Sick

I've debated about blogging about this, but since blogging has become my way to record memories and milestones for my kids I feel like it's appropriate.  Henry's first major illness isn't what you'd call a "warm-fuzzy" kind of memory, but the kid's first trip to the ER is worth documenting.  It all started almost a month ago...

• A week prior to Christmas Henry had a cough for a few days and just wasn't himself.  Pat took him into the doctor and was told he had a ear infection.  (His fourth one to date.)  He was given the usual amoxacillian which seemed to do the trick.
• Christmas Eve day we traveled to Pat's family in Anoka.  As soon as we got there we knew something was up because Henry laid his head on Papa's chest.  Henry doesn't do that.  He's not a cuddler, unless he's sick.  We knew something was up so paid close attention to him, giving him Tylonol when his temp rose.
• Christmas Day was more of the same.  Sleepy, no-energy, cuddly, not-eating...
• At 9:00 PM on Christmas Day night Henry woke with a 103 temp.  We called the after hours number for our clinic, filled the Dr. in on the story, and he urged us to go to the ER.  With Olivia staying at my mom and dad's, Pat and I took him into the hospital in New Prague.  The staff was super sweet, and gave us excellent care.  A blood draw (Which Henry DID NOT like), and a double nose swab (Which he liked EVEN WORSE) both came back with normal results, thankfully.  The doctor said he did have a bad double ear infection, and gave us another prescription. 
• We did as we were instructed regarding Henry's care and medicine.  We got very little sleep since we were constantly checking his temp, and working to keep him cool.  He slept in our bed a few nights so we could observe him around the clock.  We kept him naked, and without covers.  Still the little guy rose his temp to a scary 104 on Tuesday morning at 6.
• Loading the kids in the car we made another ER visit.  Thankfully, my parents came for Olivia again.  Once again, the staff was wonderful.  The Dr. really thought something else must be up with Henry, and that just an ear infection alone wouldn't make his temp so high.  They took an even bigger blood draw.  (I'm amazed at the skill of the nurse taking his blood.  His veins were so tiny, you really couldn't see them at all.  I mentioned that, and she said she can feel where it is.  Wow!  I told her that the next time I give blood, I want her to do my blood draw!!  The toughest part for me of this visit was the chest x-ray.  Henry was down to his diaper, and put into what can only be described as a torcher device.  (Seriously.  That's even what the nurse called it.)  His feet went into two holes so his legs dangled down.  They rose his arms straight up, and a clear brace went around his entire middle section.  He hung there while they took the x-ray, which showed that he did have pneumonia.  It wasn't bad enough that they had to keep him in the hospital, but they changed his medication (for the 3rd time), and sent us home for him to rest.  They also taught us about switching giving him Tylonol and Ibuprofen every 4 hours to stay ahead of the fever. 
• Wednesday night was another scare of a 104 temp.  This time we just called the ER, as they instructed us to if we needed anything.  The number went straight back to the nurses, so we were able to talk to the doctor we had the morning before.  Really by that time a 104 fever didn't really scare me anymore.  (Although it scares me to think it was something I had become comfortable with.)  We knew what we needed to do to cool him down...  strip him down, double dose of Tylonol, warm cloths to wipe him down.  That wasn't enough so we gave him a warm bath too.  Eventually we got it down, and spent another restless night of sleep watching him to be sure the fever didn't come back. 
• Thursday at 5 AM was his last dose of Tylonol.  Then we tried going without a fever-reducer to see if the temp would stay down, and IT DID!  Thankfully!  We had a follow-up check-up with a doctor at our clinic and she said things looked like they were improving.
• A week and a few days later, we noticed his raspyness, and cough return this weekend.  Worried, since those were the first few things to happen when this whole mess started, I took him into the doctor today.  For the first time we were FINALLY able to see our actual doctor.  The sound of his lungs worried him too, so he put Henry on another round of this last medicine that seemed to do the trick so far.  We're hopeful that with another round it will really kill off anything still in him.
• Whew.  I really hope this is the end of this story-telling!  Thankfully, it all happened over Christmas break and I was able to be home with him.  Unfortunately, it all happened over Christmas break, and several of our plans had to get canceled, and we didn't have nearly the fun I had planned!  Can we have a do-over?!  Pretty please?!