Sick Sick Baby

Well, this last week has been horrible. JD has been sick for 8 days now. It all started Friday morning when I thought he was choking on his breakfast. Nope! I soon found out a hour later, when giving him his bottle, that he had the flu. Every parent knows the horrifying feeling of being puked on. Of course, Dan was out of town so it was just JD and I to fight the ugly flu bug. All was manageable until around two when I three became ill. Fortunately for me (not for them) my Dad and Mom were able to come and help me. Dad stayed the night and by 8am the next morning I felt better. JD on the other hand still could not keep anything down. This continued until Thursday night. I spent my days washing everything and nights changing the sheets and his clothes a million times. If it wasn't puke it was the all mighty diarrhea (which he still has).



As if things couldn't get much worse, Tuesday he came down with a rash......

Well, it is now Thursday 21st and I started this entry on the 16th. It has been two weeks of hell. JD's flu ended up not just being "the flu". He is finally on the mend but it has taken its toll. My poor little baby lost 2 pound during this and we even had to go down a diaper size.

Ok, well the rash ended up being a reaction to a vaccination he got on his birthday. The rash didn't last long but the diarrhea and fever continued until Wednesday 19th. JD was not himself. Very lethargic and cried if he tripped, as though his whole body ached. Monday this week I brought him into the doctor because after 11 days of talking on the phone with them, nothing was being done or getting better. As we were driving to the doc, I noticed that they had written down a vaccination we asked for him not to receive. While there I mentioned it to the doc and guess what....they gave it to him! I was besides myself. Fortunately for the doc I was more worried about my sick boy to raise all heck. The more I think about it now the more I get angry. To top it all off, we had to ask for him to be weighed and the doc started just throwing out diagnosis. My favorite was viral pneumonia. But then she sent us home with a way to collect his stool for testing. I am not a doctor, but wouldn't a stool sample have been a good idea maybe after I called the fifth day, sixth day, seventh day, and so on. Also, why would you mention that a 12 month old may have viral pneumonia but not do a chest x-ray or help him. ARG!

So off we went home with no answers. Just as JD would start to look like he was getting better he would relapse. Tuesday, this week, I had had it! I was getting no where with my doc. If JD did have pneumonia he needed help and the fever was high. I called for a second opinion. Funny how doctors don't want to give you a second opinion. I was more than welcome, though, to switch to their practice. After thinking about it and watching my lethargic little boy, I decided why not and called back. The receptionist was very nice, got us in the last ten min. of the day but when she switched me to someone else to take my info....wow, there are not words to how I felt. JD was crying, I had tears in my eyes from frustration and 12 days of exhaustion just trying to keep myself together. The conversation with the woman on the phone went something like this....
"Mam, are you ok?"
"Yes, I am ok?"
"You sound like you are crying?"
"I'm fine, I am just frustrated and worried."
"Well, I just want to make sure because some people just act like this to get a second opinion and then we never see them again. I just want to make sure you are not acting."
AND CAN YOU BELIEVE I STARTED TO EXPLAIN MYSELF TO THAT WOMAN!
I started saying how we are not getting answers and the doc gave him a vaccination that we requested him not to have and how I am losing faith in the treatment......ARG! She deserved no explanation except me telling her where to shove it!

I got off the phone, realized that this was not the kind of place I wanted to take my son, called back and canceled. Fortunately, my mom was over so Dan and I could get a break but between the three of us, Mom, Dan and myself we decided that JD needed more action. We JD in the car and we drove to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma.

When we arrived JD had a temp of 103.8. This breaks my heart because I can't imagine having a fever like that for 12 days and not getting any help. They were wonderful there and got us right in, gave JD a large dose of Tylenol to get him comfortable. They told us to do everything opposite of what our doc said. The ER doc also told us the only reason he was in such good shape was because of Dan and I. He said most kids are hospitalized at this point, especially if all they are given is water, which is what our doc said to do. JD's doc had us keep him on the brat diet for 12 days and water because he won't drink pedialite, Popsicles, or jello (I know my 1 year old is strange) they also said not to give him Gatorade. Children's hospital told us to give him Gatorade and they even stock it at the hospital. They immediately brought it to him. They also said to take him off the brat diet. They diagnosed him with about a gastrointestinal issue, most likely rotovirus. The span of rotovirus is about two weeks so we have reached the end. If JD's doc had been more proactive, we could have probably figured out the issue days ago. And why they kept him on basically bread and water is beyond me.

I am a first time mom. I don't know about rotovirus, or anything. That is what we pay the doctors for. Needless to say, we are switching docs. I have, however, learned a valuable lesson being pushy pays and that is what I am going to do from now on. No more of this sit and wait it out!

Today has been a much better day and I am starting to get my little boy back.