Hospital Day

It started out as a "normal" Wednesday.  We got up, went to school, came home and ate lunch.  I had a doctor's appointment so I told the girls we were going to do things a little different than we normally do.  Instead of cleaning up and having our "quiet time" I was going to let them play for a bit before we had to head down to Kelly's office for him to watch the kids.  Well, we definitely had a different afternoon.  However, it did not follow the plan I detailed to the kids at all.

We had just finished lunch and the girls were playing in the living room.  I put Killian on the mat and turned back to the kitchen to straighten up.  I had not even made it into the kitchen before I heard screaming.  I turned around and saw Kayden holding her head and blood.  Lots of blood.  Quickly I asked Keeley what happened (because Kayden was crying too hard to tell me) and she said she didn't know since she'd been playing with Killian.  I scooped Kayden up to take her to the kitchen and attempt to figure out what had happened.  She was standing when I left her happy and standing 5 seconds later when I turned around to her screaming so I didn't think she'd fallen, yet she had this huge injury.  After looking at the wound, I decided that fall or no fall, we needed stitches.  I called Kelly and told him we were headed to the ER and then told Keeley to get her shoes on.  Fortunately a friend of ours was available to watch Keeley so, after we were all loaded up in the car, we wen to drop Keeley off and I headed to the hospital with my other two babies.  (Killian has to stay with me because he won't take a bottle)  On the way I talked to Kayden and explained that I knew she was scared because there was lots of blood but that the wound was little. 

Pulling into Children's I watch a team of people unload a kid on a stretcher from a helicopter and head inside.  I said a silent prayer that I am only here for what is, at worst, a cosmetic issue and kiss my babies on their heads.

While checking in, the front desk says, "oh, you've never been here."  I wanted to say, "not this week..." but I refrained and re-spelled our last name.  They found us quickly after that and we proceeded to wait for triage. I hear back from Kelly that he is in a board of director's meeting and can't leave.  I tell him I think we're okay and I'll keep him posted.  Kayden holds her rag to her head and we get through triage well and get to a room.  The doctor comes in (the mama bear in me is appeased because I was not satisfied with the nurse practitioner that did her lip stitches and I was already prepared to demand to have a doctor).  She determines that we will need stitches or glue.  Because it is her forehead, I ask for the least scarring option which is stitches.  They place this bandaid on her forehead with some meds in it to stop the bleeding and numb it.

Fortunately for us, tv is not something we watch a lot of so it mesmerizes the kids in situations like this!

We opted not to do the versed this time since it was hard for Kayden to walk after her lip stitches when she had versed.  Kayden was amazingly brave.  She watched them do all three stitches with just a single tear that rolled down her cheek.  After they were finished, I picked her up an snuggled with her and then looked down to see why Killian had been so fussy in the stroller.  I assumed it was because he missed his nap and hates strollers.  When I looked down, I saw that he had spit up a lot.  I put Kayden on the bed and then picked him up to get him cleaned up.  The nurse was going over discharge instructions and was leaving to get my papers when Killian started projectile vomiting. I texted Kelly and told him he did, indeed, need to meet me at the hospital, texted my friend watching Keeley to let her know we'd be a little later, and told the nurse we needed to be admitted.

It is scary how quickly babies can look so sick.  They came in and did an oral zofran dose shortly after Kelly got to the hospital.  Killian quickly threw that up as well so they told me they were going to need to start an IV.  Kelly took Kayden to get me some food and then they left to get Keeley.  Two nurses came in to get Killian's IV started.  They told me I could step out if I wanted to do that.  I said I did not, but that I would cry.  I did cry, but Killian perked up pretty quickly after the IV got started.

Cutest baby ever.

Shortly after this picture was taken, he had a huge blowout diaper - all over me.  Killian is baby #3 so we've had blow outs before.  I was annoyed that I didn't have any clean clothes but, honestly, my clothes were covered in vomit, blood, and snot before the blow-out so I'm not sure it was that big of a deal.  I had extra clothes and diapers for him so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal.  Blow out diapers I can do.  Blow out diapers in airplanes, malls, restaurants...I can do.  A blow out diaper while the child is hooked up to an IV is an entirely different thing.  I tried but could not figure out a way to get him out.  I finally pushed the nurse button and had them come in.  The guy was trying to save the clothes and I kept saying, "They are covered in poop.  Cut them off.  I'm not taking them home."  He finally gave up and had to cut them off.  What a mess!!

No idea what caused all the vomiting, but he did fine after the IV.  They told me to try to give him a bottle of pedialyte.  I told them that would likely not work as he won't even take a bottle of breastmilk.  The doctor didn't want me to nurse him.  I tried the bottle, he took one ounce and then nursed.  He did just fine and we headed home where I promptly disregarded instructions not to nurse.  No one else got sick and Killian was fine the next day.  We now have a prescription of zofran that we can use if anyone else gets sick (and that we will be taking to Disney next time!!)

Here is Kayden with her stitches the next day.  We were left with instructions to not let her wound get direct sunlight on the wound for the next 6 months.  Thank goodness it is winter and not swim season!  She has kept a princess bandaid on the wound since the steri-strips came off.  Every single day she helps us put the vitamin E on and chooses a bandaid.  Sweet girl is getting quite skilled at wound care!