Great question. After my last post, I became mired in elephant-assloads of schoolwork and finals. Add a big steamy pile of work-crap on top of that and I barely had time to even read blogs, let alone leave the occasional comment. School wrapped with successful finals the weekend of the 17th. Unfortunately, work did not. I had some posts in my head that I wanted up before Christmas, and then this happened...
Thursday, 12/22 - 4:15 p.m.
We receive a call that our son, 808 Jr., has become very ill. Earlier in the week, Princess 808 puked during the night. He threw up the following morning. Both of them seemed fine after leaving fine messes for Daddy to clean up. His came back though and in a bad way on Thursday. He threw up again and had diarrhea, which we all know can cause you to become dehydrated. By the time we reached the school, he was completely lethargic and refused to take in any liquid. The Mrs. called the pediatrician and they told us to head to the Emergency Room, where his temperature hit 104.
Parents will understand when I say it is heartbreaking to see your children hurt or sick. A "moderately" dehydrated child, as the Doctor declared him, is a horrifying experience. If he looks this bad at moderate, what does severe look like? I thought I had seen the worse...
When you dehydrate, your veins shrink. Inserting an IV in a 15 month old becomes, well, friggin' impossible. We sat with him, holding his little hands, cooling his fever with a cold washcloth and just talking to him. I told him he needed to get better before Santa came, and asked him if he wanted to go home and see his sister, Rae-Rae (Princess 808, who is 22 months older and his protector.) For hours, he had been silent until I said her name and then in a sad little voice, he muttered, "Rae-Rae" repeatedly as if he were calling out for her to come rescue him.
My mother works at the hospital and demanded that the anesthesiologist come down for the IV. One and a half hours later, nine attempts including two in each arm, both feet, the wrist, the hand and the left side of his neck, he finally got one in the right side of 808 Jr.'s neck. Yes, I said they put and IV in my son's friggin’ neck. Poor little guy...
Looking pretty good for having an IV in his Jugular
After it was in, the ER Doctor said 808 Jr. would need to stay overnight, BUT...our insurance only covered the emergency visit and would not cover an overnight stay. They call Children's Mercy Hospital in KC and they send an ambulance to pick him up. I rush home to get a change of clothes, some dinner for us and most importantly, his Darth Vader. You non-Star Wars fans can laugh at that, but when I walked into that CMH room to find him surrounded by Residents and students poking and prodding him, and I held up that Darth Vader doll, he perked up and spoke for the second time. "Dar!"
The night was exhausting. We took turns holding him while trying to sleep in a rocking chair, the other one sleeping on the bench-bed. All night long, it was nurses, doctors, and alarms going off, crying, and well, this flattering photo shows what kind of night it was...
Rough Night
By morning, the little guy was better and ready to go. The doctors felt differently and kept us there until 5pm. He went on to spread the bug to both of his aunts, one of his grandmas and his big sister, 8081 (who needs a new nickname). My mother, his Uncle Mike and I all felt queasy through the weekend, but never threw up. Spared from sickness, Papa, Mommy and Princess 808.
Let me outta here
What a Christmas, eh? I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.
