Admitted

On Tuesday morning (6/19), the boys & I went to Universal for  my favorite Body Attack class like we normally do. That afternoon when we came home, Joshua seemed extra tired and when I felt his forehead, he was warm. I took his temperature and sure enough, he had a low-grade fever. I asked Shawn if he thought the fever could have anything to do with the infection in his mouth, and he thought probably not. We decided just to keep an eye on him for the time being. I asked him what hurt - was it his throat? His belly? His head? He continued to say "nothing hurts." Eventually he told me that his legs hurt. ???? I wasn't expecting that one. It didn't make any sense...was he just achy or was he growing? I had no idea.

On Wednesday, though, he was still on FIRE and fairly lethargic. He hadn't eaten anything since the previous morning and refused a bite of anything I offered. I kept encouraging sips of water and then I took his temp. It had shot up to almost 103 on my thermometer (which is typically a degree or two lower than the pediatrician's). Since it doesn't cost anything other than time to take Joshua because of his insurance, I decided that I was taking him right away to the doctor's office. I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong, but even if they said it was nothing, I knew I'd feel better just having him checked out. We saw Dr. Sanchez at Roseville Pediatrics, and while I don't recall seeing her in the past, I would definitely recommend her and will ask for her going forward.

She checked him out and told me that they registered his fever at 104.7, which is extremely high. She did a swab of his tonsils to see if it was the strep coming back that he had just gotten over. When she swabbed his throat it was enough to make him vomit. She had just brought over a small container to catch it because he was starting to burp, but it was so projectile that we were all wearing it - Joshua, the doctor and me. Dr. Sanchez was SO calm and so sweet. She told him it was okay and to just keep going until he felt better. She was so loving and gentle like a mom. I was impressed.

The short strep test came back negative (we found out later in the week that so did the long test). I had told her about Joshua's recent dentist visit, and she didn't think a minor infection where you can't even see it from the outside and isn't causing pain would cause him to be this sick. But, after speaking with his dentist Dr. Miller, she said that Dr. Aaron Miller thought it could cause a high fever and they agreed it was time to put him on antibiotics regardless of the strep test coming back negative. While typically the pediatrician wants a diagnosis before just blanketing a child with antibiotics, this infection was enough of a reason to give him medication. But, Dr. Sanchez also suggested that if we were giving antibiotics because we feared this was a bacterial infection causing this high fever, it was necessary to send him for blood work, too. 

We left there, and I took Caleb (who had been extremely restless in the doctor's office) and baby Ryan (who also wasn't thrilled to be strapped into his stroller while I helped a very sick Joshua) home to Daddy who had just gotten off work. I then took my biggest little man to the lab at the health campus (the only place open after hours) for his blood work. I warned him that it was going to be a needle, but he could be brave. He was so sick that any and all fiestiness had left him. He was just weak and very sad that he was going to have to get "shots" (his word for any kind of needle). We got there and the receptionist told us that he was her favorite patient of the day. When she told him that he would get a sticker after the needle, he gave her a very weak wink and a thumbs up. It was serious cuteness!

 

We got a call back within an hour that the blood work was 'not good.' Joshua's white blood cell count was at 13 - between 1 and 12 is normal, so his was slightly elevated, meaning he was fighting off an infection. But, it was the CRP (or C-reactor protein) test that came back at a count of 94 when between 1 and 8 is normal that had the doctor most concerned. I asked what this number meant, and it was explained to me a few different ways but basically it tells you that his body is fighting an inflammation. If the CRP number is extremely low, that means that it would be rare chances of him having a bacterial infection. So, I assumed that the reverse would be true - if it's high it would mean bacterial, BUT according to the one doctor it doesn't necessarily work in reverse. It just means his body was working hard to fight something off and they couldn't rule out bacteria but couldn't exactly pinpoint it as that either. But, this value combined with the extremely high fever made Dr. Sanchez ask us to come back the next day to see if he was feeling better from the antibiotic.

He threw up again overnight and started carrying a large green plastic bowl with him everywhere "in case." He was up most of the night, and Shawn even stayed up with him throughout much of the night which I didn't even realize because after we tucked him back in, I was able to sleep here and there in between checking on him.

Unfortunately, the answer to Joshua feeling better with 24-hours of antibiotics in him was a big NO. The next day his fever was even higher, registering at 104.9. He had been so hot at home that afternoon that I gave him a relatively cold shower to bring down the fever and it was still that high by the time we got to the doctor's office. (Praise the Lord Shawn was able to come home early to stay with Caleb & Ryan this time!) The nurse told me that 105 is a REALLY high fever and 106 is downright dangerous. He refused to take Tylenol or Motrin, warning us that he would vomit it right back up. And I've experienced him doing just that. The doctor agreed that she wouldn't fight with him over it, but the nurse said that maybe our best option was a suppository. I warned Joshua what they wanted me to do (explaining what "suppository" meant) if he didn't agree to take his medicine, and he just cried. 

The pediatrician said that it might be time to send him to the hospital due to the fever and her fear that he was extremely dehydrated after he had lost a pound in a day. But, she told him that if he was willing to pee in a cup for her, he didn't have to go spend the night in the hospital. He didn't want to go, but eventually upon hearing that it would help him go home, he agreed to go potty in a cup for her. Dr. Sanchez tested the urine and while it showed he was getting dehydrated, the rest of the urinalysis was normal. She told us that he needed to drink, drink, DRINK! It was critical at this point. We were trying, and he always had a cup with him (even with his big green bowl he was still carrying).

Joshua also had developed a very dry cough (which hadn't happened prior to his appointment the day before), and Dr. Sanchez said that with this combined with his overall body ache, difficulty breathing and high fever, it was time to order some x-rays of his lungs to rule out pneumonia. He was so weak and so lethargic that he just laid there. She explained to him that while we were going back to the health campus, this time we were just going to get pictures taken and no more needles. I went straight there and got the x-rays, and I got a call within the hour that the x-rays came back "fine" or "negative for pneumonia." But, Dr. Sanchez wanted to see him the following day anyway to access his condition.

Overnight that night, he told me he was struggling to breathe. We began breathing treatments at home. He was SO sick. I was up most of the night. None of us had slept well in days. But, this was a particularly rough night. He had been up screaming throughout the night. We were all SO tired! Our neighbor rang the doorbell before 9 am (and of course we had been up for good for hours before that) asking if our vehicles had been broken into. Sure enough, when we had gotten home from grabbing more medicine for Joshua (anti-nausea so he could hopefully keep down more water and Tylenol chew tabs in case he would take those for us), we hadn't locked the minivan. I always hit the button on our key chain upon getting out, but Shawn was carrying the baby and the stuff while I was helping Joshua and neither of us had a free hand. We had sold an old window-unit air conditioner from our days in our apartment that night and never even thought to check the minivan. But, when we looked that morning, the glove compartment and every other inner compartment had been gone through. I had all sorts of money, gift cards, my check book, my GPS, DVDs and so forth in the minivan and NOTHING was taken. (This gave me a good excuse to clean out these compartments, though). Anyway, I praised God that He had protected us. The thieves had gone through every vehicle in the neighborhood but didn't take much more than change, by sounds. Maybe Joshua's screaming made them go away? Who knows? I was just thankful that nothing was gone. I called the police and filed a report and when the officer came by he was very nice. The only reason I include this info in this particular post was that it served as a good reminder to me how much God takes care of us - even little things like nothing being taken out of our car was a sign that He was watching us and protecting us. He wasn't out of the loop! When I felt helpless and relatively hopeless, I thought back to the fact that even with a break-in, nothing was gone and remembered that if God cared about little things like stuff in vehicles, He cared far more about our son and was with us each step of the way. It gave me a sense of peace.

I watched a very deteriorating Joshua all morning, and I had a feeling we were heading to the hospital that evening. At times I wanted to call the pediatrician and ask to be seen earlier. But, I knew we had an appointment and tried to keep the Bean comfortable while we waited, encouraging him to drink and try to stay cool, even making him a little nest in our room and cranking the A/C down to an extremely low 62 degrees.

At 4 pm we went to the scheduled doctor's appointment, and I told the pediatrician how Joshua had been struggling to breath throughout the day. His fever was still at almost 105 degrees, and she said that while he didn't sound like he was wheezing, he wasn't even moving enough air to wheeze - he was that "tight." She ordered a "pulse-ox" (which I was used to seeing from when he was little) that measures the amount of oxygen in his blood, and that number was fine at 97 (anything over 95 is good) but she also insisted on an immediate breathing treatment to open him up.

She then said it was time to go to the hospital. She told me she had been thinking of him all morning, and she wasn't sure what he had. He needed hydrated desperately, and she thought that some IV fluids could help bring down his temp. She also said it was time to monitor his breathing since he was struggling so desperately. I agreed. I'd rather him be safe!!!

Joshua said that it was important to him that both Daddy & me come with him to the hospital. But, I couldn't find anyone to take care of the other boys. I called Mom who didn't answer her cell phone because they were out and she didn't hear it. I called Becky who was at Vacation Bible School (something she's in charge of for her church). Grandpa Georgia was away in Georgia. Aunt Missy had already called and told us she was working. The Bean bawled as I kept dialing numbers. I prayed. I told him that maybe just Daddy could go. He cried he wanted me. I told him that I would just go. He insisted Daddy come, too. I was desperate and trying to think of anyone I could ask for help - God, help us! I left a message for our babysitter to see if she could come immediately. I called Shawn to ask if he could think of other options. I felt funny asking friends or neighbors, but I was about there. Finally, our babysitter called back and said she would leave right away to watch Caleb & Ryan. I was SO relieved! Thank God for Miranda!!! Praise Jesus for His miracle of helping us find someone to watch the kiddos so we could keep Joshua peaceful!

When we got to the hospital, the nurses gave Joshua this art kit pictured above as something to do. Wasn't that sweet? He was excited to see it, but he put it to the side. He was SO sick that the respiratory therapists  kept giving him ongoing breathing treatments every four hours. I posted on facebook to ask family & friends to pray on Joshua's behalf. We needed prayer! Joshua was SO sweet during this time. I can't even begin to say how amazing he was - he was like an angel. It was peaceful and yet almost scary to me. His behavior was almost surreal in how calm, sweet and angelic he was. He would say how God can heal him, he would pray for other sick kids while we waited for the doctor (since I explained that that's why we wait at times). He would ask for stories of Jesus' miracles. He wasn't fiesty or fiery but just calm and so, so, so sweet. To everyone we met he was a really nice kid. Calm, achy and just extraordinarily peaceful. The peace was so nice and yet at times it made me a little more scared for him. Where was my strong-willed, stubborn, boisterous boy? Underneath all that is truly one of the absolute nicest kids I've ever known. And I'm not just saying that because he's my own. Everyone said how polite and sweet he was, how calm and kind (even though he was really lethargic and just laying there as the sickness took its toll on his little body).

 

In the hospital, Shawn had the iPad and Joshua played lots of the car racing game and the game "flow" which we all like. He also watched a ton of movies. The doctor warned us about some of the things this illness could be, one of which sounded like Kawasaki Disease (I have no idea the spelling, even though Shawn researched it online). Since his tonsils were covered in puss and "angry" (as the doctor put it), he tested for strep again. And for mono. And he took another blood culture to see where the CRP was at this time. They gave him both tylenol and motrin to try and bring the fever down (together). Joshua didn't fight them this time. He didn't have the energy to as he was struggling with his breathing. He wasn't happy about it, but they gave him a little green bear for being so brave while taking his medicine and not bringing it back up. They also started the IV fluids but told him to keep drinking even with the fluids. And we waited.

Joshua was excited to have his own bed, and we changed him into the hospital PJs. Daddy & I spoke with the doctors, and I finally was able to get in touch with Mamaw to go to our house to put the other boys to bed and pay Miss Miranda. Eventually I left the hospital around 9 pm when we knew we wouldn't hear anything more for a few hours. I kissed Shawn & Joshua goodnight and headed back to take care of our other boys. It was heart-wrenching not to be able to be two places at once. I desperately wanted to be with Joshua, but I knew the other kids needed me as well. It worked out well that Shawn could stay, and I knew Joshua was in good hands at the hospital where he was being closely monitored. It was a bit of relief in an odd sense when he's at the hospital where more capable hands are watching him vs. the worry of being home and wondering if I should be doing more or if he was going to be okay, etc. But, God continued to give us all peace.

 I went to bed after speaking with Shawn around 11:30 pm. It was a restless night of sleep for all of us, and at 3:30 am I was fairly awake for good. By 5:30 am I was up and getting ready and insisted that the younger boys get up with me and get dressed. I got the younger two boys to Mom's by 7 am and had breakfast with me when I arrived to greet Shawn & Joshua that morning. Luckily I made it there before the doctor came in (a different doctor with different theories than the one we had seen the night before).

As of that point, all the tests came back "normal." His urine was examined under a microscope - no issues. His strep and mono tests came back negative. His CRP. while still extremely high at 55, was coming down. His fever was down from 105 to 101; so he still had a fever, but it was within a reasonable range. His breathing was significantly improved. The doctor stopped the order for ongoing breathing treatments and put "as needed" on his chart. Later in the day, the nurse came to take the IV out. The doctor told Joshua that if he would continue to drink and improve, he could go home. These pictures are of him right after the nurse unhooked the pulse ox and his IV. This was the first time he could move about freely! While he had been all hooked up, Daddy & I would help wheel him to the potty, but since the nurses were measuring his outtake and collecting his urine, eventually we just brought the bottle out to him since the nurse suggested that would be easier. Joshua was THRILLED to be freed from the wires and do simple things like go to the bathroom all by himself!

He promised to keep drinking, even though he hadn't eaten anything (which doctors said was fine). I knew he still wasn't feeling the best when he even turned down pancakes and bacon! And if you know Joshua, you know he could eat an entire pound of bacon by himself if he were given the chance (well, maybe not, but he'd sure put a hurting on it when he was feeling well!). He didn't even give it a second glance. He did eat a couple bites of chicken for lunch, though, because he really wanted to go home and we said we'd like to see him keep down something before we left.

The doctor at the hospital said that while they originally thought this was a bacterial infection due to his blood counts and high prolonged fever, the fact that he didn't seem to respond to the antibiotics and they couldn't find the infection lead them to believe that this was some sort of virus. So, they discharged him. We were blessed to go home with our little buddy! He was full of energy even with a low grade fever and no appetite. This was the best he had felt in days. The IV fluids were a huge help, along with the breathing treatments.

When we arrived home on Saturday, Mom had brought the boys home for their naps and filled our fridge with food (thanks, Mom!). She also made us ham, potatoes and green beans for dinner, one of my favorites. :) On Sunday, Shawn did yard work but other than that we just played outside and did mostly nothing. Joshua felt up to walking around the neighborhood, and he managed to fall on the Mater bubble mower and get ouchy, which made me feel SO bad - should I be wrapping him in bubble wrap at all times? Oh my fragile child! Released from the hospital and the next day a boo-boo!!!

On Monday morning, we saw Dr. Hoshauer at Roseville Pediatrics for Joshua's hospital discharge follow-up appointment. Even though I called before the office was technically open for the day, Dr. Sanchez' schedule was filled already. We like Dr. Hoshauer, though, so it wasn't a big deal. She had her own opinions about the sickness. She disagreed with the hospital's final thought that this was viral. She said "that's just what we say when we can't find the problem or accurately diagnose it." She said he was fine to have his surgery on 6/26 and that his lungs sounded all clear. He is now healthy, no matter what the initial root cause was. I also got a very nice follow-up voice mail from Dr. Sanchez on my cell phone, telling me she had re-checked on Joshua and was really glad to hear that he was feeling better. She continued to update me as more test results came in, all completely clear and not showing any indications of what he might have had.

Whether viral or bacterial, we may never know. But, I do believe God healed him, and that's all that matters to me! He is my special little love bug, and I couldn't live without him! So, I'm glad he's doing much better.

A big thanks to everyone who prayed and to God who kept him safe!