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Longest Two Days Of My Life So Far

RVTPilot

By RVTPilot,
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RVTPilot Grand Master

RVTPilot

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I guess forgive me in advance for coming here to release some stress, and I know that others have had far worse days. Guess it speaks to how lucky I truly am, but the last tow days have taxed me and my family like none so far. It basically revolves around my 9 year old, Alexandria, and her becoming suddenly ill. Her issues started somewhat typically for a kid with an upset stomach late Sunday, and ended with an emergency appendectomy at about 2:30 this afternoon. What made it frustrating was that we had her into a pediatric ER by doctor's orders by 2 o'clock yesterday in one hospital, only to have her rushed over to another hospital at 12:30 in the morning today. While doctors came and poked and prodded my littlest one and performed one test after another (no doubt following protocols set not by doctors, but by insurance companies), I had to look into my suffering little one's eyes and try to explain to her things she doesn't understand while she is in excruciating pain. In less than 24 hours, she went from what seemed like a typical tummy ache to a constant 103+ fever, a ruptured appendix, and an abdomen filling with fluid. She was a trooper and endured a lot of BS over the last day, and is resting comfortably right now in the Pediatric ICU at Cleveland Clinic, where she will spend the next week working her way from being a tube and catheter hub to eating like the rest of us. I know thousands of kids and adults each year have appendix issues and go through this. It just chewed me up watching my baby endure all this. She was in pretty bad shape 24 hours ago, enough to be sent into the ICU. Tomorrow they hope she can be sent to a normal floor and work her way back from there.

 

Sorry to dump all this in here, but I needed to come some place I feel at home and release a little, and you guys are my OR family. Some of the OR gang that I catch up with on FB knows about this, and thanks for all their support, along with mine and Shannon's families. Shan and I are going on a collective  6 hours sleep since waking up Monday, and have tried to give every ounce of energy to Alexandria. Thanks for putting up with my venting. I am off to shower and bed, I think. 

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bowdog Grand Master

bowdog

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I don't even have children and that put a knot in my stomach.  I hope she (and you) feels better really soon.

Absolutely this!

 

Hope she heals up fast and you guys can get back to normal. If she is going to be in for the whole week let us know what some of her favorite things are and maybe we can get some of those things over to her to make her stay a little more comfortable. Best of luck to you and your family!

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Scruit Grand Master

Scruit

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Been there, done that, only it was my younger brother.  Went out for the day and left him behind (12yo) at home because he had a stomach ache.  Got home in the evening and found him still in pain. Drove him to the hospital who diagnosed Appendicitis, and then said his appendix is at risk of bursting.  In the time it took them to prep him for surgery his appendix burst and they had to treat him for peritonitis.  He has a scar from his nips to his bits.

 

That was 20 years ago.  He is fine now.  He came through the surgery fine with no complications and was back on his feet in no time. 

 

My son in 9, so stories like this make me want to hug him just a little bit tighter tonight.

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madcat6183 Grand Master

madcat6183

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Shit dude, I can't even imagine, and pray for her fast recovery and hopefully a lot less pain from here out.  After having ours Friday, I can't fathom trying to look him in the eyes and explain something like this or try to make them okay with what's going on.  

 

Glad she was a trooper and just hope she heals fast! 

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Helmutt Grand Master

Helmutt

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I can empathize through a similar incident ( the helpless part, but much less life threatening ) when my daughter was 3 and bitten in the face by a dog. It splayed her nose and upper lip wide open. The doctor had a pissy attitude at best, and had the nurses holding her down while he forcefully tried to inject her face with the local. She was struggling and crying so hard she wet her pants and vomited from all the stress/trauma THEY were causing her. The injury itself didn't bug her that much by the time we got to the hospital, just had to keep her hands away from it....but that doctor was determined to win 1st place on my shit list with how he was practicing pediatrics.

I was inches from breaking the docs jaw and throwing him across the room by his smock, but I maintained composure ( somehow ) and told him how done he was with this bullshit so they'd better leave asap so we could calm her ( and me ) down, and they best be finding a more humane method to put my daughter's face back together. They brought in a different anesthesiologist and decided to gas her out, he was calm and sweet to my kid, and she took right to him.

It just tears you down to see your child in situations like this and that you cant just fix it, or make the pain go away.

Glad she is on the up, and sounds like the worst is over. Dont feel shitty over venting here, you know this place can be like a free therapy session sometimes.

Thinking about your little one and all of you and yours as well

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RVTPilot Grand Master

RVTPilot

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Damn, Hellmutt! Props for not splitting that doc's face in two. Not sure I would have been so disciplined. I took a break tonight and took our son to the Browns game. He has been sequestered to my in-laws for the last two days, but has called often to check on his sister. I felt he deserved some time focused on him. So it was boys night out at the ballpark. Got some good updates from the Mrs. on AJ, and things are progressing. We are very blessed and lucky, and in no small part from the kind of support you all have shown here. Thank you beyond words, OR types!  :cheers:

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jporter12 Grand Master

jporter12

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I love threads like this, that show the community that Ohio Riders is!

 

Similarly related story, for the helpless part:

 

A few years ago, we found out that my now 4 year old son has cerebral palsy.  That in itself gives us a bit of a helpless feeling at times, although he functions pretty much as a normal kid of his age.

Anyway, upon being officially "diagnosed" we were scheduled for all sorts of tests.  Most of them were pretty much just interacting with him, measuring angles of motion in some of his joints, etc.  The first test they did was a bunch of blood work.  I forget how many vials they had to draw, but it was a bunch!  That was awful for me.  the next one was the really trying one, they wanted an MRI of his brain.  For a child, they have to put them out, and that scared the crap out of me.  I'll never forget that, sitting in the MRI room with him while it's running, scared about a 2 year old being under general anesthesia.  I was SO relieved when they finished, and as soon as they started him out of the machine, he started to wake!  The fun part came over the next hour or so, with him wanting to walk, but being still effected by the anesthetic!  The other scary part was that my wife was pregnant at the time, so we had all sorts of questions running through our heads, could this same thing happen to this next child?  

 

Also, I had a situation where I almost punched a doctor.  If I had still been in his office when I realized what he said (calling us, and their physical therapist liars!) I probably would have at least been yelling.  I guess I should be thankful for the car problems, and other things that were going on that day, that they kept me distracted enough to not say or do anything!  We have not returned to that Doctor, and now drive to Cincinnati 2-4 times a year for my son's CP related care.

 

(I guess I needed to vent that out since it all came back to me after reading all of this!  LOL) 

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Scruit Grand Master

Scruit

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When my son was two he stared to get ear infections.  After a couple rounds of antibiotic pills the infection was still there so they told me they'd have to give him an injectable antibiotic.  I wondered how he would deal with that...

 

They brought two nursed into the room, pulled his pants down to expose the front of his thighs.  Then I saw TWO injections, one in each nurses' hand.  I asked why two shots, they said the amount of fluid going into his leg was too much for a single shot.  Bad to worse.  THEN they asked me to hold him down and both nurses rear up like they were going to jab him at the same time.  I said; "Whoa, why both at the same time?"   They said; "This this going to hurt.  After he has his first he won't let us give him a second."  They reared up again and both jabbed him in unison.  His face was one of puzzlement.  They injected the material, and his face curled up in pain.  They pulled out shots and he exploded into the worst crying I'd ever heard from him.  I immediately scooped him up into my arms and tried to comfort him by patting him on the shoulder.  It worked.

 

Then they said; "Bring him back tomorrow for the second round of shots.

 

The next day we got to the pediatrician's office and my boy stared to get fussy and scared.  Took him into the room and the two nurses walked in again - my son went into a crying fit, he knew what was coming,  I held him down and they jabbed him again - the look in his eyes and he stared at me like; "Why are you letting them do this?"  More crying, even worse.  I scooped him up onto my arms again and patted his shoulder to comfort him.  It worked.

 

Then they said; "Bring him back tomorrow for his third round."

 

 

The next day, as soon as we got to the pediatrician's parking lot my son went into a panic, crying and screaming.  Dutifully, I took him to the office.  The two nurses came in, and jabbed him a third time.  He was in agony.  I couldn't stand seeing him in pain like that any more and lost it.  Started crying myself.  Scooped him up again and held him.   And then the strangest thing happened.   I felt a patting on my shoulder.  I thought it was one of the nurses... But it wasn't.

 

It was my 2yo son.

 

HE was comforting ME.

 

It worked.

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RVTPilot Grand Master

RVTPilot

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I think that if there is anything that makes a child feel uncomfortable, it is the sight of one of their parents crying. I know that I hated it when I was a kid. But when they see it the only reaction they have been shown to execute is compassion. I can't imagine 3 rounds of shots like that for a 2 year old. 

 

As an update, our AJ is improving. She has gotten up on her feet the last two days and walked, which is helping her respiratory function return to normal. She no longer has an NG tube (she removed that in her sleep) and has been given ice chips to compliment the nutrition cocktail she gets in her IV. However the first night of chips resulted in her throwing up and a rather sleepless evening. That was Friday. Yesterday she had a good bit of family visit, and that helped with her morale immensely. Still no exact time frame on when she might get home. We are hoping mid week. The fever is pretty much gone, so the antibiotics are working. So at this point it will be her respiratory capacity and a functional digestive system that dictates her release, I think.

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