Yesterday morning after I dropped Makily off for school my sister Deborah called me. My nephew Micah had been fighting a NASTY stomach bug all week. He had not eaten since Tuesday morning and was not even able to keep sips of water down. Deborah weighed him Friday morning and he had lost 7 pounds in a week. She asked if I could come down to Dr. Pierre's office to help her with Delaney (my niece) as she was sure they may have to do some things to Micah and it would be hard with both kids.
Little Micah
I met her at the doctor's office and Micah looked awful. His little face was all sunken in and he was NOT acting like his CRAZY active self. Dr. Pierre looked at Micah and almost immediately said he needed to be admitted for IV fluids since he was so dehydrated.
I follow Deborah to the hospital with Little J in tow. We circle the ENTIRE parking lot and there is NO WHERE to park. Deborah drove around to another parking area off to the side and we parked there. We had the double stroller for Delaney and J. We strap them both in and realize there is no ramp only stairs up to the hospital. We are trapped. First we think maybe we can get the stroller up the stairs but that was NOT going to work. They were too steep and Deborah had to carry Micah he was so weak. So we opt to push the stroller up this grassy hill from hell. Now imagine Deborah is carrying 38 pound Micah who is sporting his nice wrapped IV arm. I am pushing both babies in the double stroller with about 800 bags on it. Deborah gets in front of the stroller and pulls while balancing herself and Micah while I push from behind the stroller. I am looking down while pushing when I notice that we stop. I look up and Deborah is sitting on the ground in front of the stroller.
She fell.
Micah squats down on the ground next to her while I am holding the stroller with a death grip to keep both babies from falling down the hill.
Delaney starts yelling:
"Mamma, YOU FELL.....MAMMA YOU FELL"
Delaney
Deborah and I both become hysterical as at that moment it was either laugh or cry.
We opted to laugh.
We finally get into the hospital where Deborah had to lug Micah back and forth between the peds unit and admitting. The peds unit would not ask admitting to come down there (even though I asked them to) and of course no one offered us a wheelchair. Lovely. We trek back down to admitting where poor Micah keeps begging me for some Tea.
We finally get into his room and Delaney is DONE with the day. I don't blame her. She kept saying "I want hommie". Which means "I want you to hold me". It's incredibly cute but with all that was going on no one could hold her which made for an unhappy Delaney. J has now started screaming when he is happy and this scares the crap out of Delaney.
She starts to shake and then cries. :-(
This was so NOT any one's day.
Micah gets into his room and settled in. I dash to the school to pick Makily up. I come home with her and do some dishes while the kids watched TV and played. I decided to feed Little J. He ate TWO things of baby food and half my yogurt. He was a MESS. Makily was on the love seat and kept wiggling herself upside down. She enjoys watching TV like that, I don't know why but she always has. I had let her do it for a while because well it's funny and makes her so happy and giggly. I was headed to J's room to change his diaper and decided to sit Makily up right because I was afraid she was going to fall. I sat her up and went to change J. Changing him at this age is like wrestling an alligator. He squirms, twists, turns and tries desperately to crawl away. Halfway through wrestling with him I hear a "THUD" and then SCREAMS.
I tear into the living room and Makily is on the floor screaming and crying. I pick her up and rock her. I am looking her over for any bumps or bruising. I look at her forehead and start to panic. Before my eyes she is developing the BIGGEST goose egg EVER right above her left eye.
It's already bruising.
I am starting to panic.
Somehow I throw everything in the car, grab both kids and head to the ER. I call Allen and my mom and tell them. Allen calls his mom to keep J. I dropped J off to Granny on the way.
We get to the ER and they triage her. I go through the entire medical history, they do her vitals. They suggested we go next door to Childrens Express as we would be seen faster. I advised them I was not comfortable with that due to past experiences and they said that was okay, they understood. They said to have a seat in the lobby again and if Makily had a seizure, vomited, started acting strange to let them know immediately. We sat out front for about 15 minutes when Makily started to get VERY agitated. I thought maybe she was hungry so I hooked up her to the pump. This didn't help so we moved so she could see the TV. She became more and more upset when she started having what I can only call an "episode". She has done this a handful of times in the past and it scares me the crap out of me every time. She became hysterical, she stood straight up ON MY LAP on her own while screaming and squinting her eyes. Then she rubbed her face frantically and her nose began to bleed. My mom and I rushed to the triage door with her doing this and they brought us back. There were a few techs standing there watching and a nurse that had not been back there before.
We'll call her Nurse Ratchet. :-)
The techs were incredibly nice and were giving me gauze to try and wipe up the blood, Makily was still screaming and I had blood on my shirt and it was all over her face. She began to calm down when Nurse Ratchet and I had the following confrontation.
Nurse Ratchet: You know they could see you much faster at Children's Express
Me: I know that but I am not comfortable going over there.
Nurse Ratchet: Well that's really where she needs to be seen because that is where the pediatrician's are and she needs a pediatrician.
***MALE TECH WALKS UP AND SAYS THEY WILL HAVE A ROOM READY FOR MAKILY IN TWO MINUTES NO NEED TO GO TO CHILDREN'S EXPRESS then he walks away**
Nurse Ratchet: It would still be better for you to go there since they are pediatricians and we don't have a ped doctor here.
Me: I understand that but the last time I went there I literally had to SPELL out my daughter's past surgeries to the nurse. Furthermore the doctor put an NG tube in her nose that literally ended at her cheek. When I told him it was too short he said that "the book" said that was the length she needed. She rubbed her face and pulled at it until it came out almost immediately. Plus if she needs an MRI or CT which SHE WILL they are just going to send her right back here (via ambulance literally across the street) because they can't do that THERE!
Nurse Ratchet:
*rolls eyes and gives me a look of sarcasm*
(not a good idea by the way)
What was the doctor's name?
Me: What? I don't remember.
Nurse Ratchet: (tone DRIPPING with condescend)
Well in the future you should probably try and remember a doctor's name if you don't like him.
Me: Excuse me!? My daughter has about 12 specialists.........
(interrupting)
Nurse Ratchet: I know, I know I saw her record.....
Me: Okay so you know she has a million medical problems and several specialists. So for me to remember ONE insignificant doctor's name that does not know the appropriate length for an NG tube is not on my top list of names to remember.
Nurse Ratchet: You don't have to get rude with me, I'm just trying to help.....
Me: Oh give me a break you aren't trying to help (I'm crying by this point which pissed me off even more) "you should remember his name" what good would that do me in this situation?
Nurse Ratchet: UGH this is what I get when I try to help you......UGGGGGH
(then the bitch stormed off).
Now seriously even if I would have remembered the moron doctors name.....what good would that have done for me? I would have gone to Children's Express and said "Oh yeah that's the DOCTOR I am not comfortable with".
I should probably say I do not really think the doctor at Children's Express is a moron. In their defense Makily is complex, rare and medically intimidating. They are used to treating broken bones, the flu, a cold, pneumonia....normal kids......not kids like Makily.
Which is WHY I went to the regular ER.
I asked for the charge nurse and told her about what a bitch Nurse Ratchet was. Some where in this time when I was loosing it my mom called good ole Dr. Pierre and told her what was going on. Dr. Pierre in turn called the ER, spoke with one of the docs there, explained how complex Doodles is and that she DID NOT want her over at Children's Express.
I love Dr. Pierre. :-)
We got back into a room, sat for a while. They ordered a CT. My mom rocked her til she fell asleep and we took her for the CT. She woke up as soon as I put her on the table. They put her in the machine and there is this thing that spins above your head. Makily stared up at it while giggling and clapping her hands. Not really what we wanted. The goal was for her to be still and fall asleep! She would not stop clapping and laughing at the spinning thing. She is such a hoot. I just love her crazy self. Finally they pulled her out, taped her head down (she did not appreciate this) and within a minute she dozed off. They got the pictures they needed.
Her CT was fine. Her noggin is all in tact.
HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF.
I picked J up from Granny and came home.
When I arrived I realized that I had left the front door WIDE OPEN.
*sigh*
I left both babies in the van and did a walk through of the house to make sure no one was here. I am not sure what I would have done had someone been in the house. "Keyed" them to death maybe? God knows I wouldn't have been able to get to the gun as it and the ammo are in two separate locked cases with the keys in another location per our agencies standards. I would have had to tell the burglar to hold on while I get all of my supplies to shoot him with.
Luckily there were no burglars in the house...just a few moths that I am determined to get out today. Makily's head looks much better. She no longer has a golf ball sized protrusion from her forehead but it is bruised pretty bad.
Oh I almost forgot (don't know how) that all this happened in the wake of a strange, upsetting and disturbing phone call with J's bio Dad.
Thursday I spoke with him in length and I was/am more confused and upset than I ever have been since this case started. In fact as I type these words I can feel my heart pounding in my throat. I am pretty sure he was drinking during most of the conversation as he slurred his speech and I had to ask him to repeat himself many times. He told me things that have made me even angrier at the system. People that are supposed to be in this FOR THE CHILDREN lying just to make a buck. It's sickening and again, I am not sure if anything will ever be done about it. What's worse is that if nothing is done it's almost certain that J will go home with him and he has blatantly told me he knows he can't be what he needs to be. I am just sick over it. He was contradictory throughout the conversation which I refuse to call him on because I want to keep a positive relationship with him.
As always the one person that has stayed on top of things in this case is on it and I pray that she is listened to and her advice is followed.
Please continue to pray for the safety and future of my baby boy.
I am very afraid.
My heart is pounding.
Little Micah
I met her at the doctor's office and Micah looked awful. His little face was all sunken in and he was NOT acting like his CRAZY active self. Dr. Pierre looked at Micah and almost immediately said he needed to be admitted for IV fluids since he was so dehydrated.
I follow Deborah to the hospital with Little J in tow. We circle the ENTIRE parking lot and there is NO WHERE to park. Deborah drove around to another parking area off to the side and we parked there. We had the double stroller for Delaney and J. We strap them both in and realize there is no ramp only stairs up to the hospital. We are trapped. First we think maybe we can get the stroller up the stairs but that was NOT going to work. They were too steep and Deborah had to carry Micah he was so weak. So we opt to push the stroller up this grassy hill from hell. Now imagine Deborah is carrying 38 pound Micah who is sporting his nice wrapped IV arm. I am pushing both babies in the double stroller with about 800 bags on it. Deborah gets in front of the stroller and pulls while balancing herself and Micah while I push from behind the stroller. I am looking down while pushing when I notice that we stop. I look up and Deborah is sitting on the ground in front of the stroller.
She fell.
Micah squats down on the ground next to her while I am holding the stroller with a death grip to keep both babies from falling down the hill.
Delaney starts yelling:
"Mamma, YOU FELL.....MAMMA YOU FELL"
Delaney
Deborah and I both become hysterical as at that moment it was either laugh or cry.
We opted to laugh.
We finally get into the hospital where Deborah had to lug Micah back and forth between the peds unit and admitting. The peds unit would not ask admitting to come down there (even though I asked them to) and of course no one offered us a wheelchair. Lovely. We trek back down to admitting where poor Micah keeps begging me for some Tea.
We finally get into his room and Delaney is DONE with the day. I don't blame her. She kept saying "I want hommie". Which means "I want you to hold me". It's incredibly cute but with all that was going on no one could hold her which made for an unhappy Delaney. J has now started screaming when he is happy and this scares the crap out of Delaney.
She starts to shake and then cries. :-(
This was so NOT any one's day.
Micah gets into his room and settled in. I dash to the school to pick Makily up. I come home with her and do some dishes while the kids watched TV and played. I decided to feed Little J. He ate TWO things of baby food and half my yogurt. He was a MESS. Makily was on the love seat and kept wiggling herself upside down. She enjoys watching TV like that, I don't know why but she always has. I had let her do it for a while because well it's funny and makes her so happy and giggly. I was headed to J's room to change his diaper and decided to sit Makily up right because I was afraid she was going to fall. I sat her up and went to change J. Changing him at this age is like wrestling an alligator. He squirms, twists, turns and tries desperately to crawl away. Halfway through wrestling with him I hear a "THUD" and then SCREAMS.
I tear into the living room and Makily is on the floor screaming and crying. I pick her up and rock her. I am looking her over for any bumps or bruising. I look at her forehead and start to panic. Before my eyes she is developing the BIGGEST goose egg EVER right above her left eye.
It's already bruising.
I am starting to panic.
Somehow I throw everything in the car, grab both kids and head to the ER. I call Allen and my mom and tell them. Allen calls his mom to keep J. I dropped J off to Granny on the way.
We get to the ER and they triage her. I go through the entire medical history, they do her vitals. They suggested we go next door to Childrens Express as we would be seen faster. I advised them I was not comfortable with that due to past experiences and they said that was okay, they understood. They said to have a seat in the lobby again and if Makily had a seizure, vomited, started acting strange to let them know immediately. We sat out front for about 15 minutes when Makily started to get VERY agitated. I thought maybe she was hungry so I hooked up her to the pump. This didn't help so we moved so she could see the TV. She became more and more upset when she started having what I can only call an "episode". She has done this a handful of times in the past and it scares me the crap out of me every time. She became hysterical, she stood straight up ON MY LAP on her own while screaming and squinting her eyes. Then she rubbed her face frantically and her nose began to bleed. My mom and I rushed to the triage door with her doing this and they brought us back. There were a few techs standing there watching and a nurse that had not been back there before.
We'll call her Nurse Ratchet. :-)
The techs were incredibly nice and were giving me gauze to try and wipe up the blood, Makily was still screaming and I had blood on my shirt and it was all over her face. She began to calm down when Nurse Ratchet and I had the following confrontation.
Nurse Ratchet: You know they could see you much faster at Children's Express
Me: I know that but I am not comfortable going over there.
Nurse Ratchet: Well that's really where she needs to be seen because that is where the pediatrician's are and she needs a pediatrician.
***MALE TECH WALKS UP AND SAYS THEY WILL HAVE A ROOM READY FOR MAKILY IN TWO MINUTES NO NEED TO GO TO CHILDREN'S EXPRESS then he walks away**
Nurse Ratchet: It would still be better for you to go there since they are pediatricians and we don't have a ped doctor here.
Me: I understand that but the last time I went there I literally had to SPELL out my daughter's past surgeries to the nurse. Furthermore the doctor put an NG tube in her nose that literally ended at her cheek. When I told him it was too short he said that "the book" said that was the length she needed. She rubbed her face and pulled at it until it came out almost immediately. Plus if she needs an MRI or CT which SHE WILL they are just going to send her right back here (via ambulance literally across the street) because they can't do that THERE!
Nurse Ratchet:
*rolls eyes and gives me a look of sarcasm*
(not a good idea by the way)
What was the doctor's name?
Me: What? I don't remember.
Nurse Ratchet: (tone DRIPPING with condescend)
Well in the future you should probably try and remember a doctor's name if you don't like him.
Me: Excuse me!? My daughter has about 12 specialists.........
(interrupting)
Nurse Ratchet: I know, I know I saw her record.....
Me: Okay so you know she has a million medical problems and several specialists. So for me to remember ONE insignificant doctor's name that does not know the appropriate length for an NG tube is not on my top list of names to remember.
Nurse Ratchet: You don't have to get rude with me, I'm just trying to help.....
Me: Oh give me a break you aren't trying to help (I'm crying by this point which pissed me off even more) "you should remember his name" what good would that do me in this situation?
Nurse Ratchet: UGH this is what I get when I try to help you......UGGGGGH
(then the bitch stormed off).
Now seriously even if I would have remembered the moron doctors name.....what good would that have done for me? I would have gone to Children's Express and said "Oh yeah that's the DOCTOR I am not comfortable with".
I should probably say I do not really think the doctor at Children's Express is a moron. In their defense Makily is complex, rare and medically intimidating. They are used to treating broken bones, the flu, a cold, pneumonia....normal kids......not kids like Makily.
Which is WHY I went to the regular ER.
I asked for the charge nurse and told her about what a bitch Nurse Ratchet was. Some where in this time when I was loosing it my mom called good ole Dr. Pierre and told her what was going on. Dr. Pierre in turn called the ER, spoke with one of the docs there, explained how complex Doodles is and that she DID NOT want her over at Children's Express.
I love Dr. Pierre. :-)
We got back into a room, sat for a while. They ordered a CT. My mom rocked her til she fell asleep and we took her for the CT. She woke up as soon as I put her on the table. They put her in the machine and there is this thing that spins above your head. Makily stared up at it while giggling and clapping her hands. Not really what we wanted. The goal was for her to be still and fall asleep! She would not stop clapping and laughing at the spinning thing. She is such a hoot. I just love her crazy self. Finally they pulled her out, taped her head down (she did not appreciate this) and within a minute she dozed off. They got the pictures they needed.
Her CT was fine. Her noggin is all in tact.
HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF.
I picked J up from Granny and came home.
When I arrived I realized that I had left the front door WIDE OPEN.
*sigh*
I left both babies in the van and did a walk through of the house to make sure no one was here. I am not sure what I would have done had someone been in the house. "Keyed" them to death maybe? God knows I wouldn't have been able to get to the gun as it and the ammo are in two separate locked cases with the keys in another location per our agencies standards. I would have had to tell the burglar to hold on while I get all of my supplies to shoot him with.
Luckily there were no burglars in the house...just a few moths that I am determined to get out today. Makily's head looks much better. She no longer has a golf ball sized protrusion from her forehead but it is bruised pretty bad.
Oh I almost forgot (don't know how) that all this happened in the wake of a strange, upsetting and disturbing phone call with J's bio Dad.
Thursday I spoke with him in length and I was/am more confused and upset than I ever have been since this case started. In fact as I type these words I can feel my heart pounding in my throat. I am pretty sure he was drinking during most of the conversation as he slurred his speech and I had to ask him to repeat himself many times. He told me things that have made me even angrier at the system. People that are supposed to be in this FOR THE CHILDREN lying just to make a buck. It's sickening and again, I am not sure if anything will ever be done about it. What's worse is that if nothing is done it's almost certain that J will go home with him and he has blatantly told me he knows he can't be what he needs to be. I am just sick over it. He was contradictory throughout the conversation which I refuse to call him on because I want to keep a positive relationship with him.
As always the one person that has stayed on top of things in this case is on it and I pray that she is listened to and her advice is followed.
Please continue to pray for the safety and future of my baby boy.
I am very afraid.
My heart is pounding.
10 comments:
omg!!! DOES IT ever end for you guys? First let me say I am praying that all goes well with Baby J. Second, while I'm sure it wasn't funny, I can't stop laughing picturing you and Deb pushing the stroller up the hill. I bet you two lose big this week at Jenny Craig! Love you all! J
p.s. I'm glad the princess is ok. That nurse she have her license suspended!
OMG!!! Trish! You amaze me! I don't think I would have remained as calm as you did with bitch Rachett. Ugh! We've had a few of these issues at ER's as well. I think medical staff in general does not like it when you bring them something they know nothing about and that you will always know more than they will about the condition. Ugh!
Oh my!!! All at once I guess. You amaze me how you keep things so together when IT hits the fan. Avrianna hit the corner of the wall and the same thing happen to her...I thought her skull cracked the lump with instant! Sorry you had to deal with the crap in the ER, that's just unbelievable. Hoping for a better tomorrow. Take care
oserofamily.blogspot.com
Wow, that gives new meaning to a bump on the head. I hope the bruising didn't get worse.
I am so sorry that you are having all the heartaches with J. Praying that in the end it will be worth it and you will be able to show that boys face off to everyone proudly!
Take care,
Pam and Madison
www.caringbridge.org/visit/madison
Wow what a day Trish. Poor Makily has a huge bruise noggin.
The nerve of that nurse by the way....what a Witch, Big Hugs.
OMG Trish! Her head looks terrible. I'm so glad she is OK! I can't believe all this in one day! I hope Micah is doing better! Poor guy! As always, J is in my thoughts!
girl..my heart was pounding reading your blog. Wow. A DAY from *&^&*.
Please know I will pray for both of your babes. THE GOOSEEGG on Makily and J's situation. Heartbreaking.
Big hugs honey.
God takes special care for those little ones who have been abandoned by their parents. Im sure LIttle J will be safe because God is good.
WOW! What a day! I'm in the medical field (respiratory therapist at a childrens hospital) and I can't imagine ever talking to a patients parent like that. Completely Inapropriate! As far as J's dad, I would get a tape recorder to hook up to your phone and record every single conversation. That way if he is acting crazy then you have some kind of proof. Good luck, I'm praying everything works out for you!
tara said...
dang, i don't read your blog for a couple of days and then all of a suddend THIS!
makilyi is one tough cookie...hooray for standing up by herself! piss her off more often...
the system isn't for children, but GOD IS!
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