What a week!

SUNDAY NIGHT: We ended our weekend with Josiah getting bit or scratched by a cat (we weren't sure at that point). Our cat at home is very mellow and he has started carrying her around and can pretty much do anything he wants with no response. This cat, on the other hand, does not like kids. We were trying to see if he would simply learn not to pester this cat. He had already been scratched several times, but he was simply determined to make friends with this cat. Well he got in the cats face one to many times, and no one could intervene in time before the cat had had it. He had also taken a fall onto his face that night, giving him quite a swollen lip. Thank goodness kids heads are as solid as rocks at his age and that swollen lips heal quickly because the rest of the week would be tough. At any rate, I called my doctor immediately on our way home and he thought that we would be ok to wait until morning and he would call an antibiotic in. My initial reaction was panic. I have heard so many horror stories about cat bites and in the hand is the worst place to get bit. Plus there was cat scratch fever if they weren't bites, but scratches. Whatever they were, they were deep and we had a feeling that there was a good chance for infection. But we waited until morning.

MONDAY MORNING: An infection had definately set in and his hand had already started to swell and turn red. But we got the antibiotics going at around 11:00am. I was still really concerned about his hand, it was just getting more swollen and more red. So I made an appointment to see the Dr. When we got to the dr's office, they got us right in, but instead of seeing the Dr. who we had been talking to, the PA came in. He barely looked at it and said he was on the right antibiotic and sent us home, telling us to watch it. I was pretty mad that he didn't even take the time at that point to check with the Dr. on the situation. But we went home and kept him on the antibiotics.

TUESDAY MORNING: Now the hand was very swollen. But the redness hadn't spread, so I took him to day care and I went to work.

TRIP #1 TO THE HOSPITAL

TUESDAY AFTER WORK: By the end of the day, the day care provider said that it looked much redder and it did look more red. We went home and ate dinner and finally I decided to call the dr. By now it was 7:00pm. He told us to go immediately to the Emergency Room in town. The ER close to our house couldn't handle this. So we packed up and prepared for a long night.

Dan met us up at the hospital where we waited for an hour and a half to get a bed in the hall way. Ok, now. Picture an 18 month old simply hanging out on a bed in the middle of a hospital hallway. Yah, that's not going to work. But because we had been in a hospital with him before, we had discovered the best thing for a child his age that has to be restrained to a small area. The portable DVD player. He wasn't interested in any of the toys or books we brought for him, but the movies, he watched endlessly. I truly can't believe how much he sat and watched and was good for us, the DVD player was definatley a blessing. Because we would go on to spend many hours in the hospital over the next 24 hours.

They finally came to see us and said immediately that he would need IV antibiotics and may have to be admitted over night. We were prepared for this, because our doctor had given us the possibilities. From the time we had arrived at the hospital and the time we got seen by the doctor, the infection had spread from the base of his fingers to his knuckles and up. The infection spread so fast, but the dr. informed us that that was the danger and problem with cat bites, was that once the bacteria set in, the infection can move very quickly. He also let us know that it was a cat bite because of the progression of the infection. Cat scratches result in enlarged lymphnodes and his were fine. I was just glad it wasn't both at the same time. He was running a fever, but the dr. said it was just due to the body fighting the infection.

So it was a very good thing that we had made our way to the hospital when we did. We finally did get a room and then things moved quick for a few minutes anyway. They were getting him prepped for the IV and to draw blood. The nurse that did his IV this time was a pro. When we took him in for his seizure, they kept poking and poking and finally had to put the IV in his foot. That was so traumatic for him and so much for me that I had to leave the room. This time he cried and cried (which still breaks any mother's heart), but they were pretty quick about it. He continued to cry out of pain and now exhaustion for another 20 minutes and finally crashed.

We then waited another hour or so for the antibiotics to arrive because the dr wanted a higher dose than the pharmacy would allow. But they finally arrived and got his IV going. They also said that his blood work looked really good and that if we felt comfortable doing so, that we could go home and sleep for a few hours and then come back for the next dose of antibiotics. So we sat watching Happy Feet and Cars. He was so tired, but he wouldn't fall asleep. I think the IV was really uncomfortable on him, the tape was to tight or something.

A half hour later the IV was done and they unhooked the IV but left the stint in so that when we came back in the morning they wouldn't have to poke him again (what a great idea). We got home at about 12:30am and he was still wide awake. A bottle later, and he was out. It took a little while for me to settle down from the nights events, but I was finally able to get a few hours of sleep.

TRIP #2 TO THE HOSPITAL

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Josiah and I were up at 6:30am so we could get back to the hospital for his 2nd dose of antibiotics. Dan ended up going to work, because Josiah's hand was looking alot better and we were pretty sure they wouldn't have to hospitalize him at this point. I stopped and treated both Josiah and I to donut holes :) Nothing like a little sugar to get going in the morning!!!

We got to the hospital at 7:30am and we waited for another hour and a half to be seen. Finally they came in and then we had to wait for another hour for the IV antibiotics. So much down time for a 1 1/2 year old. I was starting to get warn out. He did watch his movies and was pretty good natured through it all, but he is still a toddler that wants to toddle!!!

Here is a picture of his hand on Wed. morning after all the redness had gone away. Still pretty swollen and you still couldn't see his knuckles, but better. The blue marks are wear the infection was the previous night. The dr. wanted to make sure it didn't spread any more.

Finally at 10:30am we were on our way home. Josiah fell asleep on the way home and would continue to sleep until 2:30pm. He was tired. He got up from his nap, ate lunch and we were on our way back to the hospital for trip #3. The bummer about all this is that we are going to get charged for all 3 ER visits. At least they let us go home over night, but it still sucks that they are going to get us for all 3 visits. Such is life, we had to get his little hand better.

TRIP #3 TO THE HOSPITAL

WEDNESDAY EVENING: Josiah and I got back up to the hospital at 4:00pm. Even with a nap, I was still wearing thin with the whole waiting thing. It is soooo hard to keep a child entertained. And I was by myself. Dan was working in the morning and he was so exhausted by the end of the day, he had to get a nap in so he could go to work the next day rested. Josiah new right where the toys were in the waiting room were and went right to them. Not a good thing really. However I wish the toys were portable and could be taken into the rooms with you because the center of this toy kept him kind of contained, but as you can see he did figure out how to climb out.

This time they sent us over the urgent care. The dr. that saw him this time asked if anyone had drained the puncture points. I told her that Dan had tried and had gotten some puss out on Tuesday. She felt around and decided it would be a good idea to try and drain them. So I sat on the bed, with Josiah on my lap. They used a needle to numb up the area and then a razer to cut it open and get any puss. This was not a fun time at all. He did as well as anyone getting a shot in their hand could have done.

After that, we waited again. Finally at about 6:00pm they finally started the IV which was only supposed to take a half an hour and we could have gone home. An hour later and it was finally finishing up. She had put the wrong drip speed in the IV, which I had asked about but she said it was fine. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh! I just wanted to go home and by this point Josiah was restless, tired and now hungry because it was now past dinner.

After all that we were able to go home and be done with the hospitals for the time being. In all this I have found something to be thankful for. The things that have brought Josiah to the hospital have been minor in comparison to other child hood problems. We were able to go home after a day or two and be done with the whole thing. I cannot imagine what it must be like for parents and children with childhood cancer. But for us, at this point in our lives, it was still a tough week and we are just thankful that Josiah is healing up very quickly and well. Now we just have to battle the yeast infections that come with antibiotics...nothing compared to the hospital visits, but still not fun!!! Thank you for those of you who knew about this situation and were praying for Josiah. Every prayer helps!!!