This is just stuff that I washed after using TONIGHT. T-O-N-I-G-H-T PEOPLE!!
Good gracious.
Showing posts with label Medical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Medical. Show all posts
10.28.2009
Math
2 sick kids + Dr. Appt = LOTS OF MEDICINE TO GIVE!
This is just stuff that I washed after using TONIGHT. T-O-N-I-G-H-T PEOPLE!!
Good gracious.
This is just stuff that I washed after using TONIGHT. T-O-N-I-G-H-T PEOPLE!!
Good gracious.
Oink, Oink
Last Friday I picked the kids up from daycare and I could tell that something was wrong with Lacey. I automatically assumed it was the evil little trolls, but after we got into the privacy of my car, she told me that she was just very tired and did not feel good. When we got home, I took her temperature and she was running a fever of 102.6.
I gave her some medicine for the fever and she ate some of her dinner. Then…my child…the one I swear has ADHD sometimes…the one that CANNOT sit still…went upstairs to her room, got in her PJs and went to sleep.
It was only 7pm. And she slept a solid 13 hours.
The rest of the weekend she seemed okay. She was still a little tired and didn’t eat like she normally would. She had developed a cough and was sneezing her little head off. But she played…..oh she played and played. Every now and then we would check her and it would feel like she may have a low grade fever but she was never warm enough to warrant a thermometer.
By Monday, she seemed to feel a little worse. I offered multiple times to let her stay home from school, but she didn’t want to and since she didn’t have a fever I didn’t see a reason to keep her home
Tuesday I called the pediatrician because Zach has been having problems with his asthma. Of course, they would not call in more medicine or change it without seeing him. I decided if I was going to take him, I might as well take Lacey to get her checked out.
She has the swine flu plus a touch of pneumonia in one of her lungs. His O2 levels were at 95% (not good). It cost me $80.00 in co-pays just to have them seen. Then I have 5 prescriptions to pick up this afternoon. Insurance needs to be fixed. Some woman with 5 kids was in there with me...obviously not working and didn't pay a G-D DIME. I can't catch a break because I WORK.
It is SO frustrating, but I shall save my rant for another day.
Either way, my little girl had the infamous swine flu and never missed a beat. She even was cleared to go back to school after we left the pediatrician. She is at the tail end of the flu, so why not let her if she wants to, right? She was contagious last week.
Let us just keep our fingers crossed that Zach does not get it. Not only is he high risk because of his age, but he also has a chronic lung problem. If he gets a bad case, at best, it would be a hospital visit and I do not even want to think about anything worse than that.
I gave her some medicine for the fever and she ate some of her dinner. Then…my child…the one I swear has ADHD sometimes…the one that CANNOT sit still…went upstairs to her room, got in her PJs and went to sleep.
It was only 7pm. And she slept a solid 13 hours.
The rest of the weekend she seemed okay. She was still a little tired and didn’t eat like she normally would. She had developed a cough and was sneezing her little head off. But she played…..oh she played and played. Every now and then we would check her and it would feel like she may have a low grade fever but she was never warm enough to warrant a thermometer.
By Monday, she seemed to feel a little worse. I offered multiple times to let her stay home from school, but she didn’t want to and since she didn’t have a fever I didn’t see a reason to keep her home
Tuesday I called the pediatrician because Zach has been having problems with his asthma. Of course, they would not call in more medicine or change it without seeing him. I decided if I was going to take him, I might as well take Lacey to get her checked out.
She has the swine flu plus a touch of pneumonia in one of her lungs. His O2 levels were at 95% (not good). It cost me $80.00 in co-pays just to have them seen. Then I have 5 prescriptions to pick up this afternoon. Insurance needs to be fixed. Some woman with 5 kids was in there with me...obviously not working and didn't pay a G-D DIME. I can't catch a break because I WORK.
It is SO frustrating, but I shall save my rant for another day.
Either way, my little girl had the infamous swine flu and never missed a beat. She even was cleared to go back to school after we left the pediatrician. She is at the tail end of the flu, so why not let her if she wants to, right? She was contagious last week.
Let us just keep our fingers crossed that Zach does not get it. Not only is he high risk because of his age, but he also has a chronic lung problem. If he gets a bad case, at best, it would be a hospital visit and I do not even want to think about anything worse than that.
10.21.2009
Losing my religion...
Every year around this time I get an overwhelming sense of guilt. I'm reminded of the chain of events that began my journey away from a belief I grew up with. To turn your back on something that you were taught to believe all of your life is difficult.
Everything about it was and is still so very sad.
Zach was born on Sept. 18, 2006. He was the boy I had always wanted. Big, fat and healthy as can be. A quiet little guy who loved to snuggle with me and sleep. The bond I had with him was instant. While I love Lacey dearly, there was an immediate special bond different from the one I had with Lacey.
Zachary and I left the hospital on Sept. 21, both very happy (heavy!) and healthy. In less than a week we both had contracted viral meningitis & a very common cold virus.
Of course we didn’t know that was what we had. I just felt a little crappy, like I was catching a little cold, I had mastitis and was less than two weeks out of a c-section that had a few complications. I was also adjusting to having TWO kids and Andy had just gone back to work. I was still nursing despite the mastitis and like any other newborn & new mom; we were still trying to work out the kinks.
I remember the morning very clearly. I actually still beat myself up about how I handled it. I was exhausted. It was 2 am and Zach was crying and wouldn’t stop. Andy couldn’t help because…. well I had the goods. Zach acted like he was hungry and I knew he should be, but for some reason he would not eat. He would try, but give up so quickly which was unlike him. His crying wasn’t a LOUD, MAD cry; it was almost between a constant whimper and a whine. I should have known then. Finally, after hours of doing everything I knew to do I just laid him down in his bassinet and gave up. I dozed on and off between his cries and would pat his little bottom almost constantly trying to soothe him. I should have held him close and kept trying....
The rest of the day becomes a blur. I remember waking up around 8 with Lacey and he was sound asleep. I tried to wake him up for another attempt at nursing since it had been a very long time for him to have gone without eating, but I couldn’t get him to wake up and stay awake long enough. I called our pediatrician and they confirmed my thoughts – he’s just as tired as me, plus he is a sleeper anyways. They told me he would be fine but to call them if he didn’t get better by early afternoon. I should have known.
Fast forward to noon and he still was sleeping and not waking up for more than just a minute or so and now he has a low grade fever. I called the pediatrician back and was on my way to their office in minutes.
By the time I made it into the office (maybe 40 minutes) we couldn’t wake him up and his fever had shot up to 102 – which is bad news for a newborn. We were offered an ambulance ride to CHOA, but I would have to leave Lacey with someone as she would not be allowed in the ambulance. EVERYONE I knew was either busy or out of town. My parents were in Mexico of all places. My sister getting ready for her best friend’s wedding, grandparents were out of town…it was a mess. I opted (with the permission of our Dr.) to go directly to the hospital in my car. He was very clear that I was not to go home, get gas, stop for food, nothing. That is when I thought I knew how serious this was.
Andy met me at the hospital and his mom wasn’t far behind him. I was told Zach’s condition was life-threatening and he would be admitted for a minimum of 3 days. We had X-rays, spinal taps, urine culture, blood cultures, blood work and an IV within 45 minutes of our arrival.
I was beginning to feel really bad and run a fever. When we finally got settled in a room it was past 11:00 pm and I told Andy he could just go home with Lacey and I would be okay. Reluctantly he and his mom left.
I stood by his hospital crib for hours. He was still un-responsive and other than the IV had received no nourishment for 24 hours. I distinctly remembered asking one of his nurses if it would be alright if I lay down in the chair next to his crib. My fever was hitting 102 and I was having a hard time standing next to him. (I still had the staples in my stomach from the C-section) Zach obviously wasn’t going to wake up right now and he seemed, to me, to be stable and I wasn’t expecting a change, good or bad, anytime soon. What she told me still haunts me today.
I will never forget those words. I will never forget her tone when she said those words. It was a cross between sympathy and strength. Like she really felt sorry for me but didn't want for me to know it.
No one had made it sound that serious. What had I missed? So I asked her if he would make it through the night. Apparently the attending Dr. in the ER didn’t tell us everything. They weren’t sure if he would make it another 24 hours. They still had no idea what was making him so sick and even with his IV, broad spectrum antibiotics, Tylenol and packing him in ice – his fever was still hovering around 105. A fever of any kind for a newborn is bad – 105 is often fatal.
I was so shocked I just nodded my head. At that very moment my life changed forever. I hadn’t realized the magnitude of the situation.
There I stood all night. Telling him how much I loved him, how I had fallen in love with him the moment I found out I was pregnant. Asking him, begging him to fight. Telling him that I needed more than 11 days with him. That night as I stood there by his crib alone my life changed forever. Everything I had ever thought I believed was gone.
The next day Andy didn’t make it to the hospital until after lunch. He didn’t know the magnitude of the situation – and when he found out he was afraid. He avoided the subject like the plague. When the pediatrician on call made her rounds that afternoon she confirmed the information I had received the night before and told me his condition had only deteriorated. His heart rate was irregular, his oxygen low, and his fever still dangerously high. They were moving him to the NICU.
My symptoms were getting worse and Zach wasn’t getting better. Andy was trying to juggle Lacey, work and our house. He has many good qualities and I love him dearly, but he just. checked.out. He couldn't handle it, so he checked out.
Those were the darkest days of my whole life.
Long story short, this continued for 6 very long days. His was poked over 30 times for IVs because his veins kept collapsing. They had shaved spots on his head and his arms, hands, wrists, feet and ankles were full of bruises.
After the 6th day, the virus was finally found growing in his spinal fluid cultures, and by talking with the doctors and keeping an eye on my symptoms we were all but 100% positive Zach and I had menengitis..something we probably caught at the hospital when he was born. (You can't test for a virus like that...just bacterial infections) So basically both of the viruses had attacked his (very immature) nervous system.
He has had some nervous system problems and we have been through 2 years of thearapy for his speech and vestibular problems.
Even now, 3 years later, I cannot fully enjoy his birthday. I cry everytime I think of what he had to go through and of how closely I came to losing a child. Its not something you will ever forget - nor is it something you can explain or understand unless it is something you have experienced yourself.
I like to think I am a very strong person, but this...this broke me.
I hope one day I will find peace with the month of September.
Everything about it was and is still so very sad.
Zach was born on Sept. 18, 2006. He was the boy I had always wanted. Big, fat and healthy as can be. A quiet little guy who loved to snuggle with me and sleep. The bond I had with him was instant. While I love Lacey dearly, there was an immediate special bond different from the one I had with Lacey.
Zachary and I left the hospital on Sept. 21, both very happy (heavy!) and healthy. In less than a week we both had contracted viral meningitis & a very common cold virus.
Of course we didn’t know that was what we had. I just felt a little crappy, like I was catching a little cold, I had mastitis and was less than two weeks out of a c-section that had a few complications. I was also adjusting to having TWO kids and Andy had just gone back to work. I was still nursing despite the mastitis and like any other newborn & new mom; we were still trying to work out the kinks.
I remember the morning very clearly. I actually still beat myself up about how I handled it. I was exhausted. It was 2 am and Zach was crying and wouldn’t stop. Andy couldn’t help because…. well I had the goods. Zach acted like he was hungry and I knew he should be, but for some reason he would not eat. He would try, but give up so quickly which was unlike him. His crying wasn’t a LOUD, MAD cry; it was almost between a constant whimper and a whine. I should have known then. Finally, after hours of doing everything I knew to do I just laid him down in his bassinet and gave up. I dozed on and off between his cries and would pat his little bottom almost constantly trying to soothe him. I should have held him close and kept trying....
The rest of the day becomes a blur. I remember waking up around 8 with Lacey and he was sound asleep. I tried to wake him up for another attempt at nursing since it had been a very long time for him to have gone without eating, but I couldn’t get him to wake up and stay awake long enough. I called our pediatrician and they confirmed my thoughts – he’s just as tired as me, plus he is a sleeper anyways. They told me he would be fine but to call them if he didn’t get better by early afternoon. I should have known.
Fast forward to noon and he still was sleeping and not waking up for more than just a minute or so and now he has a low grade fever. I called the pediatrician back and was on my way to their office in minutes.
By the time I made it into the office (maybe 40 minutes) we couldn’t wake him up and his fever had shot up to 102 – which is bad news for a newborn. We were offered an ambulance ride to CHOA, but I would have to leave Lacey with someone as she would not be allowed in the ambulance. EVERYONE I knew was either busy or out of town. My parents were in Mexico of all places. My sister getting ready for her best friend’s wedding, grandparents were out of town…it was a mess. I opted (with the permission of our Dr.) to go directly to the hospital in my car. He was very clear that I was not to go home, get gas, stop for food, nothing. That is when I thought I knew how serious this was.
Andy met me at the hospital and his mom wasn’t far behind him. I was told Zach’s condition was life-threatening and he would be admitted for a minimum of 3 days. We had X-rays, spinal taps, urine culture, blood cultures, blood work and an IV within 45 minutes of our arrival.
I was beginning to feel really bad and run a fever. When we finally got settled in a room it was past 11:00 pm and I told Andy he could just go home with Lacey and I would be okay. Reluctantly he and his mom left.
I stood by his hospital crib for hours. He was still un-responsive and other than the IV had received no nourishment for 24 hours. I distinctly remembered asking one of his nurses if it would be alright if I lay down in the chair next to his crib. My fever was hitting 102 and I was having a hard time standing next to him. (I still had the staples in my stomach from the C-section) Zach obviously wasn’t going to wake up right now and he seemed, to me, to be stable and I wasn’t expecting a change, good or bad, anytime soon. What she told me still haunts me today.
“Honey, if I were you I would stand right there. You stay by your boy’s side and you tell him how much you love him. You tell him to fight. You tell him how much you need him. You tell him not to leave you yet. He needs to know you are beside him because he is going to have to fight hard.”
No one had made it sound that serious. What had I missed? So I asked her if he would make it through the night. Apparently the attending Dr. in the ER didn’t tell us everything. They weren’t sure if he would make it another 24 hours. They still had no idea what was making him so sick and even with his IV, broad spectrum antibiotics, Tylenol and packing him in ice – his fever was still hovering around 105. A fever of any kind for a newborn is bad – 105 is often fatal.
I was so shocked I just nodded my head. At that very moment my life changed forever. I hadn’t realized the magnitude of the situation.
There I stood all night. Telling him how much I loved him, how I had fallen in love with him the moment I found out I was pregnant. Asking him, begging him to fight. Telling him that I needed more than 11 days with him. That night as I stood there by his crib alone my life changed forever. Everything I had ever thought I believed was gone.
The next day Andy didn’t make it to the hospital until after lunch. He didn’t know the magnitude of the situation – and when he found out he was afraid. He avoided the subject like the plague. When the pediatrician on call made her rounds that afternoon she confirmed the information I had received the night before and told me his condition had only deteriorated. His heart rate was irregular, his oxygen low, and his fever still dangerously high. They were moving him to the NICU.
My symptoms were getting worse and Zach wasn’t getting better. Andy was trying to juggle Lacey, work and our house. He has many good qualities and I love him dearly, but he just. checked.out. He couldn't handle it, so he checked out.
Those were the darkest days of my whole life.
Long story short, this continued for 6 very long days. His was poked over 30 times for IVs because his veins kept collapsing. They had shaved spots on his head and his arms, hands, wrists, feet and ankles were full of bruises.
After the 6th day, the virus was finally found growing in his spinal fluid cultures, and by talking with the doctors and keeping an eye on my symptoms we were all but 100% positive Zach and I had menengitis..something we probably caught at the hospital when he was born. (You can't test for a virus like that...just bacterial infections) So basically both of the viruses had attacked his (very immature) nervous system.
He has had some nervous system problems and we have been through 2 years of thearapy for his speech and vestibular problems.
Even now, 3 years later, I cannot fully enjoy his birthday. I cry everytime I think of what he had to go through and of how closely I came to losing a child. Its not something you will ever forget - nor is it something you can explain or understand unless it is something you have experienced yourself.
I like to think I am a very strong person, but this...this broke me.
I hope one day I will find peace with the month of September.
6.25.2009
You Can't be Serious?!
I have had problems with my back since Zach was born. I used to blame it on the stupid doctors who gave me the epidural (when I wanted the spinal block THAT I NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH) and on Andy...because it is his fault our babies were ginormous.
Last September I had a horrible accident on my way home from work. A dog that looked to be a mix between a boxer and great dane, walked directly out in front of my car while I was going 60 mph. It killed the dog instantly and caused more than 8k worth of damage to my SUV. Luckily me and the kids were not hurt. Actually, the kids had no clue what happened and I just sobbed hysterically for hurting the dog.
A week or so later I noticed that my back was hurting and it just got worse and worse. By February I had gone to a chiropractor, my MD, completed 8 weeks of physical therapy, tried a TENS & of course took anti-inflammatory pills. Still I was in pain. I went back to my MD in May because the pains were moving down to my ankles and it was becoming increasingly difficult to even walk. I was referred to an Orthopaedic Surgeon. Orthopaedic Surgeon says I have arthritis and orders an MRI. MRI shows ruptured disk and collapsing spine. Surgery will be necessary.
So I will be having surgery in the next 6 weeks or so. Whoo Hoo...:(
Last September I had a horrible accident on my way home from work. A dog that looked to be a mix between a boxer and great dane, walked directly out in front of my car while I was going 60 mph. It killed the dog instantly and caused more than 8k worth of damage to my SUV. Luckily me and the kids were not hurt. Actually, the kids had no clue what happened and I just sobbed hysterically for hurting the dog.
A week or so later I noticed that my back was hurting and it just got worse and worse. By February I had gone to a chiropractor, my MD, completed 8 weeks of physical therapy, tried a TENS & of course took anti-inflammatory pills. Still I was in pain. I went back to my MD in May because the pains were moving down to my ankles and it was becoming increasingly difficult to even walk. I was referred to an Orthopaedic Surgeon. Orthopaedic Surgeon says I have arthritis and orders an MRI. MRI shows ruptured disk and collapsing spine. Surgery will be necessary.
So I will be having surgery in the next 6 weeks or so. Whoo Hoo...:(
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