sick days=vacation days?

What a weekend! Im so tired I have to strain to remember what happened. Friday night when I went to bed I was freezing cold. The thermostat was set to 78 and I was covered in a big puffy comforter and still cold. I woke up two hours later drenched in sweat. I got up to use the restroom and almost fell over. I was very weak and my whole body ached. My joints hurt, my bones hurt, my stomach hurt, my neck and lymphnodes under my arms hurt, my head was throbbing, my face hurt (yes I know, it hurts everyone else too :P ). I laid back down and I was freezing again and because I was so achy I was worried I was coming down with something and the worry kept me awake. I finally fell back to sleep, woke up drenched again, fell back to sleep and woke up a couple more times to feed Elias. When I finally woke up I felt okay so then we got ready and left to a birthday party we were to appear at. I stopped by JC Penney and got a super awesome shirt (found it in the juniors dept because for some reason the shirts in the womens department are so short!) and then we came home and babysat three wonderful children (yes to their mother, they are wonderful- they played well and werent messy, they just had a fun time being kids!) and then Nick and I watched a movie and we went to bed. I was so tired I went to bed two hours earlier than I usually do, which is still probably later than most people. I woke up still feeling drained and slightly off, you know... that feeling of I cant tell if Im dizzy or if my head is tilted to the side. I called into church sick. (just a side note, none of my other kids or Nick are sick at all, just me and Elias- probably because I dont get much sleep and him because hes a newborn) I got the kids dressed for church and fed and had Nick take the kids to church, minus Elias of course, he had a fever. I had noticed it when I woke up in the morning to feed him but as tired as I was I couldnt pull myself out of bed to grab a thermometer. After everyone left to church and I took another nap I took Elias' temperature under the arm, like the newborn baby hospital papers say to do, and it was 100.3. I took his temperature by ear and it was 100.4 the magic number for calling the nurse. Elias and I had taken a shower and I had no makeup, was in just a pony tail and weekend clothes. I called and she instructed me to take a rectal temperature. So I grudgingly did (EEW!) and it was 101.3 and was to take him to the ER asap. So I loaded him into the corvette. yes. we own a corvette. And drove to the Phoenix Childrens Hospital. FYI the emergency room parking lot was built for about 12 vehicles so they assume youre not coming alone, so if you do come, dont come alone. I had to find a parking spot in the garage around the corner and find my way to the ER. Once I got there and started checkin in Elias decided to poop, and the poop decided to make its way out of the diaper and onto the floor, and my shirt and my shoe, so off to the restroom I went to clean us both up. That left him in just a diaper. We got in and his temp was around 102 so they took us to an ER room and we spent our whole Sunday evening there. This is how it went

• catheter for urine test
• attempt to find vein for blood work
• couldnt find vein, so they wrapped diapers soaked in warm water on his hands and feet to warm and expand the veins
• they call the IV expert in, she finds a vein
• vein elusive
• another vein
• elusive
• another vein
• near miss, just close enough to get blood for a draw but not placed well enough for an IV
• spinal tap. I left the room, this I DIDNT want to see
• they try to find a vein again and miss so they call in this Todd, hes good at blind IVs or something like that
• Todd hits a vein after about 15 minutes and IV success- its in his left foot.

Okay now through all of this I didnt have my cell phone. I had called Nick on the way to the hospital and when I hung up sat the phone in my lap. When I got out of the car I left it on the seat on accident so I had called Nick from the ER after being there an hour or two and then again a couple hours later. Luckily the second time I called he was at the corvette picking up my phone for me and I told him where to find us so him and the kids could home in. Because I hadnt had my phone he was a nervous wreck not knowing what was going on. They checked us in because they want to rule everything out to narrow down what is causing the fever/infection. His spinal fluid was clear (I know, they showed it to me) and his urine was normal so now they are giving him antibiotics in case it is a bacterial infection. Cultures take 48 hours to fully cultivate so after 48 hours, if its positive we stay for 5 more days until his 7 day antibiotic course is complete. If its negative it must be a virus and they cant do anything for that but send us home and we give him tylenol. Nick and Randy came last night and gave Elias a blessing and today his fever has gone down some to a much safer temperature but he is still a little warm. He is and has been eating well so now it is just a waiting game. Nicks mom flew in today to help him with the kids at home. He took today off and tomorrow he has to go in so him mom will be at the house to care for the kids while I stay with Elias. I know Im not the one checked in but I may as well be. Sure I could leave any time I want to but I am his food source and because I probably am the one who got him sick, his food is probably and most likely a better medicine than what they are giving him in the IV. Okay I take back the work thing. Nick is so dedicated to his integrity that he called just now and said hes going in to help out because he was told some people didnt show up. So anyways, oh yeah I get hospital meals because Im nursing. Yay. Hospital food. Yipee. Oh yeah and the biggest pet peeve of being here is obviously being here but the second... I cant use Elias' bathroom. Its a RULE. you know, in case I contaminate his bathroom that he will be using to pee and shower in?

And the two funniest things nurses have said to me:

• "Think of this as a vacation from your other kids"
• "So this is your 6th child?"

Its so hard to be away from my other kids and to see my baby connected to tubes and wires and to see him whimpering from the fever. It hurt so much to see him be poked over and over and to see him cry in pain. I finally know what its like to want to take the pain on myself if it means my son wont have to go through it. I will post pictures when Im back home.

Okay I have to go now so I can walk across the wing, while I leave the baby in his bed, to the nearest public use bathroom to pee and think about how I miss my kids, my own bed, and the 5 second walk to my toilet. Sarchasm aside I am thankful Im here for fever observation and not a chronic or deadly illness, and that my mother in law could come help out, and that we have good hospitals so close to home, and that we have good insurance, and that the hospital has been very accomodating. I was able to shower today, eat healthy food, be by my babies side and Im thankful for prayer. And Im thankful for my dad. Happy Birthday Dad!