Trying to stay out of the hospital!

Well, Ethan is sick. And I mean VERY sick. It came on quite suddenly. He started getting a little cough yesterday, but really had no other symptms. By last night his cough was getting pretty bad and his oxygen levels were starting to drop. They were dipping into the 80's during the night and he was really having a difficult night sleeping. I could tell by early this morning that we would soon be in the hospital if we didn't try to head this one off quickly. I called the pediatrician first thing this morning, but the soonest they could see us was 2:50 this afternoon. I didn't think it was a problem since it was still today. As the day progressed, Ethan rapidly went downhill and began running a fever, became very clingy and more lethargic, his breathing became shallow and rapid, and his heartrate increased. His oxygen sats were still in the 90's, but barely, so I still had hope that we could avoid the hospital. In the doctor's office he was like a limp rag on the exam table and our pediatrician did a flu test on his immediately. Thankfully that came back negative. He had to do two different breathing treatments in the office to try to bring his sats up and they never got above 91. He gave him some Orapred while we were there to get him started on it right away. He said that the only thing keeping Ethan out of the hospital right now is the fact that we have been through this with him so many times before, we have the sat monitor at home to watch him, and we have the nebulizer at home with all of the meds. The only thing we don't have at home is oxygen. He is treating Ethan for bacterial and viral pneumonia. He said that if Ethan's sats drop below 88, then we need to head to the hospital. I asked if that was 88 while he was awake or asleep because it always drops lower while he is sleeping. He said 88 PERIOD! So we need lots of prayers that these meds start doing their job and knocking out whatever nasty thing has taken up residence in Ethan's little lungs. He does not need to be in the hospital for Christmas!!!!!!!!