Friday, May 30, 2008

Last update on Sam

We finally got a call back on the blood test Sam took on Tuesday. Everything on it has returned to normal, which is exactly what we wanted to hear, of course. He hasn't had fever all week and appears to be all better. Gabby's pinkeye has gotten better as well. We may finally be on the mend.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Update on everyone

Well, we all appear to be doing better. Not long after I posted the previous message last Friday, Sam's temperature shot up again to around 104. Robert packed him up and took him back to Children's Mercy since it was Friday evening. They checked him over and rechecked his labs and decided that since his fever had been gone for two days, he must have picked up something else. They did check his infected ear very well and said it had healed up nicely (the eardrum had likely burst last week). He had a small bit of fever on Saturday afternoon but has not had any since then. He appears to be getting better. We did take him to have blood drawn yesterday but still haven't heard from that.

Sunday Gabby developed the gunky eye and after another trip to the ER, she has pinkeye. It was most likely caused by the same virus Sam had. It is getting better also.

In five and half years we have had a child, we have taken Gabby to the ER once for an ear infection over the weekend in Montana. In ten days here, we went four times. I am ready to be done with the sickness! It does appear to be making its rounds here. I have heard about at least two other kids with the same stuff as Sam. I am washing, wiping, spraying, cleaning, boiling, bleaching, etc. everything we have had our hands on. Hopefully we can get it out of our house anyway. And with school out and PWOC over, we will be home for a few days.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for Sam and all of us. His sickness did take turns for the better the doctors cannot explain. And it could have been much worse for all of us. We are grateful for your concern and also thankful to God for getting us through it all.

Friday, May 23, 2008

A Very Bad Week

We've had a very bad week around here. Samuel has been very sick. It started last Wed night. He was acting as if he had gas and couldn't get comfy and sleep. I held him on the couch until about 3 AM, at which point he threw up. Then the fever came upon him. He had fever on Thurs and by Friday morning, we decided he might have an ear infection. We took him to the doctor on-post and when they took his temp, it was 104.8. It went up to 104.9 and they sent us out to the emergency room.

We spent all afternoon in the ER, where they took blood twice, urine and chest x-rays. They did determine that he had an ear infection but maybe more than that. The chest x-rays and urine were clear. His white blood cell count was elevated - 40,000. They gave him an antibiotic IV and sent us home with ear drops.

Saturday morning we went back so they could test his blood again. His WBC count was at 27,000. Elevated but down from Fri. They gave him an antibiotic shot and we came home.

Mon morning, we went back to do one more shot and test, thinking we would be done then. He was feeling much better and the fever was down. BUT, his WBC count was back up to 48,900! He had already gotten his third antibiotic shot before the test results came back and we had come home. So they called us back and we discussed what it could be. Ultimately, they sent us out to Children's Mercy in KC.

We got there around 1:30 PM on Monday. They re-did the blood tests and chest x-rays. The WBC count was now down to 16,000. The chest x-ray was negative. They looked at the WBC cell types and they were all normal. The pathologist found no abnormal cells. Nothing. But the fever was coming back up and his WBC count was still higher than normal. So they did a spinal tap to rule out partially treated meningitis (since he had so many antibiotics at this point). That was a truly horrible experience. The tap came back negative. So we have done all these terrible tests on my baby and they found nothing. We left Mercy that night with no medication, no treatment, no diagnosis except a guess of adenovirus. And instructions to follow up on Wed.

Tues he was doing great. Playing, getting into trouble, no fever, eating. Wed morning, the same. We returned on post for a check. They took blood and looked him over. WBC count - 19,000. Still high. This time it also showed high lymphocytes, which indicate a virus as the Mercy doctor thought. But he seemed to be well.

Thursday morning through today - the fever has returned a little to a low grade version. He still seems pretty much ok.

In the midst of all the trauma of Sam's illness, my dear grandfather passed away. That was Sunday. His funeral was Tuesday and I was not able to be there. We kept trying to get there, but Sam just couldn't get well so we could go.

Keep Samuel in your prayers, as well as my mother's family.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day

We had a good Mother's Day here. We went out to eat on Sat night since it wouldn't be as crowded and we don't get home from church until almost 1 on Sundays. So this morning, Robert made French toast and Gabby (with Daddy's help) fixed up a treasure hunt for my present. She did a great job writing up the clues and it was fun!

Gabby also got her first line in church today. She did part of a poem about moms and then the whole children's church sang "Every Move I Make". She got right up to the lectern and said her lines wonderfully in the microphone without being scared. She was so small, you couldn't see her over the lectern but that was ok.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Parent/Teacher Conference

So I went to my first Parent/Teacher Conference on Friday for Gabby. I expected most of what she had to say. Gabby's pretty good and doing well writing and learning words. She is able to sit and listen when asked to, which I was a little curious over - LOL! Her teacher did mention that she talks about God a lot. That was great coming from a teacher not at a Christian school!

Monday, May 5, 2008

T-ball

Here's Gabby hitting the ball and running the bases at T-ball last week. She was the last batter on this turn (everyone gets to bat each inning and they rotate the order) so they were chanting her name and they let her run all the bases.

She's had about three practices and two games so far and is having fun. She did not like it the one time they got her out but that's part of the game. Plus, she has a cool pink glove. Kids today have everything!