Grandson

Finally on Thanksgiving we got a DX - our little guy has streptococcal
pneumonia with a complication of hus (hemolytic ureic syndrom) meaning
his blood platelets are dangerous low and he is in acute renal
failure. At the largest Children's Hospital in the world they have
only ever had 14 cases of HUS - his is the second for Chicago
Children's Memorial Hospital. Usually HUS appears during/after an
E.Coli infection, but several pneumonias can trigger it as well.

He wil be in the hospital at least a month. He's being given blood
(to raise his platelets), 2 different antibiotics for the pneumonia,
steriods for the lungs, he is on a dialysis for the kidneys,
intravenous feeding, chest tube to drain the fluid OUTSIDE his lungs.
To facilitate the latter they use a thumping therapy - using a special
vibrator on his chese - looks like a mini shake weight - to break up
and drain the fluid. He cannot have surgery right now because of his
platelet level, but the docs say this treatment is equally effective.
It seems painful but he seemed to like it. The therapist said most
patient do like it and prefer it over cupping therapy.

The scenario likely went like this: He had a cold that did not appear
to be getting better. This was 2 weeks ago. His parents took him the
pediatrician who said it was just a lingering cold. A week later both
parents gto sick, maybe e.coli, other food poisioning or possibly the
norovirus. They recovered in days but little boy contined to get
sicker. At first his parents thought he had caught what they had.
But when they realized that he was not improving they again took him
the pediatrician who again said "just a cold" and prescribed some
cough medicine (kind of dismissing them, not listeneing to his chest
or getting an x-ray). They ARE changing pediatrician, although the
hospital docs say it could have all come on quite suddenly. After a
harrowing night they took him to Children's Hospital ER where he was
immediately scooped out of my daughter's DH's arms and surrounded by
10 people. It took so long to determine the type of pneumonia for
reasons explained, but I didn't understand. They WERE looking for
e.Coli when his kidneys failed so the HUS they did dx rather quickly.
For the pneumonia they had to determine if was strep, staph or 3 other
bacteria that I can't remember to make sure they give him the correct
antibiotics. He was also put on steriods

He is on his third type of pain medicine. The first one was
ineffective, morphine also didn't do that they wanted, dialudid made
him extremely agitataed, shaky and he had hallucinations, finally it
seems a fentanyl drip with fentanyl in the push button for spikes is
keeping him comfortable. Plus they can turn the drip up or down.
Keeps pretty him much sedated though. Apparently that's good because
it will keep him from trying to pull out the IV's, chest tube, etc.

It is so hard. He doesn't understand why mommy or daddy can't pick
him up. He wants to go "bye bye". They want him NPO to make sure his
kidneys rest and he so badly wants water, apple juice or apple cider.
All he can have is a wetted pink sponge on a stick to swab his lips
and mouth. They have a portable DVD player and his favorite DVD "Cars"
- he just listly watches, without emotion through 3/4 closed eyes.
He's usually a bright, perky happy little boy. Right now he has a
temp of 103 degrees F - the infectious diseases doctor says we should
expect the temp to go up and down for 6 weeks.

I got overwhelmed yesterday, plus I think I ate something that didn't
agree with me. I already have a very slow stomach and last surgery
was just 3 weeks ago. I woke up with a really raw feeling in my
stomach and very shaky. While visiting at his bed side I suddenly
felt like I was going to get sick. I RAN out of the PICU made it to
the bathroom and just vomited my guts out. My DH came after me and I
decided to go back to the hotel for awhile. In the elevator I got
that feeling again. Got off the elevator rounded the corner and
vomited again and again. Stress, I know it is. How embarrased was I?
Nurses came running - they called a code! - I just wanted maintenance
to get there and get it cleaned up! They put me a in wheelchair and
took me over to ER and had a nurse sit with me. The ER attending
tried to have me get checked out in the ER, but I said no, I knew it
was stress together with a possibility of food poisoning - but
probably just stress. They let me go and we returned to the Hotel
where I slept for a couple of hours. I had no fever, headache,
diarrhea, or body aches but I knew i couldn't take the chance of
exposing little boy to anything else. We left, agreeing with our
daughter that if I felt ill in the morning I would get a dx - not only
for my sake but for little boy's as well so we could inform his
doctors. We got home at 1:30 am. We are returning on Thursday. We
and the other grandparents are going to trade off being there so my
daughter and her DH can get breaks.

All of us have been really impressed and comforted by all the staff at
this hospital. Because he is in the PICU he has a nurse and tech
assigned to him 24/7. They sit in a vestibule just outside his room
and are dedicated only to him. They have all been so nice, patient,
answer questions readily or, if they can't, they immediately call
someon who can answer the question. I am truly thankful for all of
them.

Your purrs and good thoughts seem to be working so please keep them
coming. This is going to be a long haul.

Sophia

PS - at the request of my daughter, since I use my real name in my
profile and here, I am not giving out their names. Her profession has
already resulted in her having to file several restraining orders.
They appreciate all your purrs and the friendship you have all shown
me.

Oh gosh Sophia, where do I start? First of all let me tell you that I've
had a granddaughter who had non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two years ago (and so far
this past year has been cancer-free) so I know a little bit of what you're
going through - although she was a lot older than your grandson so she could
understand what was happening to her. To have had to go through that
without her knowing *why* they were hurting her would have hurt so much
more..

Second, although it doesn't sound like your grandson will be hospitalized
and treated for quite as long, still you have to realize that you're in this
for the long haul and you need to "pace yourself". I was unlucky enough to
live in Houston when she lived in New Orleans, but I was lucky that my
son-in-law's (*very*) large family are all really close and someone could be
with her for every second of her stay. Even the shorter treatment period
will be just as tough for your grandson - because of his age time sees *so*
much longer to him, next week sounds like next year to them, so it's hard to
keep their spirits up.

Third, emotional, as well as physically he's going to have ups and downs,
that's normal and you can't let it "get to you" if he throws a tantrum or
becomes very sad or subdued - you have to treat him consistently- children
that age need consistency, a sick child that age *requires* consistency -
he's going to pick up on your every mood, so if you're feeling really sad or
down or defeated, call in another "team member" and go take a break.

Fourth (and this probably should have been higher on the list because it's
so important) *NEVER, EVER* lie to him, not even a little white lie to
"protect" him. Explain things on his level, but *DON'T* lie. Children pick
up every single thing we say, do, facial expressions - everything. It's
their "job", that's how they learn to be adults, by observing. He'll know
if you're lying and then he won't trust you, and if he quits trusting you
he'll be *SO* alone it will effect his emotions and delay his healing.

There's probably a lot more little things you can do that I'm just not
remembering now - I'm in a bit of shock since I figured it would be "only"
pneumonia, but I'll pass them on as I remember them.

Just two more things... one - *take care of yourself* - you're of absolutely
*NO* use to him if you allow yourself to fall apart.

Two - tons and tons and dump truck loads of purrs and prayers and get well
wishes from one MaMere to another with a seriously ill grandchild.

--
Hugs,

CatNipped
See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped

See the RPCA FAQ site, by Mark Edwards, at:
http://www.professional-geek.com/rpcablog/

"Happy" wrote in message
...
Finally on Thanksgiving we got a DX - our little guy has streptococcal
pneumonia with a complication of hus (hemolytic ureic syndrom) meaning
his blood platelets are dangerous low and he is in acute renal
failure. At the largest Children's Hospital in the world they have
only ever had 14 cases of HUS - his is the second for Chicago
Children's Memorial Hospital. Usually HUS appears during/after an
E.Coli infection, but several pneumonias can trigger it as well.

He wil be in the hospital at least a month. He's being given blood
(to raise his platelets), 2 different antibiotics for the pneumonia,
steriods for the lungs, he is on a dialysis for the kidneys,
intravenous feeding, chest tube to drain the fluid OUTSIDE his lungs.
To facilitate the latter they use a thumping therapy - using a special
vibrator on his chese - looks like a mini shake weight - to break up
and drain the fluid. He cannot have surgery right now because of his
platelet level, but the docs say this treatment is equally effective.
It seems painful but he seemed to like it. The therapist said most
patient do like it and prefer it over cupping therapy.

The scenario likely went like this: He had a cold that did not appear
to be getting better. This was 2 weeks ago. His parents took him the
pediatrician who said it was just a lingering cold. A week later both
parents gto sick, maybe e.coli, other food poisioning or possibly the
norovirus. They recovered in days but little boy contined to get
sicker. At first his parents thought he had caught what they had.
But when they realized that he was not improving they again took him
the pediatrician who again said "just a cold" and prescribed some
cough medicine (kind of dismissing them, not listeneing to his chest
or getting an x-ray). They ARE changing pediatrician, although the
hospital docs say it could have all come on quite suddenly. After a
harrowing night they took him to Children's Hospital ER where he was
immediately scooped out of my daughter's DH's arms and surrounded by
10 people. It took so long to determine the type of pneumonia for
reasons explained, but I didn't understand. They WERE looking for
e.Coli when his kidneys failed so the HUS they did dx rather quickly.
For the pneumonia they had to determine if was strep, staph or 3 other
bacteria that I can't remember to make sure they give him the correct
antibiotics. He was also put on steriods

He is on his third type of pain medicine. The first one was
ineffective, morphine also didn't do that they wanted, dialudid made
him extremely agitataed, shaky and he had hallucinations, finally it
seems a fentanyl drip with fentanyl in the push button for spikes is
keeping him comfortable. Plus they can turn the drip up or down.
Keeps pretty him much sedated though. Apparently that's good because
it will keep him from trying to pull out the IV's, chest tube, etc.

It is so hard. He doesn't understand why mommy or daddy can't pick
him up. He wants to go "bye bye". They want him NPO to make sure his
kidneys rest and he so badly wants water, apple juice or apple cider.
All he can have is a wetted pink sponge on a stick to swab his lips
and mouth. They have a portable DVD player and his favorite DVD "Cars"
- he just listly watches, without emotion through 3/4 closed eyes.
He's usually a bright, perky happy little boy. Right now he has a
temp of 103 degrees F - the infectious diseases doctor says we should
expect the temp to go up and down for 6 weeks.

I got overwhelmed yesterday, plus I think I ate something that didn't
agree with me. I already have a very slow stomach and last surgery
was just 3 weeks ago. I woke up with a really raw feeling in my
stomach and very shaky. While visiting at his bed side I suddenly
felt like I was going to get sick. I RAN out of the PICU made it to
the bathroom and just vomited my guts out. My DH came after me and I
decided to go back to the hotel for awhile. In the elevator I got
that feeling again. Got off the elevator rounded the corner and
vomited again and again. Stress, I know it is. How embarrased was I?
Nurses came running - they called a code! - I just wanted maintenance
to get there and get it cleaned up! They put me a in wheelchair and
took me over to ER and had a nurse sit with me. The ER attending
tried to have me get checked out in the ER, but I said no, I knew it
was stress together with a possibility of food poisoning - but
probably just stress. They let me go and we returned to the Hotel
where I slept for a couple of hours. I had no fever, headache,
diarrhea, or body aches but I knew i couldn't take the chance of
exposing little boy to anything else. We left, agreeing with our
daughter that if I felt ill in the morning I would get a dx - not only
for my sake but for little boy's as well so we could inform his
doctors. We got home at 1:30 am. We are returning on Thursday. We
and the other grandparents are going to trade off being there so my
daughter and her DH can get breaks.

All of us have been really impressed and comforted by all the staff at
this hospital. Because he is in the PICU he has a nurse and tech
assigned to him 24/7. They sit in a vestibule just outside his room
and are dedicated only to him. They have all been so nice, patient,
answer questions readily or, if they can't, they immediately call
someon who can answer the question. I am truly thankful for all of
them.

Your purrs and good thoughts seem to be working so please keep them
coming. This is going to be a long haul.

Sophia

PS - at the request of my daughter, since I use my real name in my
profile and here, I am not giving out their names. Her profession has
already resulted in her having to file several restraining orders.
They appreciate all your purrs and the friendship you have all shown
me.

The poor little guy! And poor you, too, just recovering from surgery and
hit by all this.

Purrs for him, and for the whole family.

--

Joy

A miracle is something that is impossible until it happens. - from "Kids
Rite the Darndest Things" by Art Linkletter

"Happy" wrote in message
...
Finally on Thanksgiving we got a DX - our little guy has streptococcal
pneumonia with a complication of hus (hemolytic ureic syndrom) meaning
his blood platelets are dangerous low and he is in acute renal
failure. At the largest Children's Hospital in the world they have
only ever had 14 cases of HUS - his is the second for Chicago
Children's Memorial Hospital. Usually HUS appears during/after an
E.Coli infection, but several pneumonias can trigger it as well.

He wil be in the hospital at least a month. He's being given blood
(to raise his platelets), 2 different antibiotics for the pneumonia,
steriods for the lungs, he is on a dialysis for the kidneys,
intravenous feeding, chest tube to drain the fluid OUTSIDE his lungs.
To facilitate the latter they use a thumping therapy - using a special
vibrator on his chese - looks like a mini shake weight - to break up
and drain the fluid. He cannot have surgery right now because of his
platelet level, but the docs say this treatment is equally effective.
It seems painful but he seemed to like it. The therapist said most
patient do like it and prefer it over cupping therapy.

The scenario likely went like this: He had a cold that did not appear
to be getting better. This was 2 weeks ago. His parents took him the
pediatrician who said it was just a lingering cold. A week later both
parents gto sick, maybe e.coli, other food poisioning or possibly the
norovirus. They recovered in days but little boy contined to get
sicker. At first his parents thought he had caught what they had.
But when they realized that he was not improving they again took him
the pediatrician who again said "just a cold" and prescribed some
cough medicine (kind of dismissing them, not listeneing to his chest
or getting an x-ray). They ARE changing pediatrician, although the
hospital docs say it could have all come on quite suddenly. After a
harrowing night they took him to Children's Hospital ER where he was
immediately scooped out of my daughter's DH's arms and surrounded by
10 people. It took so long to determine the type of pneumonia for
reasons explained, but I didn't understand. They WERE looking for
e.Coli when his kidneys failed so the HUS they did dx rather quickly.
For the pneumonia they had to determine if was strep, staph or 3 other
bacteria that I can't remember to make sure they give him the correct
antibiotics. He was also put on steriods

He is on his third type of pain medicine. The first one was
ineffective, morphine also didn't do that they wanted, dialudid made
him extremely agitataed, shaky and he had hallucinations, finally it
seems a fentanyl drip with fentanyl in the push button for spikes is
keeping him comfortable. Plus they can turn the drip up or down.
Keeps pretty him much sedated though. Apparently that's good because
it will keep him from trying to pull out the IV's, chest tube, etc.

It is so hard. He doesn't understand why mommy or daddy can't pick
him up. He wants to go "bye bye". They want him NPO to make sure his
kidneys rest and he so badly wants water, apple juice or apple cider.
All he can have is a wetted pink sponge on a stick to swab his lips
and mouth. They have a portable DVD player and his favorite DVD "Cars"
- he just listly watches, without emotion through 3/4 closed eyes.
He's usually a bright, perky happy little boy. Right now he has a
temp of 103 degrees F - the infectious diseases doctor says we should
expect the temp to go up and down for 6 weeks.

I got overwhelmed yesterday, plus I think I ate something that didn't
agree with me. I already have a very slow stomach and last surgery
was just 3 weeks ago. I woke up with a really raw feeling in my
stomach and very shaky. While visiting at his bed side I suddenly
felt like I was going to get sick. I RAN out of the PICU made it to
the bathroom and just vomited my guts out. My DH came after me and I
decided to go back to the hotel for awhile. In the elevator I got
that feeling again. Got off the elevator rounded the corner and
vomited again and again. Stress, I know it is. How embarrased was I?
Nurses came running - they called a code! - I just wanted maintenance
to get there and get it cleaned up! They put me a in wheelchair and
took me over to ER and had a nurse sit with me. The ER attending
tried to have me get checked out in the ER, but I said no, I knew it
was stress together with a possibility of food poisoning - but
probably just stress. They let me go and we returned to the Hotel
where I slept for a couple of hours. I had no fever, headache,
diarrhea, or body aches but I knew i couldn't take the chance of
exposing little boy to anything else. We left, agreeing with our
daughter that if I felt ill in the morning I would get a dx - not only
for my sake but for little boy's as well so we could inform his
doctors. We got home at 1:30 am. We are returning on Thursday. We
and the other grandparents are going to trade off being there so my
daughter and her DH can get breaks.

All of us have been really impressed and comforted by all the staff at
this hospital. Because he is in the PICU he has a nurse and tech
assigned to him 24/7. They sit in a vestibule just outside his room
and are dedicated only to him. They have all been so nice, patient,
answer questions readily or, if they can't, they immediately call
someon who can answer the question. I am truly thankful for all of
them.

Your purrs and good thoughts seem to be working so please keep them
coming. This is going to be a long haul.

Sophia

PS - at the request of my daughter, since I use my real name in my
profile and here, I am not giving out their names. Her profession has
already resulted in her having to file several restraining orders.
They appreciate all your purrs and the friendship you have all shown
me.

Honey, the names are not important, It is a FAMILY and they need our purrs
and prayers. Wishing the best for all of you. Having had a very sick
child, years ago, I know how hard it is to see all those tubes and se a
child so listless. Again, purrs and prayers for the little one.
"Happy" wrote in message
...
Finally on Thanksgiving we got a DX - our little guy has streptococcal
pneumonia with a complication of hus (hemolytic ureic syndrom) meaning
his blood platelets are dangerous low and he is in acute renal
failure. At the largest Children's Hospital in the world they have
only ever had 14 cases of HUS - his is the second for Chicago
Children's Memorial Hospital. Usually HUS appears during/after an
E.Coli infection, but several pneumonias can trigger it as well.

He wil be in the hospital at least a month. He's being given blood
(to raise his platelets), 2 different antibiotics for the pneumonia,
steriods for the lungs, he is on a dialysis for the kidneys,
intravenous feeding, chest tube to drain the fluid OUTSIDE his lungs.
To facilitate the latter they use a thumping therapy - using a special
vibrator on his chese - looks like a mini shake weight - to break up
and drain the fluid. He cannot have surgery right now because of his
platelet level, but the docs say this treatment is equally effective.
It seems painful but he seemed to like it. The therapist said most
patient do like it and prefer it over cupping therapy.

The scenario likely went like this: He had a cold that did not appear
to be getting better. This was 2 weeks ago. His parents took him the
pediatrician who said it was just a lingering cold. A week later both
parents gto sick, maybe e.coli, other food poisioning or possibly the
norovirus. They recovered in days but little boy contined to get
sicker. At first his parents thought he had caught what they had.
But when they realized that he was not improving they again took him
the pediatrician who again said "just a cold" and prescribed some
cough medicine (kind of dismissing them, not listeneing to his chest
or getting an x-ray). They ARE changing pediatrician, although the
hospital docs say it could have all come on quite suddenly. After a
harrowing night they took him to Children's Hospital ER where he was
immediately scooped out of my daughter's DH's arms and surrounded by
10 people. It took so long to determine the type of pneumonia for
reasons explained, but I didn't understand. They WERE looking for
e.Coli when his kidneys failed so the HUS they did dx rather quickly.
For the pneumonia they had to determine if was strep, staph or 3 other
bacteria that I can't remember to make sure they give him the correct
antibiotics. He was also put on steriods

He is on his third type of pain medicine. The first one was
ineffective, morphine also didn't do that they wanted, dialudid made
him extremely agitataed, shaky and he had hallucinations, finally it
seems a fentanyl drip with fentanyl in the push button for spikes is
keeping him comfortable. Plus they can turn the drip up or down.
Keeps pretty him much sedated though. Apparently that's good because
it will keep him from trying to pull out the IV's, chest tube, etc.

It is so hard. He doesn't understand why mommy or daddy can't pick
him up. He wants to go "bye bye". They want him NPO to make sure his
kidneys rest and he so badly wants water, apple juice or apple cider.
All he can have is a wetted pink sponge on a stick to swab his lips
and mouth. They have a portable DVD player and his favorite DVD "Cars"
- he just listly watches, without emotion through 3/4 closed eyes.
He's usually a bright, perky happy little boy. Right now he has a
temp of 103 degrees F - the infectious diseases doctor says we should
expect the temp to go up and down for 6 weeks.

I got overwhelmed yesterday, plus I think I ate something that didn't
agree with me. I already have a very slow stomach and last surgery
was just 3 weeks ago. I woke up with a really raw feeling in my
stomach and very shaky. While visiting at his bed side I suddenly
felt like I was going to get sick. I RAN out of the PICU made it to
the bathroom and just vomited my guts out. My DH came after me and I
decided to go back to the hotel for awhile. In the elevator I got
that feeling again. Got off the elevator rounded the corner and
vomited again and again. Stress, I know it is. How embarrased was I?
Nurses came running - they called a code! - I just wanted maintenance
to get there and get it cleaned up! They put me a in wheelchair and
took me over to ER and had a nurse sit with me. The ER attending
tried to have me get checked out in the ER, but I said no, I knew it
was stress together with a possibility of food poisoning - but
probably just stress. They let me go and we returned to the Hotel
where I slept for a couple of hours. I had no fever, headache,
diarrhea, or body aches but I knew i couldn't take the chance of
exposing little boy to anything else. We left, agreeing with our
daughter that if I felt ill in the morning I would get a dx - not only
for my sake but for little boy's as well so we could inform his
doctors. We got home at 1:30 am. We are returning on Thursday. We
and the other grandparents are going to trade off being there so my
daughter and her DH can get breaks.

All of us have been really impressed and comforted by all the staff at
this hospital. Because he is in the PICU he has a nurse and tech
assigned to him 24/7. They sit in a vestibule just outside his room
and are dedicated only to him. They have all been so nice, patient,
answer questions readily or, if they can't, they immediately call
someon who can answer the question. I am truly thankful for all of
them.

Your purrs and good thoughts seem to be working so please keep them
coming. This is going to be a long haul.

Sophia

PS - at the request of my daughter, since I use my real name in my
profile and here, I am not giving out their names. Her profession has
already resulted in her having to file several restraining orders.
They appreciate all your purrs and the friendship you have all shown
me.

On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:31:39 -0500, Happy
wrote:

Finally on Thanksgiving we got a DX - our little guy has streptococcal
pneumonia with a complication of hus (hemolytic ureic syndrom) meaning
his blood platelets are dangerous low and he is in acute renal
failure. At the largest Children's Hospital in the world they have
only ever had 14 cases of HUS - his is the second for Chicago
Children's Memorial Hospital. Usually HUS appears during/after an
E.Coli infection, but several pneumonias can trigger it as well.

He wil be in the hospital at least a month. He's being given blood
(to raise his platelets), 2 different antibiotics for the pneumonia,
steriods for the lungs, he is on a dialysis for the kidneys,
intravenous feeding, chest tube to drain the fluid OUTSIDE his lungs.
To facilitate the latter they use a thumping therapy - using a special
vibrator on his chese - looks like a mini shake weight - to break up
and drain the fluid. He cannot have surgery right now because of his
platelet level, but the docs say this treatment is equally effective.
It seems painful but he seemed to like it. The therapist said most
patient do like it and prefer it over cupping therapy.

The scenario likely went like this: He had a cold that did not appear
to be getting better. This was 2 weeks ago. His parents took him the
pediatrician who said it was just a lingering cold. A week later both
parents gto sick, maybe e.coli, other food poisioning or possibly the
norovirus. They recovered in days but little boy contined to get
sicker. At first his parents thought he had caught what they had.
But when they realized that he was not improving they again took him
the pediatrician who again said "just a cold" and prescribed some
cough medicine (kind of dismissing them, not listeneing to his chest
or getting an x-ray). They ARE changing pediatrician, although the
hospital docs say it could have all come on quite suddenly. After a
harrowing night they took him to Children's Hospital ER where he was
immediately scooped out of my daughter's DH's arms and surrounded by
10 people. It took so long to determine the type of pneumonia for
reasons explained, but I didn't understand. They WERE looking for
e.Coli when his kidneys failed so the HUS they did dx rather quickly.
For the pneumonia they had to determine if was strep, staph or 3 other
bacteria that I can't remember to make sure they give him the correct
antibiotics. He was also put on steriods

He is on his third type of pain medicine. The first one was
ineffective, morphine also didn't do that they wanted, dialudid made
him extremely agitataed, shaky and he had hallucinations, finally it
seems a fentanyl drip with fentanyl in the push button for spikes is
keeping him comfortable. Plus they can turn the drip up or down.
Keeps pretty him much sedated though. Apparently that's good because
it will keep him from trying to pull out the IV's, chest tube, etc.

It is so hard. He doesn't understand why mommy or daddy can't pick
him up. He wants to go "bye bye". They want him NPO to make sure his
kidneys rest and he so badly wants water, apple juice or apple cider.
All he can have is a wetted pink sponge on a stick to swab his lips
and mouth. They have a portable DVD player and his favorite DVD "Cars"
- he just listly watches, without emotion through 3/4 closed eyes.
He's usually a bright, perky happy little boy. Right now he has a
temp of 103 degrees F - the infectious diseases doctor says we should
expect the temp to go up and down for 6 weeks.

I got overwhelmed yesterday, plus I think I ate something that didn't
agree with me. I already have a very slow stomach and last surgery
was just 3 weeks ago. I woke up with a really raw feeling in my
stomach and very shaky. While visiting at his bed side I suddenly
felt like I was going to get sick. I RAN out of the PICU made it to
the bathroom and just vomited my guts out. My DH came after me and I
decided to go back to the hotel for awhile. In the elevator I got
that feeling again. Got off the elevator rounded the corner and
vomited again and again. Stress, I know it is. How embarrased was I?
Nurses came running - they called a code! - I just wanted maintenance
to get there and get it cleaned up! They put me a in wheelchair and
took me over to ER and had a nurse sit with me. The ER attending
tried to have me get checked out in the ER, but I said no, I knew it
was stress together with a possibility of food poisoning - but
probably just stress. They let me go and we returned to the Hotel
where I slept for a couple of hours. I had no fever, headache,
diarrhea, or body aches but I knew i couldn't take the chance of
exposing little boy to anything else. We left, agreeing with our
daughter that if I felt ill in the morning I would get a dx - not only
for my sake but for little boy's as well so we could inform his
doctors. We got home at 1:30 am. We are returning on Thursday. We
and the other grandparents are going to trade off being there so my
daughter and her DH can get breaks.

All of us have been really impressed and comforted by all the staff at
this hospital. Because he is in the PICU he has a nurse and tech
assigned to him 24/7. They sit in a vestibule just outside his room
and are dedicated only to him. They have all been so nice, patient,
answer questions readily or, if they can't, they immediately call
someon who can answer the question. I am truly thankful for all of
them.

Your purrs and good thoughts seem to be working so please keep them
coming. This is going to be a long haul.

Sophia

PS - at the request of my daughter, since I use my real name in my
profile and here, I am not giving out their names. Her profession has
already resulted in her having to file several restraining orders.
They appreciate all your purrs and the friendship you have all shown
me.

Your grandson is a VERY sick little boy

But it sounds like he has the very best care possible.

That is something to be VERY thankful for!

Sending purrs for him to get better, SOON, and for his poor parents, who
must be a total wreck from the stress, and for you, as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^

"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, in loving memory of the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico
kitty, Kenzie.

Every day was a treasure with Kenzie; I tried to treat them that way.
There would only be so many, and now, there will never, ever, be any
more

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein

On 11/29/2010 5:31 PM, Happy wrote:
Finally on Thanksgiving we got a DX - our little guy has streptococcal
pneumonia with a complication of hus (hemolytic ureic syndrom) meaning
his blood platelets are dangerous low and he is in acute renal
failure. At the largest Children's Hospital in the world they have
only ever had 14 cases of HUS - his is the second for Chicago
Children's Memorial Hospital. Usually HUS appears during/after an
E.Coli infection, but several pneumonias can trigger it as well.

He wil be in the hospital at least a month. He's being given blood
(to raise his platelets), 2 different antibiotics for the pneumonia,
steriods for the lungs, he is on a dialysis for the kidneys,
intravenous feeding, chest tube to drain the fluid OUTSIDE his lungs.
To facilitate the latter they use a thumping therapy - using a special
vibrator on his chese - looks like a mini shake weight - to break up
and drain the fluid. He cannot have surgery right now because of his
platelet level, but the docs say this treatment is equally effective.
It seems painful but he seemed to like it. The therapist said most
patient do like it and prefer it over cupping therapy.

The scenario likely went like this: He had a cold that did not appear
to be getting better. This was 2 weeks ago. His parents took him the
pediatrician who said it was just a lingering cold. A week later both
parents gto sick, maybe e.coli, other food poisioning or possibly the
norovirus. They recovered in days but little boy contined to get
sicker. At first his parents thought he had caught what they had.
But when they realized that he was not improving they again took him
the pediatrician who again said "just a cold" and prescribed some
cough medicine (kind of dismissing them, not listeneing to his chest
or getting an x-ray). They ARE changing pediatrician, although the
hospital docs say it could have all come on quite suddenly. After a
harrowing night they took him to Children's Hospital ER where he was
immediately scooped out of my daughter's DH's arms and surrounded by
10 people. It took so long to determine the type of pneumonia for
reasons explained, but I didn't understand. They WERE looking for
e.Coli when his kidneys failed so the HUS they did dx rather quickly.
For the pneumonia they had to determine if was strep, staph or 3 other
bacteria that I can't remember to make sure they give him the correct
antibiotics. He was also put on steriods

He is on his third type of pain medicine. The first one was
ineffective, morphine also didn't do that they wanted, dialudid made
him extremely agitataed, shaky and he had hallucinations, finally it
seems a fentanyl drip with fentanyl in the push button for spikes is
keeping him comfortable. Plus they can turn the drip up or down.
Keeps pretty him much sedated though. Apparently that's good because
it will keep him from trying to pull out the IV's, chest tube, etc.

It is so hard. He doesn't understand why mommy or daddy can't pick
him up. He wants to go "bye bye". They want him NPO to make sure his
kidneys rest and he so badly wants water, apple juice or apple cider.
All he can have is a wetted pink sponge on a stick to swab his lips
and mouth. They have a portable DVD player and his favorite DVD "Cars"
- he just listly watches, without emotion through 3/4 closed eyes.
He's usually a bright, perky happy little boy. Right now he has a
temp of 103 degrees F - the infectious diseases doctor says we should
expect the temp to go up and down for 6 weeks.

I got overwhelmed yesterday, plus I think I ate something that didn't
agree with me. I already have a very slow stomach and last surgery
was just 3 weeks ago. I woke up with a really raw feeling in my
stomach and very shaky. While visiting at his bed side I suddenly
felt like I was going to get sick. I RAN out of the PICU made it to
the bathroom and just vomited my guts out. My DH came after me and I
decided to go back to the hotel for awhile. In the elevator I got
that feeling again. Got off the elevator rounded the corner and
vomited again and again. Stress, I know it is. How embarrased was I?
Nurses came running - they called a code! - I just wanted maintenance
to get there and get it cleaned up! They put me a in wheelchair and
took me over to ER and had a nurse sit with me. The ER attending
tried to have me get checked out in the ER, but I said no, I knew it
was stress together with a possibility of food poisoning - but
probably just stress. They let me go and we returned to the Hotel
where I slept for a couple of hours. I had no fever, headache,
diarrhea, or body aches but I knew i couldn't take the chance of
exposing little boy to anything else. We left, agreeing with our
daughter that if I felt ill in the morning I would get a dx - not only
for my sake but for little boy's as well so we could inform his
doctors. We got home at 1:30 am. We are returning on Thursday. We
and the other grandparents are going to trade off being there so my
daughter and her DH can get breaks.

All of us have been really impressed and comforted by all the staff at
this hospital. Because he is in the PICU he has a nurse and tech
assigned to him 24/7. They sit in a vestibule just outside his room
and are dedicated only to him. They have all been so nice, patient,
answer questions readily or, if they can't, they immediately call
someon who can answer the question. I am truly thankful for all of
them.

Your purrs and good thoughts seem to be working so please keep them
coming. This is going to be a long haul.

Sophia

PS - at the request of my daughter, since I use my real name in my
profile and here, I am not giving out their names. Her profession has
already resulted in her having to file several restraining orders.
They appreciate all your purrs and the friendship you have all shown
me.

{{purrs and prayers for your grandson and you}}

Oh, and if you have any questions about children in PICU* in a hospital, or
a Children's Hospital, or if you just need to vent a little to someone who
has lived through this nightmare of every MaMere... my email here is not
munged, (but a few people here have had problems getting through so you can
also use "lori (dot) crews (at) comcast (dot) net" and send me your phone
number for you to call 24/7 (hell, I'm not working now, I have unlimited
text and only use about 30 minutes of my 3,000 out-of-network calls, so I
can talk all night if you need to). But since I turn my computer off at
night I'm going to send you my phone number now (and you can call, hang up,
and then I'll call you back so it won't cost you anything). If your email
address here is munged, send me a live one, please. Brooke's illness is
still *very* fresh in my memory and I might be able to help you with the
non-medical, scared-****less MaMere stuff you're going through.

Hospital PICU personnel are the absolute best in the world - not only do
they need to know the whole human body, they then *relearn* all that on a
miniature human body with a LOT different needs. Their dedication is
boundless, because the joy of saving a child's life is miraculous, and the
ones who can't get well breaks their hearts every time. It takes a very
special, devoted, loving "angel here on earth" to do that job, so no matter
*where* you go, the PICU doctors and nurses are the best in the hospital.

--
Hugs,

CatNipped
See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped

See the RPCA FAQ site, by Mark Edwards, at:
http://www.professional-geek.com/rpcablog/

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
Oh gosh Sophia, where do I start? First of all let me tell you that I've
had a granddaughter who had non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma two years ago (and so
far this past year has been cancer-free) so I know a little bit of what
you're going through - although she was a lot older than your grandson so
she could understand what was happening to her. To have had to go through
that without her knowing *why* they were hurting her would have hurt so
much more..

Second, although it doesn't sound like your grandson will be hospitalized
and treated for quite as long, still you have to realize that you're in
this for the long haul and you need to "pace yourself". I was unlucky
enough to live in Houston when she lived in New Orleans, but I was lucky
that my son-in-law's (*very*) large family are all really close and
someone could be with her for every second of her stay. Even the shorter
treatment period will be just as tough for your grandson - because of his
age time sees *so* much longer to him, next week sounds like next year to
them, so it's hard to keep their spirits up.

Third, emotional, as well as physically he's going to have ups and downs,
that's normal and you can't let it "get to you" if he throws a tantrum or
becomes very sad or subdued - you have to treat him consistently- children
that age need consistency, a sick child that age *requires* consistency -
he's going to pick up on your every mood, so if you're feeling really sad
or down or defeated, call in another "team member" and go take a break.

Fourth (and this probably should have been higher on the list because it's
so important) *NEVER, EVER* lie to him, not even a little white lie to
"protect" him. Explain things on his level, but *DON'T* lie. Children
pick up every single thing we say, do, facial expressions - everything.
It's their "job", that's how they learn to be adults, by observing. He'll
know if you're lying and then he won't trust you, and if he quits trusting
you he'll be *SO* alone it will effect his emotions and delay his healing.

There's probably a lot more little things you can do that I'm just not
remembering now - I'm in a bit of shock since I figured it would be "only"
pneumonia, but I'll pass them on as I remember them.

Just two more things... one - *take care of yourself* - you're of
absolutely *NO* use to him if you allow yourself to fall apart.

Two - tons and tons and dump truck loads of purrs and prayers and get well
wishes from one MaMere to another with a seriously ill grandchild.

--
Hugs,

CatNipped
See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped

See the RPCA FAQ site, by Mark Edwards, at:
http://www.professional-geek.com/rpcablog/

"Happy" wrote in message
...
Finally on Thanksgiving we got a DX - our little guy has streptococcal
pneumonia with a complication of hus (hemolytic ureic syndrom) meaning
his blood platelets are dangerous low and he is in acute renal
failure. At the largest Children's Hospital in the world they have
only ever had 14 cases of HUS - his is the second for Chicago
Children's Memorial Hospital. Usually HUS appears during/after an
E.Coli infection, but several pneumonias can trigger it as well.

He wil be in the hospital at least a month. He's being given blood
(to raise his platelets), 2 different antibiotics for the pneumonia,
steriods for the lungs, he is on a dialysis for the kidneys,
intravenous feeding, chest tube to drain the fluid OUTSIDE his lungs.
To facilitate the latter they use a thumping therapy - using a special
vibrator on his chese - looks like a mini shake weight - to break up
and drain the fluid. He cannot have surgery right now because of his
platelet level, but the docs say this treatment is equally effective.
It seems painful but he seemed to like it. The therapist said most
patient do like it and prefer it over cupping therapy.

The scenario likely went like this: He had a cold that did not appear
to be getting better. This was 2 weeks ago. His parents took him the
pediatrician who said it was just a lingering cold. A week later both
parents gto sick, maybe e.coli, other food poisioning or possibly the
norovirus. They recovered in days but little boy contined to get
sicker. At first his parents thought he had caught what they had.
But when they realized that he was not improving they again took him
the pediatrician who again said "just a cold" and prescribed some
cough medicine (kind of dismissing them, not listeneing to his chest
or getting an x-ray). They ARE changing pediatrician, although the
hospital docs say it could have all come on quite suddenly. After a
harrowing night they took him to Children's Hospital ER where he was
immediately scooped out of my daughter's DH's arms and surrounded by
10 people. It took so long to determine the type of pneumonia for
reasons explained, but I didn't understand. They WERE looking for
e.Coli when his kidneys failed so the HUS they did dx rather quickly.
For the pneumonia they had to determine if was strep, staph or 3 other
bacteria that I can't remember to make sure they give him the correct
antibiotics. He was also put on steriods

He is on his third type of pain medicine. The first one was
ineffective, morphine also didn't do that they wanted, dialudid made
him extremely agitataed, shaky and he had hallucinations, finally it
seems a fentanyl drip with fentanyl in the push button for spikes is
keeping him comfortable. Plus they can turn the drip up or down.
Keeps pretty him much sedated though. Apparently that's good because
it will keep him from trying to pull out the IV's, chest tube, etc.

It is so hard. He doesn't understand why mommy or daddy can't pick
him up. He wants to go "bye bye". They want him NPO to make sure his
kidneys rest and he so badly wants water, apple juice or apple cider.
All he can have is a wetted pink sponge on a stick to swab his lips
and mouth. They have a portable DVD player and his favorite DVD "Cars"
- he just listly watches, without emotion through 3/4 closed eyes.
He's usually a bright, perky happy little boy. Right now he has a
temp of 103 degrees F - the infectious diseases doctor says we should
expect the temp to go up and down for 6 weeks.

I got overwhelmed yesterday, plus I think I ate something that didn't
agree with me. I already have a very slow stomach and last surgery
was just 3 weeks ago. I woke up with a really raw feeling in my
stomach and very shaky. While visiting at his bed side I suddenly
felt like I was going to get sick. I RAN out of the PICU made it to
the bathroom and just vomited my guts out. My DH came after me and I
decided to go back to the hotel for awhile. In the elevator I got
that feeling again. Got off the elevator rounded the corner and
vomited again and again. Stress, I know it is. How embarrased was I?
Nurses came running - they called a code! - I just wanted maintenance
to get there and get it cleaned up! They put me a in wheelchair and
took me over to ER and had a nurse sit with me. The ER attending
tried to have me get checked out in the ER, but I said no, I knew it
was stress together with a possibility of food poisoning - but
probably just stress. They let me go and we returned to the Hotel
where I slept for a couple of hours. I had no fever, headache,
diarrhea, or body aches but I knew i couldn't take the chance of
exposing little boy to anything else. We left, agreeing with our
daughter that if I felt ill in the morning I would get a dx - not only
for my sake but for little boy's as well so we could inform his
doctors. We got home at 1:30 am. We are returning on Thursday. We
and the other grandparents are going to trade off being there so my
daughter and her DH can get breaks.

All of us have been really impressed and comforted by all the staff at
this hospital. Because he is in the PICU he has a nurse and tech
assigned to him 24/7. They sit in a vestibule just outside his room
and are dedicated only to him. They have all been so nice, patient,
answer questions readily or, if they can't, they immediately call
someon who can answer the question. I am truly thankful for all of
them.

Your purrs and good thoughts seem to be working so please keep them
coming. This is going to be a long haul.

Sophia

PS - at the request of my daughter, since I use my real name in my
profile and here, I am not giving out their names. Her profession has
already resulted in her having to file several restraining orders.
They appreciate all your purrs and the friendship you have all shown
me.

I'm in tears reading this. Your whole family are in my thoughts.
What an horrendous nightmare.
I have enormous admiration for PICU nurses. I spent a few days beside
my youngest daughter's bedside in PICU and were amazed by the care
that not only my daughter got, but the care and compassion they showed
me too.
I hope that your grandson starts to improve very soon and shows the
full extent of the recuperative powers that children have.

Hugs and purrs
Tish

"Happy" wrote in message
...
Finally on Thanksgiving we got a DX - our little guy has streptococcal
pneumonia with a complication of hus (hemolytic ureic syndrom) meaning
his blood platelets are dangerous low and he is in acute renal
failure. At the largest Children's Hospital in the world they have
only ever had 14 cases of HUS - his is the second for Chicago
Children's Memorial Hospital. Usually HUS appears during/after an
E.Coli infection, but several pneumonias can trigger it as well.

He wil be in the hospital at least a month. He's being given blood
(to raise his platelets), 2 different antibiotics for the pneumonia,
steriods for the lungs, he is on a dialysis for the kidneys,
intravenous feeding, chest tube to drain the fluid OUTSIDE his lungs.
To facilitate the latter they use a thumping therapy - using a special
vibrator on his chese - looks like a mini shake weight - to break up
and drain the fluid. He cannot have surgery right now because of his
platelet level, but the docs say this treatment is equally effective.
It seems painful but he seemed to like it. The therapist said most
patient do like it and prefer it over cupping therapy.

The scenario likely went like this: He had a cold that did not appear
to be getting better. This was 2 weeks ago. His parents took him the
pediatrician who said it was just a lingering cold. A week later both
parents gto sick, maybe e.coli, other food poisioning or possibly the
norovirus. They recovered in days but little boy contined to get
sicker. At first his parents thought he had caught what they had.
But when they realized that he was not improving they again took him
the pediatrician who again said "just a cold" and prescribed some
cough medicine (kind of dismissing them, not listeneing to his chest
or getting an x-ray). They ARE changing pediatrician, although the
hospital docs say it could have all come on quite suddenly. After a
harrowing night they took him to Children's Hospital ER where he was
immediately scooped out of my daughter's DH's arms and surrounded by
10 people. It took so long to determine the type of pneumonia for
reasons explained, but I didn't understand. They WERE looking for
e.Coli when his kidneys failed so the HUS they did dx rather quickly.
For the pneumonia they had to determine if was strep, staph or 3 other
bacteria that I can't remember to make sure they give him the correct
antibiotics. He was also put on steriods

He is on his third type of pain medicine. The first one was
ineffective, morphine also didn't do that they wanted, dialudid made
him extremely agitataed, shaky and he had hallucinations, finally it
seems a fentanyl drip with fentanyl in the push button for spikes is
keeping him comfortable. Plus they can turn the drip up or down.
Keeps pretty him much sedated though. Apparently that's good because
it will keep him from trying to pull out the IV's, chest tube, etc.

It is so hard. He doesn't understand why mommy or daddy can't pick
him up. He wants to go "bye bye". They want him NPO to make sure his
kidneys rest and he so badly wants water, apple juice or apple cider.
All he can have is a wetted pink sponge on a stick to swab his lips
and mouth. They have a portable DVD player and his favorite DVD "Cars"
- he just listly watches, without emotion through 3/4 closed eyes.
He's usually a bright, perky happy little boy. Right now he has a
temp of 103 degrees F - the infectious diseases doctor says we should
expect the temp to go up and down for 6 weeks.

I got overwhelmed yesterday, plus I think I ate something that didn't
agree with me. I already have a very slow stomach and last surgery
was just 3 weeks ago. I woke up with a really raw feeling in my
stomach and very shaky. While visiting at his bed side I suddenly
felt like I was going to get sick. I RAN out of the PICU made it to
the bathroom and just vomited my guts out. My DH came after me and I
decided to go back to the hotel for awhile. In the elevator I got
that feeling again. Got off the elevator rounded the corner and
vomited again and again. Stress, I know it is. How embarrased was I?
Nurses came running - they called a code! - I just wanted maintenance
to get there and get it cleaned up! They put me a in wheelchair and
took me over to ER and had a nurse sit with me. The ER attending
tried to have me get checked out in the ER, but I said no, I knew it
was stress together with a possibility of food poisoning - but
probably just stress. They let me go and we returned to the Hotel
where I slept for a couple of hours. I had no fever, headache,
diarrhea, or body aches but I knew i couldn't take the chance of
exposing little boy to anything else. We left, agreeing with our
daughter that if I felt ill in the morning I would get a dx - not only
for my sake but for little boy's as well so we could inform his
doctors. We got home at 1:30 am. We are returning on Thursday. We
and the other grandparents are going to trade off being there so my
daughter and her DH can get breaks.

All of us have been really impressed and comforted by all the staff at
this hospital. Because he is in the PICU he has a nurse and tech
assigned to him 24/7. They sit in a vestibule just outside his room
and are dedicated only to him. They have all been so nice, patient,
answer questions readily or, if they can't, they immediately call
someon who can answer the question. I am truly thankful for all of
them.

Your purrs and good thoughts seem to be working so please keep them
coming. This is going to be a long haul.

Sophia

PS - at the request of my daughter, since I use my real name in my
profile and here, I am not giving out their names. Her profession has
already resulted in her having to file several restraining orders.
They appreciate all your purrs and the friendship you have all shown
me.

Purrs aplenty for your granson, and his worried parents, and indeed his
worried grandparents.

Yowie

"Happy" wrote in message
...
Finally on Thanksgiving we got a DX - our little guy has streptococcal
pneumonia with a complication of hus (hemolytic ureic syndrom) meaning
his blood platelets are dangerous low and he is in acute renal
failure. At the largest Children's Hospital in the world they have
only ever had 14 cases of HUS - his is the second for Chicago
Children's Memorial Hospital. Usually HUS appears during/after an
E.Coli infection, but several pneumonias can trigger it as well.

He wil be in the hospital at least a month. He's being given blood
(to raise his platelets), 2 different antibiotics for the pneumonia,
steriods for the lungs, he is on a dialysis for the kidneys,
intravenous feeding, chest tube to drain the fluid OUTSIDE his lungs.
To facilitate the latter they use a thumping therapy - using a special
vibrator on his chese - looks like a mini shake weight - to break up
and drain the fluid. He cannot have surgery right now because of his
platelet level, but the docs say this treatment is equally effective.
It seems painful but he seemed to like it. The therapist said most
patient do like it and prefer it over cupping therapy.

The scenario likely went like this: He had a cold that did not appear
to be getting better. This was 2 weeks ago. His parents took him the
pediatrician who said it was just a lingering cold. A week later both
parents gto sick, maybe e.coli, other food poisioning or possibly the
norovirus. They recovered in days but little boy contined to get
sicker. At first his parents thought he had caught what they had.
But when they realized that he was not improving they again took him
the pediatrician who again said "just a cold" and prescribed some
cough medicine (kind of dismissing them, not listeneing to his chest
or getting an x-ray). They ARE changing pediatrician, although the
hospital docs say it could have all come on quite suddenly. After a
harrowing night they took him to Children's Hospital ER where he was
immediately scooped out of my daughter's DH's arms and surrounded by
10 people. It took so long to determine the type of pneumonia for
reasons explained, but I didn't understand. They WERE looking for
e.Coli when his kidneys failed so the HUS they did dx rather quickly.
For the pneumonia they had to determine if was strep, staph or 3 other
bacteria that I can't remember to make sure they give him the correct
antibiotics. He was also put on steriods

He is on his third type of pain medicine. The first one was
ineffective, morphine also didn't do that they wanted, dialudid made
him extremely agitataed, shaky and he had hallucinations, finally it
seems a fentanyl drip with fentanyl in the push button for spikes is
keeping him comfortable. Plus they can turn the drip up or down.
Keeps pretty him much sedated though. Apparently that's good because
it will keep him from trying to pull out the IV's, chest tube, etc.

It is so hard. He doesn't understand why mommy or daddy can't pick
him up. He wants to go "bye bye". They want him NPO to make sure his
kidneys rest and he so badly wants water, apple juice or apple cider.
All he can have is a wetted pink sponge on a stick to swab his lips
and mouth. They have a portable DVD player and his favorite DVD "Cars"
- he just listly watches, without emotion through 3/4 closed eyes.
He's usually a bright, perky happy little boy. Right now he has a
temp of 103 degrees F - the infectious diseases doctor says we should
expect the temp to go up and down for 6 weeks.

I got overwhelmed yesterday, plus I think I ate something that didn't
agree with me. I already have a very slow stomach and last surgery
was just 3 weeks ago. I woke up with a really raw feeling in my
stomach and very shaky. While visiting at his bed side I suddenly
felt like I was going to get sick. I RAN out of the PICU made it to
the bathroom and just vomited my guts out. My DH came after me and I
decided to go back to the hotel for awhile. In the elevator I got
that feeling again. Got off the elevator rounded the corner and
vomited again and again. Stress, I know it is. How embarrased was I?
Nurses came running - they called a code! - I just wanted maintenance
to get there and get it cleaned up! They put me a in wheelchair and
took me over to ER and had a nurse sit with me. The ER attending
tried to have me get checked out in the ER, but I said no, I knew it
was stress together with a possibility of food poisoning - but
probably just stress. They let me go and we returned to the Hotel
where I slept for a couple of hours. I had no fever, headache,
diarrhea, or body aches but I knew i couldn't take the chance of
exposing little boy to anything else. We left, agreeing with our
daughter that if I felt ill in the morning I would get a dx - not only
for my sake but for little boy's as well so we could inform his
doctors. We got home at 1:30 am. We are returning on Thursday. We
and the other grandparents are going to trade off being there so my
daughter and her DH can get breaks.

All of us have been really impressed and comforted by all the staff at
this hospital. Because he is in the PICU he has a nurse and tech
assigned to him 24/7. They sit in a vestibule just outside his room
and are dedicated only to him. They have all been so nice, patient,
answer questions readily or, if they can't, they immediately call
someon who can answer the question. I am truly thankful for all of
them.

Your purrs and good thoughts seem to be working so please keep them
coming. This is going to be a long haul.

Sophia

PS - at the request of my daughter, since I use my real name in my
profile and here, I am not giving out their names. Her profession has
already resulted in her having to file several restraining orders.
They appreciate all your purrs and the friendship you have all shown
me.

Poor little boy, sending lots of purrs that he will be well on the road to
recovery soon.

Sharon & Smudgie