Traumatic week

Daycare called Tuesday b/c Jackson was throwing up and diarrhea. Wayne picked him up and took him home. Wednesday morning he was still having diarrhea so I had to take him to Edgewood on my way to training to drop him off with my mom who then took him to her house and kept him the rest of the day. That night he tugged on his ear a little. The next morning, still diarrhea and he was tugging on his ear a lot so I called the doctor and we went in. She said that he didn’t have an ear infection but did have a stomach virus and then sent us home. I stayed home with him the rest of the day. Friday morning we got up to go to work/day care and things were going ok. He still had diarrhea but the doctor said it was ok to send him to day care. I got to daycare and was about to leave when I noticed Jackson’s lips looked blue. Ms. Tara was holding him and she agreed and looked at his hands and feet and they also looked blue. We took him to the office and wrapped him up thinking he was cold. That didn’t help. So the paramedics were called. They did a whole bunch of stuff and then told us that we’d need to go to the hospital or doctor right then and that the ambulance could take us if we wanted. We just went straight to his doctor b/c we knew going to Children’s ER the waiting time could be hours. The doctor was able to see us immediately b/c of the circumstances. She said that he does have an ear infection now and thinks that maybe his nasal congestion mixed with his acid reflux may have blocked his airway and she wanted him to go to Children’s for a 23 hour observation. We then had to go to Children’s- not through the ER- and he was admitted into the Special Care Unit which is a version of the ICU but not as bad. He was monitored constantly by an oxygen machine and several other machines (luckily no IV required) and nurses. B/c it’s a version of the ICU, there are no private rooms, just those cloth divider things. We had to leave for 2 ½ hours every shift change b/c of confidentiality reasons- they would fill in the next shift on what was going on with each child. So, he was monitored over night Friday night and did well. They put him on an antibiotic for his ears and congestion and ear drops. We are to start putting 1 tbsp of rice per ounce of formula now, make sure he’s eating almost upright, not let him lie down for 30 minutes after he eats, burp him every 2 ounces, and raise his mattress so he doesn’t sleep flat to help with the reflux. And continue the Zantac which has now been changed to Axid. Well, this is all a pain b/c the rice stops up the bottles and we’ve cut the nipples, which now makes it come out fast so we have to pull the bottle out every few sips. The bottle is also so thick that it has to be almost completely straight up and down for it to go into the nipple which is hard when we’re having to keep Jackson upright as well. Then as far as him sleeping with his mattress lifted- doesn’t work so well. He turns all different ways in his sleep. Sunday morning Wayne woke me up b/c he went to check on Jackson and he was upside down with his feet on the lifted part and his head on the flat part so basically, doing the complete opposite of what he should have been doing, and his face was against the side where the bumper pad is- but his nose wasn’t covered up. Jackson is no longer having diarrhea and his ears seem to be getting better. His gums seem to be getting a little worse but that’s ok- we’ve got Tylenol and Orajel. He’s taking the antibiotic ok and doing really well with the ear drops. He hasn’t had anymore blue spells and went to the doctor yesterday for a follow-up and she said he was looking good. So anyway, today is my first day back at work and Jackson’s first day back at day care. It’s been a long, stressful, scary, hectic few days.