Hospital weekend :/

So as much as I usually complain about how much I despise Mondays, today is NOT one of those days. Today is the end of what was a horrid weekend for my family and friends. Do you remember my post about where the entire household was sick and Ava had gotten this strange rash? Ava was diagnosed with Scarlet fever...which ended up being (not sure if it was piggy backed or not but we'll just say it wasn't.) Hand, Foot,Mouth disease/virus. Which is one nasty little virus. Children who normally get this, usually do not have it like my little Ava did. The pediatrician said it looked like a rash, on top of a rash, on top of a rash. Yes, three rashes. Her eczema had flared during her illness, she had a rash from the strep throat AND the HFMD rash/blisters. It was horrible.

 

So Friday morning I'm awakened to my husband grumbling and moaning. He was having these intense sharp pains that had not eased off all night. He was miserable. So I rush him to the ER where they admit him for what they are thinking is his appendix. I rush home and am trying to sanitize the house due to 2 cases of strep, 6 stomach bugs, and HFMD. Kiddos get home, we eat and I get everyone dressed and we go back to the hospital to visit Papa. Ava had been a little playful and had been eating a few grapes here and there throughout the day. She was drinking, but not much. I knew she was sick but everything happened so fast.

 

 Once at the hospital things quickly began to go downhill. She started screaming (she did this twice at home but once her meds kicked in she was seemingly better.) and you couldn't touch her anywhere because the spots hurt and they were everywhere. Her fever spiked past anything fever reducers could do for her. She was just miserable.  We had already knew from yesterday she was starting to become dehydrated, BUT she was drinking. All the nurses looked at her and were like aww, she is so sick! I called the pediatrician's office in tears. They wanted to see her, of course. So we bring her in and Ava continued to scream. No amount of medicine was helping, she wasn't even due for any of her meds and she was still miserable. she cried herself to sleep. The Dr looked in her mouth- it was dry. Her eyes were sunken underneath and she was abnormally pale. She was dehydrated. She was in immense pain. And, another fear-she had a secondary infection which was suspected to be a staph infection. I just sat and cried. Ava slept, and I cried. The pediatrician teared up and said she wanted to admit her but wanted to do a direct admit but wanted to talk to another pediatrician.

 

We finally get out of the ER and are waiting for a room on their pediatric floor. (they place them there for blood work and to start her IV. She was so dehydrated her nurse said if they couldn't get in her IV they would have to do a central line. I got nauseated just thinking about that but thankfully, it took the second time. Her tiny veins were flat.) Meanwhile, where hubby is a nurse informs me that they could place them next door IF the Dr okay's it. I begged the ER Dr for a room next door or at least on the same floor as my husband. He said no she needs to be on the pediatric unit. I huffed. I leave to get the car seats transferred so mother in law can take our other 2 while my aunt came down and took our oldest. SIGH. When I come back- good news. Ava was going to be directly next door to her daddy :) BIG sigh of relief. Bad news, she was still miserable.

 

To try to make this short. After a couple bags of IV antibiotics, IV fluids, benadryl, Motrin and antibiotic ointments she was feeling MUCH better. She began eating,drinking and playing. It was awesome to wake up to see her pretty big eyes shining. I was a proud, but exhausted, Mama. And, we find out that Ava has gained weight and is now 27lbs and 2 oz :) WOW GO AVA!!!!!!!! I'll leave you with a few pics of our weekend.

Right after admission.

Next morning!

Papa came to visit!!!

Nurse Ava :)

 Lunch with Sissy!!!

Thanks for the love and kind words as we went through a horrible time!!!! Much love,

                                                                                                                              Jen ♥

 

 

The Scarlet Rash.

It's 12:18 AM.  I'm awake. My husband is awake. And one of our two year olds is also awake. Calming music is playing on youtube. I'm listening to the sounds of waves and gentle music. But it's not helping. The smell of sickness burns at my nostrils like a rancid bottle left in a hot car. Ugh. Day two is ending in over time and day 3 beginning as parenting a sick child continues. There are no bonuses or raise in pay. But an occasional smile and snuggle as our sick child lays in bed wriggling, hurting and feeling bad. A call to the pediatrician results in my husband driving to Walmart for Motrin and me giving a child a soak in the tub....for now my Tylenol/Motrin drug induced child is laying on a Spiderman pull out couch thing a ma bob at the foot of our bed. We know she'll end up between us. Now that the sheets that were targets of Maylon vomit bombs are clean and now on our bed- we'll probably scoop her up and snuggle until the craziness of a school day morning encases us and we being the day.
But. I promise. Tomorrow morning will be slow paced and easy. We will sip juice and coffee together while watching cartoons in my bed. There is a lot of work to be done. I'm betting not one, single, parent out there can act as if they do not know the aftermath a family sickness can bring. The piles of sheets and blankets. Abandoned chores that answered a call of duty. The smell of sickness and the fatigue that follows. Some of that can wait. Some of it can't. But I know I'm in for some serious disinfecting. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that, so far, no one else is vomiting. I will scrub all day long with that simple,yet complex, thought in my head. No one else is vomiting. And that brings a short smile to my face.

On a serious note. Not that, that wasn't serious. But. My family have been hit with a nasty stomach bug. And, now, my youngest (by one minute) has Scarlet Fever :/  Even tough she has this, I'm thankful that the blisters are only in small spots. Something her pediatrician said wasn't common. And that the rest of the rash, is just red speckles. We caught this because people do not realize what it means to STAY HOME when you are SICK. I'm serious. STAY HOME. I don't want your germies. Or, a good friend of mine says, your cooties :) My husband has missed 2 days of work (thankfully he's salary. But leave time is more valuable to us than money itself.) And my family have been absolutely MISERABLE. So, with that being said. I will have no outside physical social contact for a couple weeks. (my own personal rule) My blog posts from now until then should be quite interesting. Well...hubs is out of the shower. another round in the washer is finished. And my eyes are beyond heavy. Good night, or shall I say, Good Morning, to those of you reading this.

                                                                                                   XOXO,
                                                                                                      Jen.