The price of being sick

 Many of you know that Zach had the stomach flu last week.  This whole situation really irritated me.  Not because he was sick, but how the professionals handled it.  So, Zach couldn't hold anything down (if I could even get it in his mouth) and I took him to his doctor.  He tells me to just ride it out.  This is on a Tuesday (the 5th to be exact).  Cost of him telling me that...$20.00.  Zach got worse through the night, so on Wednesday I told Doug, who was at work, that Zach needed to go to the hospital.  He stopped by the house (he was working, but was in the area) and told me to call his pediatrician back.  I called and told them the whole story and they agreed that I should take him to the hospital.  Not the closest one to me, but the children's hospital in Norfolk.  So I packaged him in the truck and Doug drove back to work to try and find someone to come and relieve him so he could come out there with us.  I was so distraught that
my baby had to go to the hospital.  I called my mother in law and could barely speak because I was so upset.  Now, Charlene had just had surgery on one of her knees that Monday, so she was pretty high on drugs!  Since she couldn't meet me at the hospital, she called my father in law, who was at work, to come and sit with me.  Poor Clay.  Looking back I'm laughing because he was probably thinking "why do I have to sit here?".  But he did like a good "Bumpa" (that's baby for grandpa).  He watched as they stuck my child 6 TIMES for an iv.  Zach was so dehydrated that it was almost impossible for them to give him any fluids.  After the iv team couldn't get it on the 5th try, his nurse tried and was successful.  He got fluids and some sugar since his was in the toilet.  Doug eventually got to the hospital and relieved Clay of his post.  Before they sent us home they checked his sugar again and it was still low, so he received a higher dose of sugar.  He seemed to perk up a little and the nurse practitioner told us it was just a bad bug and that we could go home (without any medications to help us...this would have made the $150.00 copay easier to swallow).   When we got home I thought he was doing a little better.  He accepted some fluids and crackers.  The next day he seemed slightly better.  He still wanted me to hold him while he slept (pretty much all day).  He vomited 3 times that day.  He also developed a rash which started on his head and then spread south (notice the picture above).  He didn't improve throughout the day and I told Doug he needed to come home from school and help me.  The next morning (Friday the 8th) Doug was scheduled for his cardiac ablation.  Doug's sister, Jan, was to meet us at the hospital and pick up Zach so I could be with Doug.  Weeeell...as I loaded Zach in his car seat I said to Doug "here's a towel on the arm rest in case he gets sick (because I was driving)".  No sooner did those words leave my mouth, Zach projectile vomited all over the truck.  So back inside to clean him off.  Back to the truck, which had been wiped out by Doug, we headed out for the procedure.  I at this point had enough so I told Doug to call his sister and ask her to stay with him while I took Zach BACK to children's hospital.  I called his doctor and told them that I was taking him back to the er and after explaining everything that had gone on in the last 24 hours she says "well, yeah, that may be a good idea.  Go ahead and take him."  Thanks for your permission, but I was taking him no matter what you said!!!!  So back to the er we went and yes, there was another copay.  After we were taken back to our room, within the hour of being back there Doug walked through the door!!  He told me that they never scheduled him for the procedure.  They scheduled him for an appointment, which he ALREADY HAD!!!!!  Oh Laaaaaawwwwwd!!  I said "well I hope they didn't charge you the co-pay since nothing was done".  Yeah...they did...for an office visit!  WHERE IS MY WINE?  WHERE IS MY WINE?!?!  JUST GIVE ME THE WHOLE BOTTLE...WITH A STRAW!!!  What in the world!!  I couldn't worry about that at the time (although, the wine would have been nice).  They tried to give Zach another iv and were unsuccessful.  They stuck him twice, but since he was so traumatized from the time before, they stopped.  They tried another route.  Through the mouth.  Strange concept huh?  I'm not saying that's where they put the iv...duh.  They let him munch on a slushy.  A slushy that came from the slushy machine in the er.  Say whaaaat?!  How cool is that?!  I must say, it was pretty good.  It tasted like the orange crush soda only... slushier.  Guess what else they gave him!!  Go on...guess.  MEDICINE TO MAKE HIM STOP PUKING HIS GUTS OUT!!!!  Umm...why was this never given to him before?!?!?!  LIVID!!  Zach downed almost 16oz of slushy without incident.  The attending doctor said that giving that medicine is a judgement call since Zach is so young.  Well...I would think that ones judgement can see that this poor little child had not kept food or liquid down in about 4 days so something to stop that would have been a good idea.  GEEEEZ!!!  So we finally were able to go home, prescription in hand for the miracle no-puking drug.  I am happy to report that he has been puke free for a week now.  I miss the cuddle time, but sooooooooo glad he's feeling better.  It's awful to see your child like that.  However, since then Zach has seemed to discover his loud screaming voice.  He screams for everything whether he's angry or happy.  I'm trying to find the mute button, but I'm unsuccessful thus far.
So for now we are waiting for a new appointment for Doug and looking for volume control on Zach.  I'll keep you posted on how these things go.
Hope all is well.
Love
Sarah