned she was reading too much into it.  So I called my night shift coworkers and asked their opinion.  Its what we would do if one of us had questions with a patient.  All advised to bring her into the ER.  Which I did.  ER doctor heard something that passed in her lungs, saw the increased work of breathing, low pulse oximetry, etc etc.  So, chest xray time--which showed pneumonia.  The ER doctor called it "hospital acquired pneumonia".  So, what does that mean?  The thought is that possibly, during her surgery, she somehow aspirated around her breathing tube.  Rare occurrence--but it does happen.  She did come in with a cough--but her lungs were clear, no fever.  So, who knows?  What caused what?  We'll never know.
So, because mom is anal retentive and a little nuts--Julia was able to come home with her own personal pediatric nurse literally breathing down her neck--and antibiotics.  Its taken a couple of days--but she's rebounding.  Still coughing--which I expect for a week or so.
The bone graft looks good.  Next up--wait and see how it takes and orthodontics.