Medical Disasters

The past week has been a total and utter medical disaster.  It all started a couple of weeks ago, actually.  Evan came down with a wicked wheeze and a (mostly) nightly cough.  I've been there lots of times before with Luke.  It's reactive airways.  She's got it, he's got it, life has gone on.  I really thought with some time it would get better, but it just wasn't.  So began our decline.

Monday, November 19th-
I get a call from the kids' grandmother that Luke needs stitches.  I told you about it in my last post, but it's medical and it happened in "the week".

Tuesday, November 20th-
Mom and Ashley bring the kids to have lunch with me at work.  Luke has been begging for months to come see where I work, and it finally worked out that Mom got to keep the kids since she was off for the the week.  Ashley said that Evan sounded really bad and needed to be seen.  My pediatrician closes on Tuesdays at noon, so that afternoon was out.

Wednesday, November 21st-
Mom called early that morning and managed to get Evan a 9:30 appointment. Her oxygen levels were only between 93-95%.  That doesn't seem low to most people, but actually....it's bad.  If she didn't sound better within 24 hours she was going to be sent to the hospital.  Kim put her on breathing treatments 4 times a day for a few weeks and an antibiotic in case there was some underlying infection and to prevent pneumonia.  Also, she noticed that Luke's stitches were gone.  YES. My 4 year old REMOVED his own stitches in bed the night before. When questioned about it he simply said "I took them out because I'm all better now." She thought it looked fine and didn't put any back in. I got to leave work at noon that day, and we spent the rest of the afternoon at home.  Thomas the Train came on PBS and someone wasn't to sure.

When he scooted around the corner I just turned it off and deemed it nap time. 

How pitiful is that?!

That night when I undressed Evan for her bath, I noticed these welts all over her torso.

As her bath progressed, so did the rashes.  I watched a place grow on her arm while I did her breathing treatment.  It spread to her back, under her chin, and up her shoulders. I could tell it was itching her and causing discomfort.

I freaked out. I had no idea what to do, what it was, or who to call.  I ended up texting pictures to Mom and Ashley, Mom suggested Benydryl cream.  Her and dad ran to the store for me, and I slathered that stuff everywhere. An hour later it was completely gone and I haven't seen it since.  Nothing new had been introduced that night for it to be an allergic reaction, so we are all stumped.

Thursday, November 22nd-
Happy Thanksgiving!  I made a special pinterest breakfast of cinnamon roll waffles.

You know, where you just cook cinnamon rolls on a waffle iron instead of the oven.  Delicious. It was a quiet day with lots of food, spent at Mom's.  The manfriend came over, and we had turkey and dressing and cranberries and pie and beached ourselves to watch football.  Good day.  Sweet company.  Blessed.  Plus Evan did respond well to the treatments, so no hospital for us.

Friday, November 23rd-
Luke complained that he didn't feel good, and requested to have his temperature taken.  He didn't have one, so I thought nothing of it.  An hour later I looked over and his ear was draining down his neck.  Poor boy's ear drum had burst.  I'm guessing he'd been harboring an ear infection for at least a week and didn't complain once.  I called the pediatrician to tell her the good news about Evan and to let her know about Luke, to which antibiotic ear drops were prescribed.

Saturday, November 24th-
I like to call this zombie day.  Luke didn't go to sleep that night until 2:30 because he was in so much pain, and Evan woke up at 7.  Oi, it was a long day.  His ear was still draining, and the pain seemed to get worse throughout the day.  He would randomly just burst out in sobbing, and he couldn't even eat because it hurt to swallow.  Plus, a nice little fever had kicked in.

That picture just about sums up Saturday.  And Sunday for that matter.  I spent the entire day just trying to make him comfortable.  Any trying to stay patient.

Evan got to stay in her p.j.'s too.  What better to wear when you're all about making mischief?

Sunday, November 25th-
Luke slept through the night, but was still in so much pain he couldn't even turn his head.  I called the pediatrician in tears, because I knew the drops should have worked by now.  There was just so much drainage that it couldn't get down in there.  She told me to take him in somewhere, so off to Acute Kids we went.  Two hours later we had a prescription for a super strong oral antibiotic to kill the infection that was in his highly inflamed lymph nodes. 

Those last three days with him being miserable just about did me in.  You know it's bad when you run out the door to a clinic with no shower and no bra.  At least Evan was a happy little girl.  She may be a walking tornado, but I don't think I could possibly love her more. 

That? Is happiness.