2012's rocky start

Here were are again...Marshfield. We were just here in December with Aunt Michelle, Spencer, Michelle's friends and kids, making visits to Ronald McDonald house and the Pediatric Wing of the hospital. Chris said during that visit "I hope I don't have to return here ever again." and I said "I don't mind it when Mason is sick...I feel like its less pressure on me as a mom when there are others here to help him."

I take it back.

I don't like this place and the fact they have to do blood draws, wake him up every hour for a temp and blood pressure, call in a doctor order that takes 30 minutes to get the Tylenol he needs, the weird, constant noises of all the other patients, and sleeping on a crappy cot.

I'm ready to go home. Mason isn't.

After a long week between Christmas and New Year's with contant coughing, gagging and vomiting, we took Mason in on Jan 2nd. We were hoping to see his pediatrician, but instead had to go to Urgent Care in Wausau. They ran two blood tests - electrolytes and total blood count. His electrolytes were fine, probably due to Daddy's constant Pedialyte feedings at night. His white blood count, however, was through the roof. The normal range, we're told, can be from 5,000 to 15,000. His white blood count was 54,000. He was clearly fighting something.

They sent us here in Marshfield to the Emergency department, and we got an immediate admission to the Pediatric wing. We're in our own room, thank goodness. They wanted to start an IV to get some fluids in, since he hadn't eaten or drank in 4 days. The nurses could not get the IV in, so they had to call the Spirit squad (the people that fly the helicopter to emergencies and are experts at IV pokes.) It took a few pokes, even by them, and an IV was finally placed in the shoulder. Mason has received saline since yesterday, which is finally producing some wet diapers.

They also started him on an antibiotic. The only suspected thing to be causing this right now is Percussis (Whooping Cough). He had a 35 minute coughing jag last night that we couldn't get under control. We thought giving him some Benadryl would help him sleep, but it backfired. He was restless all night so he didn't sleep well at all.

This morning he had another total blood count done but we haven't heard the results yet. Last night was the swab for percussis but haven't heard back on that yet either. We're under quarantine (all staff need to wear a mask when entering and we need to wear masks outside of the room). If the percussis comes back negative, the quarantine is lifted. Part of me wants it to be positive for the answers, but quarantined status sucks.

Mason is resting now, has been sleeping for an hour. I should be too. Between the two of us, I think we slept about 4 hours last night. Daddy was home last night to get rest so he could work today, but he's on duty tonight so that I can get rest and get to work tomorrow. It's a vicious circle. I need to pick up ear plugs and a sleeping aid of my own I think. :)

It's times like this I'm glad we don't have more kids. Mason can be a lot of work and I'm glad that we can handle it between the two of us.

I'm glad Chris and I booked our vacation to Phoenix in March. I need it already. I'm glad we have family to help us with Mason so that we can take a mental break for a few days and relax. I'm also glad our coworkers and jobs are flexible. We're very lucky, really.

The little guy is coughing, so I've got to go---snuggle time.