There's a little pep back in the pip

I woke up at 3am, disoriented and confused as to where I was. When I heard the sound of the IV machine, I remembered...hoping it was just a bad dream. I got up to check on S, actually thinking that she would have needed to go to the bathroom by now. All that fluid had to fill up a bladder. It makes me want to go to see that bag hanging there. I went to go stroke her head and listen to her breathing just for the reassurance. I almost heard my hand sizzle as it touched her skin. I went out to the desk and told them she was heating up again. They gave her Tylenol, which barely even woke her up. When she woke a few hours later, her gown, sheets, hair and even her stuffed dog, were soaked with sweat. The morning seemed promising. There was a bit more of a spring in her sitting up in bed. The smile returned a bit. Then there was a gradual decline, not unexpected. She's just so exhausted and tender. We saw 4 different doctors in the course of 2 hours...almost unheard of in the hospital. We received 22 different opinions and terms and confusion. Not that they were trying to be difficult. We just don't have mad medical term skills. The GI specialist was kind enough to sit with Sarah and draw her a picture of her GI area, showed her what was sick and what was well. At about three she started her usual heating up from fever and feeling pretty crummy again. I had hoped she was over the hump, but oh well. Then came surprise friends from school whose mother works in this hospital. Then came her pediatrician. Talk about a sight for sore eyes. She has known our children before they were even in her care. She has checked them, consoled them, laughed with them and loved them. Her knowledge and level-headedness have always been so very appreciated and, in this case, needed. WE needed the balance. She deciphered some of the rhetoric, explained how specialists work, disarmed some pretty weighty terms and gave us a rare chance to take a second and breathe. She felt that S had a form of mono. She felt that we had absolutely made the right call in coming to the hospital. She said she was going to be in for a bit longer. Her gut needs rest. Her liver and gall bladder need to take a chill pill and calm down. She needs to have normal levels and take her first bites of solid food in a controlled environment, without wanting to tear her gut out. Yes, in a sense, she does have hepatitis. But hepatitis is a term describing liver inflammation, which she has. No A, B's or C's attached. After she left, we felt a mite better and then our favorite infectious disease(ID)doctor came in to see her. She asked more questions, gave us more explanantions and let S listen to her rumbly tumbly with her stethoscope. She explained more anatomy and left no stone unturned. I told the hub, I have a bit of a girl crush on her. Maybe a doctor crush...she's just that impressive.

Later, G and the boy came in to see their sister for the first time since Sunday. There was hesitation after seeing the tubes and hearing the noises, but then the reunion between siblings made us all a bit teary. I know I complain of their fighting, but there is no denying the love there. And it is a strong, fierce love. The boy showed us how big sissy taught him how to tie his shoe and G showed us her beautifully painted picture for S. It did this mama's heart good to see all of her babies together. And then they had to leave. The boy is the boy. He just goes where he goes and, honestly, I think had an ice cream treat awaiting him for good hospital behavior. G, trying to be so brave, excused herself to a corner of the room, desperately trying to compose herself. But the tears came. And they came fast. She held me so tight, it broke my heart. As we walked to the elevators I told her to cry into my shirt. "These little ones need to see you be brave up here when they are so scared," I told her. She sucked up those tears, smiled and waved at the cute little faces popping out of doors and tearfully but bravely walked into the elevator. She blew me a kiss and then the door closed. I cried all the way back to the room.

I dread sleep, for I fear the 3am fever that might develop. I pray we are over the hump. If the fever comes back, we know it is helping her fight off the bad guys. Just from our few days here, I am absolutely amazed by how little I really knew about my own body and what a marvelous and fascinating machine these human bodies are. And I amazed and astounded at the genius and knowledge in our hospital. What a gift it is and how cool it is to witness so many gifts. Amazing.


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