Oh What a Night...

Isaac had a scheduled doctor's appointment to get his shots on Wednesday. That morning Lourie (the babysitter) called me to tell me that Isaac had a rash around his neck and to make sure I had the doctor look at it. So, when we got to the doctor's office, I showed her the rash. It was burst capillaries like when you get squeezed too hard. Her first diagnosis was perhaps he had been playing with something and got it wrapped around his neck! Of course I gasped and tried to think of a time that Lourie or I would've allowed him to play with something that could be wrapped around his neck...I knew that couldn't be it. Then, as we talked, we watched it appear around his ears and eyes. That is when Dr. Lambert sent us to Ruby's ER for bloodwork.
When we got to the hospital, Isaac was so hungry. He kept saying more please in triage and I didn't have anything for him. The nurse had a nutrigrain bar leftover from lunch and Isaac gobbled it up before we left triage. Brian was working and couldn't leave, so Isaac and I went to the ER. The doctors came to look at him and talked about the rash was a symptom of the following: Menengitis (their main concern), a blood infection, a blood disorder, or leukemia! Isaac was dehydrated, so to get blood was not fun. I had to hold him along with 4 other nurses. Then they had to wrap his little hand with layers of tape and gauze...his hand was a little mummy. They finally got what they needed and Isaac settled down. Then they came in and put a bag on him to collect urine. Next they began an antibiotic through his IV. Isaac was settled now and thought it was funny to flip the IV tube around. The antibiotic was pumping into my little guy and I looked down at his hand...he had loosened the IV cap and the gauze was dripping blood. He was still shaking it and blood was going everywhere. They had to come back in and put it back together and re-wrap it. The next thing was flu and strep cultures with those long q-tips up his nose on both sides and down his throat, which made him throw-up. Now we are both covered in blood and puke...lovely. My mom and dad came to keep me company and to bring a bottle (because I didn't think we'd be at the hospital and didn't bring one). That's when they came in to collect his urine. Of course, he had wiggled so much that the bag came loose and we lost the whole sample. They needed the sample, so they had to do a cathader! That was just the breaking point for my stress level and I had to hold him down! Ugh! I felt so sorry for the little guy. The bloodwork came back- his white blood cell count was high, which means infection and the differential between the types of blood cells were slightly abnormal. Ruled out all the big stuff (Thank God!) and decided it was a virus. I asked the doctor if all that we did was absolutely necessary to which she said yes because the only way they could've ruled out all the big stuff was with the tests. We were exhausted. Isaac won't remember it, but I was traumatized. He is acting more like himself now and we are going to the pediatrician today for a check up. Oh man...I hope I never have to watch all that again!