Very Sick Kid!

Caden just turned 18 months old yesterday.  We had a well baby appointment scheduled which turned into a sick baby appointment.  He has been throwing up 4-5 times a week for the past month.  Usually just once a day but sometimes twice.  We had taken him to the doctor regarding this twice already as they were evaluating it saying at first nothing is wrong with him and if he threw up more than a few times a day then to give him a pill (which we never did since it was only once a day).  The short version, he's very sick, has lost some weight and only weighs one pound more since his 12 month appointment.  To know more about his condition keep reading.

Last week I went to another doctor and she gave me some reflux medicine for him to try for three weeks because she thought it was reflux related.  Well...the medicine has not helped and his throwing up has only worsen.  Friday we went to a friend's house and he had not thrown up all day.  He barely ate dinner and we got home late so I offered him a small snack.  About 15 minutes he threw it up.  Saturday he also threw up and Sunday he threw up several times and before bed had a fever of 102.4. 

Monday he wasn't able to keep anything down and his fever went up to 103.  The weather is really bad here.  I'm talking BAD ice, lots of snow, scary and dangerous roads.  Our area can handle snow and ice but not this much.  Most of Europe is experiencing extreme weather conditions right now.  Anyway, we called Monday morning to change his well baby appointment to a sick baby appointment.  However, when we got there they had sent all the nurses home (because of the ice) and the person whom Collin talked to did not relay the message to the doctor.  Therefore there were no nurses or staff to help us.  Since Caden was so sick the doctor had us take more extreme measures.  We had noticed that he was throwing up because of congestion.  Usually he's start coughing then gagging and then throw up everything he ate and drank.  The doctor noticed he also had a very bad ear infection which was most likely causing the high fever.  So the doctor went with us to the Acute Care Clinic (the Army's ER) because they had nurses there.  The nurse gave Caden a shot of rocephin which treats bacteria infections to help clear up the ear infection and would help clear his congestion by fighting the infection.  We also got some suppository acetaminophen to reduce his fever (that they showed us how to do at the ER) and some droplets to help with the congestion (which we are to use at home).

He seemed to be doing better and last night ate some chicken noodle soup at 6pm and went to sleep around 8pm.  At 10:45pm we heard him coughing and gagging.  Sure enough he had thrown up all over himself and his bed.  We changed his clothes, bedding, gave him another bath and checked his temperature.  He had a fever of 104.3.  Scary!!  We gave him the acetaminophen and the congestion droplets and started making phone calls and researching online trying to decide if we should take him to the Kinder Klinik (German Children's hospital).  An hour later Collin took his temperature again and it had gone down to 102.  We were about to get dressed and go to the hospital except our German neighbor called.  I went in with Caden and rocked him while Collin talked to our neighbor.  Meanwhile Caden fell asleep and I put him back in his bed.  Our neighbor's wife said since we had the fever reducing medicine and his fever had already went down two degrees then to wait until the morning to do anything else.  They said the ER doctors would take blood and give him fever reducing medicine so it was okay to wait since we already gave him the medicine. 

At 3:30am Caden woke up with a wet diaper.  I am now sick and took some medicine that knocked me out.  I was considering sleeping in Caden's room but we decided I needed to try and get rid of my illness to take care of Caden while Collin's at work.  So Collin got up, changed Caden's diaper and took his temperature again.  It had dropped to 98.8.  God answered our prayers, thanks for praying!!  After Collin got him back to sleep Caden slept until 9:45 this morning!  He never does that.  He's usually up by 7-7:30 at the latest.  I took his temperature and it was 97.8 and gave him some congestion medicine since he sounded congested.  He threw it up within 5 minutes.  I took him downstairs to eat breakfast and he had some bran muffin.  He held that in until lunch when he started throwing up after coughing.

We called the doctor's office, went in, the doctor suggested another shot to help kill the infection.  While we were there the fire alarm went off in the doctor's office so we had to take our sick baby out in the cold rain for 15 minutes for a practice drill.  It was dumb. Then he had to get another shot and they gave us medicine for nausea and vomiting (which online it says not to give kids until they are 2, so we're probably not going to give him that, plus the side effects are terrible), an antibiotic to start for 7 days once he stops throwing up, and a nasal decongestant (since he had thrown up the droplets).  Our doctor also wants us to come in tomorrow for another shot.  The shots are very painful.  They have to split the dose in two and stick both legs.  One of the needles broke while they were giving it to him today so he didn't get the full dose.  Honestly, if he's better tomorrow (i.e. not throwing up), I think I'm going to wait on a third shot.  I'm anti extreme medicine unless it's very serious which this is.  But since originally it was only going to be one shot and now it's three, I just don't know.



Tonight he started coughing when he laid down in bed and ended up throwing up the crackers he had for dinner.  We gave him some pedialite and crackers and he coughed and threw up some pedialite  We cleared his nose and gave him some decongestant medicine and I finally got him down around 9pm.

I know many of you who know about this are already praying.  I ask that you please continue.  God hears our prayers.  Also please pray for me.  I caught something and am now also sick - I am having chills, am weak, tired, and have a sore throat.  I'm struggling to have the energy to get the basics done around the house (which am not doing very well) while taking care of a sick kid.  I know I'll be fine, I'm just worried about Caden.  Thanks.