For those of you that missed my first post, this is the second part about the value of trusting your mommy instinct when it comes to the health of your children! You can click HERE to read part one! It will make more sense. Too much for one post, so this is the continuation…
Part II
…Later that same week, I had to take Emma in to the doctor’s office for a follow-up. I am convinced this was where she picked up a stomach virus. Another first, barfing & runs together. Horrible virus.
She gets through it okay but I am freaking out the baby is going to get sick. Doing my best to sanitize like a mad woman. Borderline OCD. Mamas, isn’t that just SO stressful? Not only is there the stress of having one sick kid, but the stress the other is going to get it!
Morgan and the rest of us apparently escape it. Thank God. I do a little happy dance we are all healthy. Then a whole week later Morgan starts vomiting and has the runs. Here we go. My 6 month old now has the same bug. We brace ourselves. I thought a 3 1/2 year old with the virus was bad.
It all happened quickly from the time she started vomiting. Maybe within an hour or so. When changing her diaper, I notice her skin looks a weird color. Her arms and legs are bluish/purplish and all mottled. Patchy. And her hands and feet were really bluish and freezing. I am wondering if she could just be really cold, so we put her in a warm bath, which makes her coloring really stand out because I can see the difference between her chest and extremities.
I am on high alert now on with the “hmmm” factor, so I call right away. It’s a Sunday, of course. I say the words “skin and bluish” and they tell me to take her to the E.R. right away.
We get to the E.R. and a blood test confirms she is dehydrated, which is what caused her skin to become that weird color. I had NO idea this was a sign of dehydration. They then attempt 3 times to unsuccessfully start her on an I.V. Because she is so little they couldn’t get it in her tiny vein. One of the worst moments I have had as a mommy was watching my poor baby go through this.
That day stands out as one of those I will unfortunately never forget. We had to wait for 12 hours in an E.R. examining room shared with different patients cycling in and out with a vomiting baby with the runs. One of which was a transient-looking man slurring at me “How’s your baby? I hate to hear babies crying!” Thanks for the input buddy. I almost snapped. Thank God for my husband. I don’t know how I would have made it through that day without him!
Since they couldn’t get an IV in and she couldn’t keep fluids down, at 10:30pm that night we have to ride in an ambulance to spend the night at CHOC hospital. Again they tried to get an I.V. in and were unsuccessful. At that point, all I could do was continue to nurse a little bit at a time and pray she would start to keep some fluids down. It was a very long night.
The next day, we were hours away from having to do a feeding tube, when she started to keep some milk down and peed for the first time. I have never been so happy to see pee before in my life. I cried with relief. Prayers were answered. From there she got better quickly. However, my recovery from this event took longer!
We survived. It sucked, but we survived.
When I was walking the halls at CHOC, I thought, my God if there is something to be in CHOC for, dehydration is probably the thing. I couldn’t help but think about the parents of those kids. Almost too much to handle.
That’s the end of my saga. Here’s to everyone’s HEALTH!! Sure makes you appreciate your kid’s health in a new way.
And, anytime you get that “hmmm…” feeling – act on it!
xo Jen
So glad that ordeal is over….and glad your baby is back to good health.
After noticing unusual bruises on my toddler, I took him for a blood test. Our pediatrician was on vacation, so we went to the urgent care. The veteran doctor thought I was crazy to want a blood test, but he complied. Later that night we spent our first night at CHOC in Orange, it would be the first of hundreds, on the oncology floor.
My son didnt have other symptoms, but as a mommy we know when something is right.
Our kids are counting on us to trust our instincts..it my save their life.
I remember that first post all too well… and my kids have been so sick – even worse then I commented about over on your Part 1 of the story… this time my gripe is “WHY DON’T OTHER PARENTS TUNE INTO THEIR OWN SICK KIDS?” — people are clueless… they really are. I know most like-minded moms like us at tiny oranges (wink wink) are unconsciously scanning our kids all the time and when our kids show the slightest change in behavior……SCREECH we STOP and THINK twice about the what is going on. Sometimes these illnesses seem to come out of left field, the symptoms/signs may have been so different and perhaps I was so over scheduled that week that my “sick-dar” was a little askew. This happened a few weeks ago when fifth disease was running rampant at our preschool. My daughter contracted (as did my 13 yr old) because another parent or parents didn’t notice the signs and yank their kids early on as it spread from classroom to classroom.
And why is it the parent picking up the child (who is covered HEAD to TOE in the excema-like rash) is CLUELESS… admitting she didn’t carefully read the flier (mandatory exposure notice) that was sent home OR think that the rash was caused by something other than “chlorine from the pool”… OMG people. Really?
Its like those H1N1 commercials says – stopping the virus and it’s spread starts with YOU. Keep your kids home even a day longer than you think necessary, please do us all a favor and maybe next year my child will have an attendance record higher than 75%.
(stepping off my soapbox)
Chocolate Lady – My heart goes out to you – I spent 1 night in CHOC and it was horrendous. I can’t even fathom 100s. Thank God you trusted your instinct. Serioulsy, you just KNOW when something is off.
Lindsey – You are preaching to the choir mama! I KNOW. It sometimes infuriates me when I see obviously sick kids in preschool or at the park or at some other communal kid place, because I am SUPER paranoid and cautious and will keep my kids far far away for longer than probably necessary in hopes of saving other parents the same grief of having a sick kid. Then when people don’t do the same for me, it really gets me. So, I too am on my soapbox about this. I feel another blog post coming on…
I am so sorry Jen…I can’t even imagine. My kids have been sick but never hospitalized…thankfully…Us moms know…we know when there is something not right with our children. As a nurse I always listen to the parents when it comes to their babies…it has made a huge difference in the care I provide for them….
Oh Jen, I can\’t even imagine!!! But so right to trust the mom instinct!! I\’m so glad all turned out for the best and everyone is happy and healthy now! We had that horrible virus running through our house, both the 1 and 2 year old and then my husband. The week I brought Piper home from the hospital. The pumped antibiotics into me and we were OCD on sanitizing the world to help Piper not get sick…thankfully it never hit mom and baby. Thank you for reminding us that mom\’s need to trust their instincts!
Wow! That is scary! I would have never thought dehydration would cause this. I amsure you are relieved that the whole ordeal is over! I am very OCD about sanitizing my kids. I keep that stuff on hand all the time.
Your story brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for sharing. I didn’t realize these signs/symptom could be dehdration. Glad your baby is ok. Good job Mama.
Just found your blog and love it!
My baby was at CHOC for 7 long days when she was 3 1/2 months (5 months ago) for RSV. The worst part for me was trying to get her IV’s in as well. Nothing is worse than when their cry changes! It’s like they are calling for you but you can’t make it better!
She is sick again tonight with what the doctors call a virus. Throwing up and diahearea for her tonight too! She is finally sleeping…I’ll be watching for dehydration myself tonight…thanks for the tips!