It is 2:30 a.m. and the doctor comes in. She says it could be a stomach virus but she wants to rule out the flu and the possibility of a urinary tract infection. Good. Then they inform me how they are going to make this happen. OMG! First, they are going to stick some solution up his nose and vacuum it out. Then, they are going to take a two inch tube and give him a catheter. Holy tubes! Ouch. That gets done, but not with out mommy feeling like she is going to pass out. The results=no flu, no urine issues at first look, results take a few days.
Next, they decided to take some blood. The nurse, Jennifer, finds the arm she wants to stick and then starts digging for a baby vein. I see a bulge developing in his arm, he is screaming and she says, quote, "It popped." The look on my face must say everything running through my mind because her assistant says "It is common, it's okay, we just need to try another vein." Me, well I am about to pass out again. I can get poked and stuck all day but it is super hard to watch my children endure pain. I immediately get light headed. She pokes him in another spot, fails, in my head I reason that she is trying to find tiny little veins and it MUST be hard, and on the third attempt, she is successful. They also hook him up to an i.v. for fluids. It is 4 a.m. and they are not done yet. Blood results are still pending but his white blood cell count is 30,000 and it should be 15,000. (Didn't Xander just go through this exact same thing?) Now they want to take x-rays; one of him lying down, one standing up. The fluid bag is empty, an antibiotic has been administered through the tube, the x-rays are over after many attempts for the perfect picture and we are back to our seventy two square foot room. I finally go out looking for the doctor because it had been over an hour and a half of us just sitting there miserably without an update. She informs me the x-rays show his bowels are impacted and she would like Jennifer to give him an enema. That's it! She has intruded, invaded, violated every hole on my little man. It got to the point when Roman saw the nurse, he flinched in disgust and would hide his face. She is definitely on his naughty list!
Let's recap:
The ears and throat were inspected, as common practice
The nose was flushed for the flu sample
The penis was catheterized
The bowels disrupted with an enema
Three new holes created with the needles
We sat in the torture chambers till 7:30 a.m., then the new shift came on and sent us on our way. Yes, we both entered the world of light in our fabulous new hospital gowns, tired as all hell, eager to get home, with daddy chauffeuring us. We all got some shut eye from 8 a.m. till 2:30 PM. Then, Roman decided he rested enough and was up playing with socks on his hands, as he does every morning that he wakes on his own. He has not thrown up since we left the hospital and he doesn't feel warm. I refuse to stick him with anything today. Period. He is playing it up, hanging out at home, all alone, communicating with me a lot more today than he ever has. He will get the royal treatment for the next few days. Well, at least through today. :)
I have taken my children to emergency rooms/urgent care and have been dismissed almost immediately saying to monitor the fever, give fluids, and call the pediatrician in the morning. I leave feeling like I just wasted money. Last night was the total opposite. I cannot wait to see this hospital bill. Wasted money? The end result was the same as if we would have stayed for a short visit.
Which is better? Or, should I say, worse?
Being shoved out the door at e.r. or being held captive for a nine hour shift?
Makes you think!!
6 comments:
Poor Roman! Poor you! I am glad he is feeling better.
Why, why , WHY do children make you pay for going out with your hubby or friends. I swear they know and do something to make you more tired than you should be!
And I don't know what is worse, but as long as they end up okay, I think it is worth it.
Poor baby!! I am glad he is doing better.
I am glad to hear Roman is feeling better. It is so frustrating to wait all that time and watch your poor baby be poked and proded....but in the end, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Oh my!! What an ordeal! I don't know which is worse either. Stories like this make me afraid to take my kids to urgent care/er. I'm glad they attempted to find out if anything was wrong instead of just sending you home, but I'm sorry that it took SO long!!
Poor baby and poor you and Jude for having to watch that. I was wondering if you went to Children's or EJ. Sean once had a 102 fever that wouldn't go down and he was shaking. I took him to EJ er and he was given 2 rectal temp checks and the nurse left a permanent scar on his thigh from his antibiotic shot b/c he moved his leg and she wasn't a ped nurse. He got the nasal swab, too. We didn't have that long of a wait, though. I hope your littlest one is feeling better.
OMG!!! I hope I don't have to go through that. You sounded miserable. I am glad turned out okay!!
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