After our seven eventful weeks in a row, I started this week hopeful that we could get back into our regular routines right away. Aside from the fact that my car was still stuck at a shop two hours away, I didn't see any reason why my plans would need to be changed.
Our company left on Saturday, and I put Logan to bed with a fever that night. Then I stayed home with him on Sunday; it's not so unusual to have a sick child. On Monday I got busy with household items right off, so I could have time to do school with the kiddos. (Side note: my kids LOVE school and were super bummed that we took a seven week break, so it wasn't planned torture. It is actually one of the very best ways to create harmony in our home.) Then school didn't happen because Logan was really quite miserable. That was okay, though. I gave Alex his first haircut instead.
Here are the pictures before I get to the un-normal part of this week:
Before...he didn't want to look at me.
Still before...this is what I got when he did look at me...all three times.
After...AAH! I cut off most of his baby look.
After haircuts, most of us had lunch while Logan laid miserable on the couch. He'd been complaining a lot during the morning, but that afternoon he started crying out in pain! I asked him where it hurt and he said it was his right side. He'd wince if we touched it at all, so I called the doctor who, of course, told me to go to the ER. Jim was home on a break, so I was able to leave right then.
At the hospital, everyone suspected appendicitis so he had an ultrasound which didn't show anything. Then, because they didn't want to do a CT scan on such a little kid, he was transferred to a different hospital where he could be examined by a pediatric surgeon. So the two of us went on our very first ambulance ride...Logan actually said he liked it afterward.
At the second hospital, they did another ultrasound which was a little more successful. They thought they had spotted the appendix, but weren't absolutely certain. If it was the appendix, they said it looked normal. The pediatric surgeon said that he thought his pain might be from something else, but wasn't comfortable releasing him in case he got worse. So he was admitted. At 11pm he was finally in his own room, but was even more miserable! You see, he hadn't had anything to eat since morning and had thrown up twice that day. He was begging and crying for something to eat or drink, but he wasn't allowed anything. It was breaking my heart, and I had to leave at that point (Jim was there though) to get the other kids.
Monday in the second ER.
Jim informed me that he had a terrible night and fought the doctors the next morning when they woke him up. They had pretty well determined that it wasn't appendicitis by that point. So I came back to the hospital thinking he would be released that day. I was wrong and I wasn't prepared to stay the night, but I stayed anyway. I think they kept him longer to be sure he was well hydrated and to rule out any other serious illnesses. He was very upset about being stuck in the hospital and wasn't very cooperative on Tuesday. Poor kid.
Tuesday
He slept well that night (I didn't) for the first time in several nights and actually started feeling a bit better. On Wednesday morning he was feeling well enough to throw a tantrum over having wet the bed and later over being confined to his room when he wanted to go to the playroom. (They were testing for respiratory illness which meant confinement. It came back negative about the time he was released.) He also fought tooth and nail when the nurse drew his blood. He was so successful that he pulled the IV out of his arm and she didn't get a good enough sample. So later she came back with extra help to get that sample. Again he kicked and screamed. It took three of us to pin him. He was definitely still feeling sick the whole day, but the doctor said he could go home. Hooray! We never did get a diagnosis. Every test had come back negative at that point and we were waiting on one more which I still haven't heard about. Basically it was determined that he had a bad virus.
Wednesday about 30 min. before discharge. He was mad in general about everything so he wouldn't look at me.
We made it home yesterday about 5pm and Logan made up lost time. He was either constantly chattering or constantly whining (he was still VERY tired), and was thrilled to see Annie and Alex. I was EXHAUSTED. I bathed the kids at 6:30 and had them in bed before 7:30 which is more than an hour early for our family. I was in bed by 8:00. Oh sweet relief!
Having a child in the hospital was an interesting experience for me. I wasn't actually worried about him at any point. He'd had a couple of blessings before going to the hospital which promised he would recover, and I knew it would be so. I generally felt calm about the whole situation. Mostly I felt sad for him that not only was he miserably sick, but that the various things happening in the hospital increased his anxiety and discomfort. I don't regret taking him, though, because I didn't want him in a dangerous situation with his pain. I'm grateful now that he's home and feeling a lot better.
So, today has been my definition of normal. (Aside from the fact that we still need to drive two hours to get my car.) May it stay that way for at least two weeks!
