(This is long and so I don't forgot, so I won't be offended if you dont read it!)
It all started on Thursday afternoon. I got a call from the school saying that Grant had a terrible stomach ache. The nurse said that he didn't have a fever and he had not thrown up, but he was nauseous. I told her that I would leave work to come get him but it would be at least 30 minutes. So I get there a bit later and check all the kids out of school. Bill was in Denver for some training for work and with the drive home it just wasn't worth the back and forth. We drive home with a short stop at sonic happy hour and I get the kids slushes (Grant's was a sprite slush). At home he lays on the couch and rests. At 4 oclock I take his temp because he is looking quite flushed. His temp is 101. He is breathing hard and having a hard time getting up and down to use the rest room. When I ask him where it hurts he pointed to his belly button every time. Fast forward to 8 oclock and I take his temp again. It has dropped but only to 100. So I call a couple of people for their opinions. I finally am convinced to call my doctor and see what he says. So I call the doctor and wait for his call back. When he calls back I describe the day to him and because Grant's stomach was so tight and it was very warm to the touch, he tells me it would be best to take Grant to the ER. Of COURSE he would. Bill is out of town this week.
So my dear neighbor has already been asked to take the younger kids for me for the night. I call her and tell her they will be over in a little bit. And off Grant and I go to the ER. This was my first trip to the ER with any of my kids. I can't tell you how lucky I feel about that!
So we get to Banner Estrella about 9 pm and the waiting begins. I think it was about 10:30 before we actually saw the pediatrician on call. Dr West. He was great. He examined Grant and ruled out a hernia. So he decided to get him on an IV and get some fluids in his body. (By the time we got to the ER his fever was gone but his stomache was still very tender)
He wasnt' very thrilled with the IV at all. I had my pink Ipod in my purse and so he was listening to it to forgot about that thing in his arm. About 11 the doctor came back in and said that he wanted to do a CT scan before he sent us over to Phoenix Children's hospital to have the surgeons look at him. The whole time I am back and forth on the phone with Bill trying to decided whether he should come home or not. (Ok I was trying to decided, I think Bill had already made up his mind. He felt bad enough I was at the ER alone.)
"elephanty" was a great source of comfort to him during his whole ordeal! At midnight the CT Techician brought in a quart of liquid that they wanted Grant to drink in the next 2 hours so his insides would glow! At this point we already had a full bag of fluids in his body and he was peeing every 10 minutes.
At 2 am he went in for his CT Scan. I took a picture of the door because it was at this moment that I felt so lonely and scared! My baby was behind those doors in a big huge machine all alone. I had held it together the whole night and I about lost it right here in the hall way. I had a flood of emotions running through me. I was so greatful that my kids have been healthy kids. I felt so much empathy for all my friends and family that have spent time and energy at a hospital. It is an amazingly scary place to be. While he was in there I decided that this was going to be the plan. (I know crazy huh! But I was going to think positive!) He was going to come out, the CT scan would read normal, the doctor would give us some crazy laxative or something and send us home. Then Bill wouldn't have to come home and everything would be fine. We would be home and in bed by 4am. I just knew that would be the plan.
So the doctor came in and told us his readings. Grant's appendix was on the large side of normal. But because the way they can tell if your appendix is swollen and unhealthy is by the fat around it swelling, and because Grant has like 3 fat cells in his whole body it was hard to give a definate answer. He checked his stomach again and Grant was still feeling pain. He didn't want to take any chances and ordered the transport to Phoenix Children's. I called Bill and told him what he said. Then I decided to go out and talk to the doctor about what our choices were. He told me there was a 70% chance he would have the surgery done. Bill and I decided that Bill should get on the first flight home so he could be at the hospital with us.
So off we went in an ambulance to Phoenix Children's hospital. (Grant wouldn't let me take any pictures in the ambulance.) The funniest part of the ride was the paramedics terribly dry sense of humor that Grant was not getting at all! He kept cracking these terrible jokes and Grant just looked at him. I kept laughing just because the lack of sleep was catching up to me.
Once we got to PC the nurse checked his vitals again, a Physicians assistant came in to check his stomach. Then we waited for the surgeon to see us. Grant was so tired he had slept a little at BE but not much. he slept and I was able to put my feet up and catch a short nap while we waited. The surgeon finally came in around 5:30. He checked Grant out, said he was going to check on Grant's chart, check on the OR schedule and come back and let us know what he found. About an hour later he came back basically saying the same thing that Dr West told us. The CT Scan was hard to read because Grant has no fat, but his stomach was still very sore so they could go in and take it out if we wanted or we could just wait. There was a 20% chance that nothing was wrong. He consulted with the radiologist and he couldn't RULE out that it was or was not his appendix. But it was our choice if we didn't want surgery. I was like WHAT? I just spent how many hours in the ER, spend HOW much money getting transported by the Ambulance and you are giving me a choice. I told him that as much pain as Grant has been in the night before it was worth it to us to take care of this now.
So we started on the 3 antibiotics that were required because your guts are so full of bacteria these 3 have been found to be most effective. The first one went off with out a hitch. The second one they put in his IV ,vancomycin, caused a "side effect." It made Grants body red and itchy, called Red Man's Syndrome. I had grilled the nurse about the risks and side effects and she said they were so rare it wasn't worth mentioning and then he reacted. She felt bad, but after a dose of Benadryl he was very sleepy and not itchy anymore. The doctors think it administered to quickly, but I have been advised that if he ever needs vancomycin again to ask for the benadryl first. The 3rd antibiotic went in without a hitch.
So we scheduled the OR. Dad was able to get the first flight home on Friday morning to be with us. Hallalulah! It was so comforting just knowing he was on Arizona soil!
Grant was so excited when his Dad walked in. We were all so exhausted while we waited for the Surgeon to come in and consult. Dr Eason our first surgeon wasn't doing the surgury but Dr McGill was going to perform it.
This is us with about an hour of sleep each since early Thursday morning.
And here is Grant giving me one last smile before the happy medicine went into his body to relax him for surgury.
Here is my babe after the surgery in the recovery room. He was in the operating room for about 45 minutes. Dr McGill came out and told us that it was successful and Grant did great. His appendix was swollen and had started leaking mucus so we caught it in the early stages of deterioation. I was so happy that we listened to our hearts and went with our guts on what to do here.
We for sure would have been back to the Hospital in no time at all. They did the surgury lapiscopicaly so he has an incision site at his belly button and two little holes on his right side. He spent Friday night in the Hospital for observation and we had him home by noon on Saturday.
It was quite the ordeal. It made me appreciate Bill and his willingness to sacrifice for our family at all costs. I am greatful to his family and their understanding of the situation for us and allowed him to miss his Grandfathers funeral services. It was a trying decision for both of us. Billie and James have been HUGE helpers, playing quietly this weekend so we can rest, helping wih meals. Thanks for the phone calls and texts of concern and wanting to help. It means more to me then you will ever know.
Santa indeed showed up again!
For Breakfast we had stuffed french toast, with peach syrup and bacon. It was so delish and very filling. (One of Bill's Presents behind it!)
Santa indeed showed up again!
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