Murphy's Law

Wow. Did I speak too soon or what?!

This week was awful, horrible and in general not good. SO not good. In fact, it was one of the worst weeks of my life as a mother.

Soon after I made this post (Wednesday night) I walk into the living room to find daddy and baby napping together. Miles opens his eyes lethargically and gazes at me blankly. He doesn't even move a muscle as I walk across the room. His (and I can't believe I'm saying this) zombie-like stare just follows my movements. I touch his head and, as usual, he's burning up. I take his temp. with the ear thermometer and it reads over 103. Maternal instinct told me something was very wrong so I scoop him up and tell Matt I am immediately taking him to Minor Med.

We waited an hour before we were seen and he's barely even conscious, just laying on me and staring into space. When we finally see the nurse they take a rectal and inform me his real temp. is actually 105!!! You could have knocked me over with a feather.
They bring him Motrin and start in on what I could only call a battery of torture tests. First the catheter "for a clean urine sample in case it's a UTI" which I had to leave the room for. Thankfully, Matt and my mom had come at that point because I collapsed in sobs in the hallway, listening to him desperately cry for help. Someone brought me a chair because they seriously thought I was going to pass out. Of course, they got zero urine because his bladder was dry.
Then came the blood work which included taking blood out of an actual vein in his hand instead of a finger prick. Now, I'm used to blood work from my arm but HATE having my hand veins used because it hurts twice as much. I had to leave the room for that too simply because he kept trying to reach to me for help. I wanted to die. I could not believe this was happening to him, and to me.

Everything else was minor, relatively speaking. A strep test swabbing his throat, more rectal temps which were plenty traumatic enough for him. And all this time I'm getting an attitude from the staff as if, "Well, you're a mom. You've been through this before. No biggie." Not a single person even fathoms that perhaps I'm completely freaking out because I've never done this before. No one is really explaining anything to me and when they do it's worst case scenario. I'm hearing "hospital" and "pneumonia" and "blood disease". Keep in mind 3 different people have looked at his ears and throat only to claim they're clean as a whistle. Two different nurses even came in trying to give him the same medicine twice! I had to stop them from double dosing him. Hello? Chart? You people ever read it? How about talking to each other? Not something you're keen on, huh?! I shudder to think of what would have happened had not this poor little guy's parents been in the room to supervise them.

5 hours later all these results are coming in, every single one negative. The doctor, if you can call her that, comes into the room to again push for another catheter. I outright refuse. She then makes my decision the be-all, end-all by sending us away with nothing. No script, no diagnosis, no pat on the ass goodbye. The "doctor" emphasizes that if we change our minds about the cath we can come back tomorrow. Yeah, like I'm ever taking my little boy to that house of horrors ever again.

Matt and I stay up all night taking turns with his temp. and medicine. Miles remains unchanged, with fever up to 103 then slowly coming down as Motrin kicks in. Tylenol is doing nothing at this point. Daybreak slowly approaches and I go with Mom to his pedi. walk-in clinic. Within 10 minutes we are taken back and in another 10 his regular doctor (whom I just love) walks in. He says there is no WAY he's giving someone that young a cath for just a simple fever. He then looks into his throat and says, "There ya go, red as an apple. No wonder he feels so bad - little guy has a virus." So, within an 8 hour time span he ALL OF A SUDDEN has a sore throat??!! My mom is biting her tongue and I could kill that med emergency doctor.
After one more strep test to be sure and a simple flu test we're gone with the same instructions: fluids, rest, Motrin. I am so relieved to have a diagnosis that all three of us go back to my parents' (they lives 5 minutes from the doctor's) to nap for a few hours. My emotions and body are completely spent even still today.

It is now noon on Friday and Miles has been fever-free all morning long!! This is amazing and such a relief. He is still incredibly whiny, which we have to admit is getting a tad bit old, but at least he's walking around and being a normal baby again. My consolation is in the knowledge that I will never have to go through this exact same experience ever again. As my mom said, "Before, you were a mom. Now, you're a veteran."