day 2 in the hospital

We had a little more restful night our second night in the hospital.  We got to bed around 9:30…she had IV antibiotics and vitals due around 1am ,and she went right back to sleep when all was done.  We were up for good around 7am because she had her IV antibiotic due again, and once she was up this time…she was up.

Hospital coffee.  Not the best, but thankful for it.

So here's the deal….around 8:00-8:30 doctors came in for their assessments.

Around 8:45 the nurse came to get us for rounds.  Grace was in a lot less pain this time, so no wheel chair…but I did have to carry her (which- she did have the drain that dangled when she walked, so I understood).

I'm just going to blurt this all out and hope it makes sense!

So….just to quickly recap:

-On Friday night we thought Grace hurt her arm rough housing.  She was crying but we thought she was ok.

-She was up on and off all night…so around 5am Satruday morning…I took her to ER.

-In ER- had X-rays…diagnosed with elbow sprain (nursemaid's elbow)…arm was 'reset'.  Sent home with splint and told to take ibuprofen.  Her pain should have been better after being 'reset'…so if not better by Monday- go see our regular pediatrician.

-Sunday night at 4am she wakes up in pain.  Asks for ice pack for arm.  I feel her and she's warm…and has 103.7 fever.  Give ibuprofen.

-Wakes up around 9:15am with fever (102.5)….and nauseous.  Throws up at 9:25.  Then feels better and eats whole can of soup and drinks a thermos of water and keeps it all down.

-Never gets below a fever of 100.5.  Lays around all day.

-4:30 pm wakes up from 30 minute nap with 104.1 fever.  Give ibuprofen and shower and get fever down to 102.1.  

-Call advise nurse.  Advice nurse suggests we come back to ER.

-Labs drawn and indicate infection.  That- coupled with the fact that she cannot move her arm…they suspect osteomyeltis or septic arthritis of elbow. She's admitted.

-Monday morning - MRI….fluid seen around elbow joint during MRI so straight to OR for surgery to drain and clean out joint and leave drain in.

**The ortho attending also believes at this point that she never had a sprained elbow/nursemaid's elbow…just the infection that caused the pain and made us think that something had happened.**

(I know I said quick, but you know me).

SO…..come Tuesday morning we have a little more information.  The CBC of the fluid drained from her elbow was basically normal.  In a septic joint….they would have suspected it to be more 'florid"….meaning very high in white blood cells (since these are the cells that are sent by the body to fight infection).  But the results actually showed a normal white blood count.  Thus making them think maybe not infection.

IF infection…they said it could be 1 of 2 different bacterias (usually): staph or kingella.  IF kingella….(which is more rare, but possible)….then we might would see a low blood count like what we were seeing with her.  So this is still a possibility, but we won't know this for sure until we get the PCR results back in a couple of weeks.

But now…

Now they are actually thinking something completely different.  And where it gets a little more complicated.

Post-streptococcal reactive arthritis.

I'm not even sure what exactly that means so I won't sit here and try to write it all out until I know more.

What I do know:

-She's never been to the doctor for being sick before this ordeal.

-She has never had a strep infection that I know if, but that doesn't mean that she didn't have one at some point.

-They drew tests looking for strep antibodies and should have these back sometime this week.  IF she is positive for this antibody then this scenario is more likely what happened last week.

-IF this is true…she is at risk for rheumatic fever…and ultimately rheumatic carditis.

-IF this is true- we will see a rheumatologist and have a cardiac screening for possible damage to her heart.

-IF this is true….I'm not exactly sure what it means.

Because, clinically, she no longer appeared to have septic arthritis…and because she was getting better (in less pain and moving her arm)…they said that we would more than likely be able to go home the next day (Wednesdasy) instead of the 4 or 5 days later, as thought initially.  I had originally planned to go home on this day and spend the whole afternoon with Parker and Nolan…..but since she was going home the next day, I didn't want to leave her.  Instead- my mom and sister watched Nolan…and Geoff and Parker came to visit.  (Parker had been handling everything ok…but she was pretty worried for her sister when hearing words like 'surgery'…and so we thought it was important for her to come and see her.

Her hair was a mess!!  Seriously so many knots and tangles….I thought I'd never be able to get them out!  I ended up putting on this really neat little no-rinse shower cap that I heated in the microwave…then placed on her head…and massaged it around.  It's not the same as a real shower, but it did the trick and I was able to get all the tangles out after about 20 minutes.

Sister came and it was good for both of their souls!  At this point…she was starting to be in a little more pain.  I think her drain had started coming out at this point…and that was an ordeal.  Ortho didn't think it could cause her pain and blablabla….well….she had some pain meds and was ok so when they said they just wanted to wait to take out until the next morning (even though it wasn't even draining anything new since surgery!) I didn't push for them to take it out (wish I would have, though…as Momma's….we know!)

Anyways….it was Child Life's 40th anniversary of being at this hospital and so they were having a little birthday party down in the lobby.  It was good to get us out of the room.  And Parker loved pushing her sister around.

They had various craft stations set up…she made this X-ray of her hand, the 'magic wand', and the shaker.

They also had a table of gifts set up (NICE gifts)…and both girls were able to pick one out.  This whole experience was very  humbling.  I can't tell you how many times I teared up while at the 'birthday party'.  I mean…we're in a hospital full of sick children…some terminally ill….some not.  But to look around and see them…and to look down and see your child….and to think that, sure…my child is here, but she's going to leave soon…and maybe some of the other children weren't.  It makes you feel thankful.  But then sad.  Knowing that those other mothers and fathers are hurting seeing their child hurt….and wanting to do any and everything to make that go away.  But can't.  And then realizing…that maybe in that moment…you're just like them.  And accepting gifts that people have donated for your sick child to be able to have on a day that just isn't so great for them.  Well it's humbling.

We visited the trains...

This little doll that she picked out while at the 'birthday party'…well it made her day.  Her dolly and blankie got the boot for the rest of the day until bedtime.

I had to take a picture of this.  Because besides the chicken noodle soup and vanilla shakes….her meal of choice was a sandwich (cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle), tater tots, strawberries, and vanilla shake.  She only had something different than the 2 meals listed above one time, and that was for breakfast our last day, and she had a hardboiled egg, bacon, and strawberries.

After the pain medicine kicked in she was a little giggly/bouncing off the walls….and as I was trying to feed her (since both of her hands were out of commission)…she kept putting her feet on me.  We got to giggling and I wanted to take a picture of me with her since it was mostly just us 2 for all these days and she would not have it….but instead…I settled on a selfie with her foot.  Which she loved.  And hearing that giggle…was the best.

By this evening…she had watched Frozen, Brave, Despicable Me, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs each several times on their TV network, and wanted to watch something on the iPad.  So we set it up and made it work.

Close to 7pm…that little drainage compartment lost suction.  So finally….they got someone to come and take it out.  And wouldn't you know…it was already all the way out!  So I was thankful that they finally 'took it out' because it made getting up and going to the restroom so much easier!

We finally got settled and in bed around 9:15.
And as we were laying in the darkened room, Grace says to me,
"Momma... thank you for all this.  I will never forget it."
Talk about lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.  Precious girl.

This night we had an even more restful night than the night before.  She had and IV antibiotic due at 1am and didn't even wake up.  However- she woke up on her own around 5:30am….and started saying,
"Momma!  Momma!" 
Me: "What baby?"
Her:  I was looking for my dolly and I moved my arm and it doesn't hurt anymore!

She also had a blood draw due, and they came in and started trying around 5:45.  And she pretty much never went to sleep after that.

I guess I'll make one more blog post about her last 'day' in the hospital…the day we came home!