Hospital Weekend Wrap Up

A first that came much too soon for our household... a first hospital admission. Friday night Mason was fabulous. Ate great, played great, even slept great. Until 5 am. He is usually a great sleeper and if something does bother him (cough, congestion, diaper leak) he will cry. So I knew the minute I woke up and heard him on the monitor at 5 in the morning saying "up, up, Mommy, up, up" in the most terrified and timid little voice, that something was really not right. I went in to find he had thrown up all over his bed and even some outside his bed.

I've mentioned before that Mason has a very sensitive stomach and has gastrointestinal reactions to almost any little thing, as well as the worst gag reflex. So I honestly didn't think too much of it since he wasn't running fever and was acting so normal up to that point.

And then, how should I phrase this... the sh@# hit the fan! Before I could even get his bed sheets out of his room and in the washer he was in our bed with D throwing up again. And then almost every 15 minutes for the next 5 hours he had vomiting episodes. I was trying desperately to give him water and ice but just as he would consume some the next episode would start. His throw up went from clear liquid to yellow to a yucky brown color. I realized we were now on stomach acid so decided to take him into the on call PA at our (new* more on that later) pediatricians office. We are a 5 minute drive from our doctor. He had a vomiting episode right before we left the house, in the car, when we got into the waiting room, when we went back for weight check, twice while in the exam room, and again in the car when we left. He was so weak from throwing up that he couldn't even lift his head. I felt so helpless.

The PA knew the minute she walked in that he was not well. At that point he was borderline dehydrated but she witnessed so many episodes that there was no doubt in her mind that he needed IV fluids. She called the doctor to get orders for admission to the pediatric unit so that we didn't have to sit in the ER for hours. So we headed to the hospital for 23 hour admission and watch.

All IV'd out, gowned up, and using an empty cup for soothing!

It was awful BUT I am so glad we went. Mason went downhill fast. The pediatric hospitalist, Dr. A, came in not too long after we arrived and the blood draw taken when they started his IV showed severe dehydration and high white blood cell count. That afternoon he had finally stopped vomiting. After his IV bolus was complete he still had not voided. (They had placed a urine collection bag on to try and collect a urine sample, instead of a catheter thank goodness. So that made it obvious that he had not yet gone tee tee.) So Dr. N, our pedi, ordered them to hang another round of IV fluids. About 30 minutes after they started that one, we were up walking and playing in the patient playroom (rolling the IV right along with a 2 yr old, scary but he was so glad to be up) when Daddy said, "he smells like tee tee". Sure enough, he had gone so much his diaper was starting to leak. He busted right through the bag!

That night we were able to start offering clear liquids. He had not been allowed to eat or drink anything since being admitted around noon as to not irritate his stomach and allow the IV fluids to do their job. So around 9 we gave him a small cup of ice. Poor baby boy, you would have thought we gave him a cup of sweets he was so excited. He was so hungry that he devoured it. He began to perk up and was actually getting hyper. He was saying "Mommy, gigger da riywee ober ya". Just as serious as can be. And then he would crack up. It was such a relief to see a sign of his healthy personality. By 10 pm I thought for sure he had to be tired, he didn't get a good nap in and had such an exhausting day. I finally said "ok night night baby", and he rolled towards me cuddling Pupper and was out in minutes. He slept well minus the interruptions for vital checks.

Sunday morning he woke up rather cranky. I thought it was from hunger but we soon realized it was because he hadn't had a bowel movement since Friday afternoon! Once he got that taken care of he was great. His electrolyte panel looked much better so they changed him back to a regular diet for lunch. He got to have milk again and ate half of my hamburger patty and a chocolate chip cookie from his hospital tray. He kept that down without a problem. 

Jello time! Look at that skill right there! He figured out how to hold the fork with his fingers and his arm board. He refused to let me help him. I was pretty impressed!

I got him to settle down after lunch for a good 2 hour nap and then at 3:15 the nurse (who was awesome) came in to tell me she would be calling Dr. A to see if we could go home. He sent discharge orders and we were IV free and headed home by 4!

IV free and playing with the hospital bed. He was such a trooper.

It all turned out fine but it was a scary and emotionally draining weekend watching my baby boy be so physically ill, get poked with needles and be so scared and upset. I would be ok if we NEVER have to experience anything like this again.

And since everyone has asked, it was a stomach virus. Blood work and urine analysis were normal. (We were already discharged before stool sample results came back so could be something there but Dr. A said not likely since no other symptoms.) White cell count was high due to the stress his body endured with the frequent vomiting episodes. It was completely back to normal Sunday morning. So far the rest of us are untouched so I am a little dumbfounded as to why a virus would attack Maser so hard and quickly. But I am thankful that nobody else got sick and am praying that continues to be the case. He is still doing well minus some really nasty diapers which doctor said is not concerning based on the liquid diet and lack of solids over the weekend and also could be from the virus that still has to run its course.

Thanks to everyone who called, texted, offered help, and prayed for our baby boy. Thanks to my parents for keeping little princess overnight so we could focus on Maser man. Not how any of us planned on spending our weekend but we survived and its over!

Phew! For the record, May can't get here fast enough. Worst. Sick season. In. History.