so i was going to post about Jack's birthday party today. and maybe i still will, later tonight. but i decided to write about our life the past several days. i can sum it up in one word: exhaustion.
it all started last wednesday. Jack woke up at 5 am, i went to check on him & as soon as i touched him, i noticed his skin was red hot. i pulled him out of bed, woke my hubby & laid Jack down to check his temp: 101.5! great. something in my gut told me this was NOT a good sign! so i gave him ibuprofen, fixed him a bottle & we all snuggled in our bed. a couple hours later, i called the beloved Dr. Bubba & got an appointment for 9am. Jack was given a flu test and checked for ear infections. the test came back negative but Dr. Bubba said there was still a good chance he had the flu, apparently those tests are only 40%-50% accurate. don't even get me started on that! so he sent us home & told me to watch Jack carefully over the next 48 hours. he said that if he developed a green snotty nose or nasty cough, to let him know. Jack also wasn't eating very much, so that concerned me too. Dr. Bubba said it was just b/c he wasn't feeling good. so, we headed home but something just kept telling me, he wasn't gonna just get over this super quickly! Jack continued to run a fever, mostly low grade wednesday & thursday & he wasn't eating that well. on Friday, i noticed his nose was running like a faucet. i debated cancelling his birthday party, which was scheduled for the next day. but, Jack slept well that night & his temp stayed around 99, but he acted like he felt great. he was so playful & happy. Saturday, we have the party & Jack takes a total of 3.5 hours worth of naps that day. when we got home that night, i noticed he was coughing. o geez. here we go.
then Sunday morning. Jack wakes up, eates a little & i notice he's warm. temp is 99.8, he has a super runny nose & a gross cough. i check his temp 1 hour later: 100.9! i continued to check it throughout the day & it continued to rise. all the while, i'm giving his alternating rounds of tylenol & ibuprofen. finally, around 7:30 pm we put him to bed with a temp of 101.8. i was so uneasy & worried. Jack woke up around 10:30, went to check on him & i instantly knew his fever had sky rocketed. it was 103! so i called the after hours nurse at Dr. Bubba's. i told her about our week, how his symptoms had progressed, slacked off & then built back up. she called a doctor & 20 mins later she called back to say that we should take him to an ER b/c his fever was too high & they were worried it was swine flu or pneumonia. within 10 minutes, we were on the road to Methodist Hospital in Germantown. i knew it meant we would be there forever & a day but i was just so worried that Jack had developed something horrible & there is nothing i would not to do help him get better. about 2 miles from the hospital, he just projectile vomited (sorry if its TMI!!) everywhere. i mean he was covered, so was the carseat, my jacket & the back of the seat. it was bad. he had never ever done that before, he had only ever spit up. so by now, the hubs & i are very concerned.
we checked into the ER around 11:15 pm & began the tedious wait process. finally, at 1:15 am we were called back & placed in a room. the doctor only kept us waiting about 20 minutes before he came in to check out Jack. he did the typical doctor routine of listening to his chest & back, checking out his ears & his throat. then we described our crazy past few days, the negative flu test & the consistently rising fever. (let me just say that this entire time, of driving in the car, waiting in a boring ER waiting room & sitting in a room: Jack was amazing. he didn't fuss once. he was so sweet & quiet. i'm not kidding, he's the best baby, EVER! ben & i just couldn't get over it!) the nice ER doc began to talk to us about the flu, swine flu & pneumonia. i won't go into detail about everything he said, just that fever wasn't really a reason to come to the ER (which i already knew) but since Jack was exhibiting other symptoms that weren't slowing up, he completely understood why we came. he told us that the after hours nurses at pediatrician's offices drive him crazy!! now to all my nurse friends, i know you're thinking. "you wasted your time, just give him tylenol for a fever & he'll get better" but he wasn't getting better. he was getting worse & by this time his fever was over 103, so i was going to the ER. i just needed someone to help him. the doctor said he wanted to do a chest xray to check for pneumonia. he also told us that there was a good chance Jack has the flu or swine flu but he wasn't going to test him b/c the tests are so poor & inaccurate. he also said that since he had been sick for over 48 hours, tamiflu would not do the trick. so the only option was tylenol & ibuprofen. i completely understood his point but i was frustrated b/c those 2 meds just weren't touching his fever. so Jack got a chest xray (which by the way is the most pitiful thing you have ever seen!! ben had to stay with him & i had to watch from another room since i'm pregnant). we headed back to the room & the doc came in to tell us Jack has bronchitis on top of a nasty viral cold. awesome. just wanted i wanted to hear. by the way, did i mention that Sunday was Jack's actual 1st birthday & he spent it sick & in the ER?!! terrible.
the doc wrote a prescription & discharged us. we got home around 3:15 am. ugghh. Jack got a dose of tylenol & we put him straight to bed. ben & i got to enjoy ourselves by cleaning up throw up from our van & scrubbing his carseat. oh the stench! enough said! we got in bed around 4 am & slept till 8:30 when Jack woke us up. all day monday, Jack ran a high fever & was so fussy & so clingy. he wouldn't eat & just wanted to be held. we felt so bad for him & we were utterly exhausted. Jack took about a 2.5 hour nap. we tried putting him down 7:30 pm. major failure. i ended up laying in our bed, holding him, until he drifted off to sleep. he slept about an hour, while i scurried around the house trying to get ready for work today & catching up on some house work. i should have just gone to bed. he woke up, so fussy & so we both went in to comfort him. we tried laying him in his bed, but he just screamed. so he ended up back in our bed. he had the chills so bad. we finally got him to take a bottle around 11 pm, then he drifted off. he woke up back up, one hour later. we consoled him, i held him & we snuggled until he fell asleep. he woke up 1.5 hours later, i snuggled him & he fell asleep. repeat this process all. night. long. oh my word. talk about being deliriously tired!!! i was pushed to the edge of the bed b/c he's so squirmy & i slept in 1 hour increments. i finally woke up at 6 am & had to get ready for work.
Jack is spending the day at his mamie's house. (ben's mom). she offered to keep him so sweet macy & mara don't get sick & to give me a break. both Jack & i cried all the way to her house this morning. i am now at work, both little girls are sleeping. they have been so sweet today, which is a huge blessing! i've talked to ben's mom a few times & she said that he's still fussy, clingy, tired & not eating. i'm so frustrated. how much longer will this bronchitis & viral cold last?!! surely the antibiotic will start working soon. i hate being away from him when he's sick, but i certainly don't mind getting to play with macy & mara. i just wish Jack was here. so, i'm emotionally having a rough day & my sweet boy is having a rough day in every sense of the word. i can't wait to see him this afternoon so i can love on him & help him try to feel better.
if you think of us, please say a prayer for Jack. i'm not worried about me. i've had the flu & swine flu shot & i'll get sleep whenever i can. but i hate seeing my son so sick & pitiful. Praise the Lord for an amazing hubby, who has been such a help & so very concerned for Jack. i just love the way my husband loves our son. it blesses my heart. we are supposed to see Dr. Bubba on thursday afternoon for Jack's 12 month appointment, so if he's still sick, i'm going to be begging for more help! there is nothing worse than when your child is sick. its exhausting, in every way.
have a happy tuesday & i hope none of you get sick. boo for bronchitis, fevers, sick kids & no sleep!!
