ER Visits

On Saturday, Josh was playing with Hazel in the other room. I heard lots of giggles (Josh just can't help himself:), then: Thump, "Oh no!," screams. Apparently Josh flipped her and when she was supposed to land on her feet, she just didn't quite stay put or something and fell straight back on her head on the laminate floor.

She screamed an unusually sharp scream (and I've heard some good ones from her) and it didn't really let up. She eventually calmed down enough to sit on the couch and watch tv and I started to cut Josh's hair outside. Then she's start wailing again. I thought it was just a bump on the head and I know pain can linger sometimes, but it was weird that she'd calmed down and then started up again minutes later. I asked if she wanted to go lie down in her bed, even though it was only 10:30am, and she said yes, to which I was shocked. Even more shocking was that she actually fell asleep immediately.

She slept off and on--the off parts were mostly thanks to City checking on her and waking her. She'd thrown up at 11 and then again a couple of hours later. Josh called the nurse hotline (that sounds sort of funny, no?) and she said it wasn't anything to worry about yet and nausea was normal but if she gets worse or throws up again to call. Well she threw up again and they told him to bring her to the ER to get a CT scan.

She threw up again on the way, once in the ER, and once while leaving the ER. The scan said she was clear though, so our prayers were answered. They said the nausea could last up to 48 hours, but if it's not improving call. After throwing up 5 more times the next day, we called and the nurses kept saying it was normal up to 48 hours. After talking to my parents and them telling me to insist I talk to a pediatrician, I called another nurse who told me I was basically crazy to think I could talk to a pediatrician "at 4:15 on a Sunday afternoon." After more talking and trying to get to someone other than a nurse, she talked to an ER dr, came back to me and sounding embarrassed, told me he said to bring her back since she wasn't improving.

Then Josh told me she was improving and actually ate something just then and was more chipper, so we decided to wait and just take her to her dr appointment in the morning. She threw up once I put her in the car seat, it was everywhere and gross. I've decided someone should really invent a disposable plastic car seat cover for sick kids. I think her body couldn't take the walking to the car--she walked all wobbly and confused, looked like she could barely keep herself up but I was carrying a load of stuff and thought it might be good to have her move. Guess not. She would also cry any time she'd have to sit or stand up because it her head more than just lying down.

Josh decided to meet me at the appointment to which our dr heard what was going on and told us she was going to be just fine, but she really needed to go to the ER again for more monitoring and probably to get some fluids. She was nice to tell the front desk to refund our $60 fee. Then we went to the ER and paid $180 for them to give her a juice box and crackers and tell us she'd be fine. However, she has a concussion and the symptoms could last up to two weeks.

Needless to say, it's been a bit exhausting. The worse part has just not been knowing if something more serious was going on or if she really was fine. I had a pretty calm feeling about it all that's she'd ultimately be fine, but I didn't like that we had varying opinions from some that she'd be fine and then others to go to the ER, just tell me what is wrong with my daughter!! I know, it's not that easy for them, but that's why it was so draining.

She's definitely improving, she perked up so much for a few hours yesterday I thought we were in the clear, but then she'll have crying spells out of nowhere and she'll grab the back of her head and ask for medicine, it's so hard to see her in pain like this. She's kept food down for two days, so I'm pretty sure this is permanent improvement.

Poor City too, she's been home bound and not getting quite the attention she deserves. She's been a champion little nurse for Hazel though and it's been really sweet. Before this happened, Hazel has seemed to favor me over Josh and it's been hard to know how to help her grow closer to Josh and trust me, he's tried. I think it's just because I'm home with her so much. Anyway, as we were leaving the ER the second time we had this conversation:

Hazel: Why isn't daddy coming home with us?
Me: He needs to go back to work, he just came to the dr's to make sure you were okay and he wanted to be with you.

...a minute passed quietly

Hazel: Can we call daddy?
Me: Why do you want to call him? (this just doesn't happen so I had to know what she was thinking)
Hazel: Because I love him.

It was so so sweet and felt like a silver lining to all of this. Josh said, "Maybe she has noticed that I haven't left her side the past 48 hours after all!" I'm glad it brought them closer:).

Kudos to all the moms and dads out there who have to take care of chronically ill kids, I have thought a lot about them during this and think they (you) are all amazing!!!