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Friday, March 26, 2010

Family Matters

So, with all of the menu and craft postings that I've been doing I didn't have time to tell everyone about the other stuff that has been going on. Last Friday my littlest guy, Eli, started running a fever. It was low grade so I wasn't too concerned... until I saw little spots all over his belly! I, of course, start to think the worse and worry and obsess over it. I called the nurse Friday but our Ped was not in that morning. So, I called the on call nurse and after talking to her felt like we should just wait since he was eating well and playing just like normal. That night we went to my mom's for dinner and Eli played fine. When we got home and were getting the boys ready for bed, I mentioned to the Hubs that I wanted to check Eli's temp before he went to sleep, just to see what it was. When I did it was 103.2. Pretty high but I, thankfully, don't freak out over 103 temps.. I've never dealt with anything higher than about 103.3ish... and this was rectally so you can subtract almost a degree anyway. Not to mention that Eli was playing fine.. I mean he was literally running around the house giggling! He still had about 10-15 little spots on his tummy and upper back. The Hubs and I thought he might have chicken pox since he had been exposed to them about 2 weeks prior. Chicken pox = not a big deal. So... I didn't give him any Tylenol since he was fine. I dressed him loosely and he went right to bed.



Well, at 2 am the Hubs and I was woken up by a blood curdling scream.. I have never, ever heard my baby scream like that. I jumped out of bed and ran to his room and found him on his knees shaking, screaming in his bed. I picked him up and ran back to our bedroom. He was SO HOT! He had stopped screaming but he screamed again when we ran into his room. It was almost like he was hallucinating. I immediately told the Hubs we were going to the ER. I got the Hubs to get a lukewarm wash rag. I took off Eli's pj's, took of my shirt and just held him, skin to skin (the best way to quickly regulate temperature!!). After he was more relaxed I nursed him (yep, still nursing.. and thankful I had a good, comforting way to get some fluids into him!). I could tell that his temp had gone down and he was acting like himself, so I slipped away, while the Hubs distracted him with his cell phone. I called my mom, it was about 2:30am. She suggested we wait until the morning to see the on call pediatrician. By this time Eli was laughing and playing with the Hubs. And after talking about it with Hubs, we both decided we felt comfortable with waiting. So, the Hubs went to the couch and Eli and I went to our bed. I did give Eli some ibuprofen at around 3am and took his temp, which was 101.7... I'm positive that it was much higher an hour before. And honestly I don't even want to know how high it was! Eli slept restlessly and I did not sleep at all. I was too shook up! So, that morning we saw the on call pediatrician around 9:30am. They did blood work and basically ruled it as something viral. He thought it could possibly be chicken pox, like we did at first, but the high temp was not common with chicken pox. Either way he assured me that it wasn't serious and was viral. We were told to treat the fever and call Dr. C if things weren't better in 2-3 days. BTW, it's super hard to diagnose someone who has had the chicken pox vaccine with chicken pox because the case is usually so mild. We were told that they often don't blister and/or don't itch. So, we went home. I was finally starting to feel better... I can't even tell you how panicked I was from him waking up like that! I still occasionally have panic attacks and this just threw me for a loop! It literally made me sick! Anyway, Eli ran a low fever that afternoon but we kept him on tylenol/ibuprofen from about 2pm til the next morning. I kept him home from church that morning and didn't feel like he ran a fever at all. I never checked it Sunday afternoon so if he ran one it was very low. I did give him some med Sunday night for precautionary measures. The entire time he played fine and ate really well!

I started thinking Sunday afternoon about the whole thing and I was just not convinced that he had the chicken pox. All of a sudden I remembered that he had his MMR shot on Wednesday @ his 18mth check up! Hello! So, I started looking things up online (which can be a good thing.. or a very bad thing!) and sure enough rash and fever occur in 5-15% of children who get the vaccine. I found varying information on when they get the rash but basically anywhere from 3 days after the shot(and Friday would have been day three) up to 4 weeks after the shot. And after all of that, I'm almost positive that's what was wrong with him. I just wish I had thought of that before! Monday, he was fever free and his rash was beginning to fade.

I can't tell you how thankful I am for a husband who understands me. My husband is just perfect for me. Yes, he was concerned about Eli but he handles things so much better than I do most of the time. He truly helps me to relax. I'm also so thankful for a mom that I can call at 2:30am!! And, although I totally get my nerves from her (you know I do!), she helped me calm down too!

Most importantly, I'm thankful for a God who put these people in my life! And even better than my husband or mom is a God I can go to any time or place I need! I am so thankful He is always there. I don't know how people make it without Him! I know it is that peace that passes all understanding that ultimately covers me and helps me to rest in Him when I am afraid. The Holy Spirit is such a beautiful and gracious gift from the Father. Praise Him!

Well, I was going to share more about my other little guy, Luke.. but this is long!


"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 4:4-9




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