Big little was not well on Sunday. He was vomiting every 25 - 30 minutes like clockwork. When he finally fell asleep, he was able to extend it to every hour. We got some sleep between 4:30 -6AM. Then when he woke up, he proceeded down the same 1 hour path and started compaining about his right side hurting. (uh-oh)
I turned into "one of those moms" yesterday morning. I went to the doctor's office before there were any doctors there (the upside to that, I used to work there, so, I kinda took advantage of that) and wanted to make sure that he wasn't completely dehydrated like he was 3 weeks ago and try to avoid the hospital. This time around he had no fever, so I figured the pain on his side was from such painful, persistant vomiting. Well, the docs did not like this at all. OFF to the ER we went (which was about the only thing that made this kid smile because he wants to be a doctor when he grows up and "liked" being there 3 weeks ago with his own private room and a TV that he didn't have to share with his brother!) - I believe the previous statement is not true anymore after you hear the rest of this story.
So, triage and waiting. Waiting and then finally getting into a bed. The docs come in. Eh - he looks a little dehydrated. Here's a zofran (anti-nausea meds) and get him to drink 8 oz then you can go home. No pain. No discomfort. Holds down his liquids and now we're waiting for his discharge papers.
Within 5 minutes, big little starts looking a little flushed. I ask the doc to take his temp - 99.5. Mind you, when we got there, his undert he tongue temp was 96 so a 3.5 degree in temp that makes him sweat and look flushed is significant to me. Don't tell me, I know my kid. Doc says, eh, body temp changes all day.
3 minutes later, the pain is back. NOW the docs are concerned. This was the reason that we were sent in the first place. He's finally showing the symptoms that concerned the pediatricians. I'm not a crazy mother.
Here comes 2 docs and 2 nurses and they are all about him now. Fortuneately, when they are ready for blood work, they had already numbed his elbows. Unfortuneately, he still felt everything. That IV needle killed him all day no matter what I said to the nurses. But they had a good vein and they were getting blood and pushing fluids. I just tried to keep him as calm as possible. After the blood draw, he started drinking the CT drink (poor baby) mixed with apple juice. Thank goodness he hates apple juice as it is so it didn't ruin anything for him. The sweetness helped though since he was able to take about 2/3 of it by the time we would have to go for that test.
We were taken down for ultrasound first. They explained to me that they were trying to spare him the radiation of the CT by doing this first, but, instead, all I saw was a little boy that wrythed in pain everytime the tech pressed down. I saw the pain on her face too as she explained that she was a mommy too and was doing her best to go as fast as she could to spare him any more pain. When the test was done, she gave him a Kung Zhu pet to which he didn't say "thank you" but instead in the weakest little voice, "Do you have one for my brother too?" Bestest little boy on the planet!
I thanked her for him.
When we got back to the PEDS ER, our room was given away. WHAT?!?
We were only gone for 40 minutes. I saw plenty of other kids come and go without losing their rooms. So we're sitting in the hallway. Poor baby is starving and all I want him to do is get some rest. He's crying. Crying! My cell phone wouldn't work for you tube or hulu. NOTHING> COME ON! He needed something to distract him! What do I do?? Tell him the worst bedtime story EVER. STAR WARS EPISODE III. He's not allowed to watch it,so, I decided that I would tell him all about it in the sweetest voice I could while stroking his hair. He was unconscience by the time I got to the best part!! (atleast I still have it in me to tell a bedtime story!!)
He was asleep for about a 1/2 hour when they were ready to take us to CT. They kept talking to him and I kept telling him that he was sleeping with his eyes open. Creepy!! He slept through the whole thing and woke up as we were getting him back on his stretcher. Then the hysterics started again. I just wanted to crawl up on that gurney with him and hug him and tell him we were going home.
My thumbs hurt at this point from all the texting that I was doing. I could NOT calm him down. He was unconsolable. It took everything I had not to start crying too. If he had appendicitis, how was I going to tell him that we were staying and he still couldn't eat??
THen, my face turned white. It had been about 1/2 hour since we were put back in the hall (???WTF???) and waited for results. The doc and intern now come towards me together - I hadn't seen the 2 of them together all day. They had to double team me to tell me that he had a virus and his pain was just that. pain. Probably sore from all the vomiting. REALLY??? Do you have to approach me like that as relieved as I am?????
Holy Crap!
Give us our friggin walking papers so I can get this kid fed! (But put it on the nurse to tell him that he couldn't have Wendy's until Tuesday)
I also had a small amount of saltines stashed in my pocketbook which lit up his face completely.
Then we went home. My husband came home early, picked up the littlest guy from his fun day at Grandma's, bought me some pizza and then I went to bed.
10 hours of sleep last night. Not enough, but sufficient.
Keeping big little home today to get some food in him, though, you would never know in a million years where his day was spent yesterday. Love the docs and nurses for taking care of him the way they did. Hated being in the hallway to take care of him. But who cares. No surgery. He's home with us the way it should be.
***SIGH....*****
