Monday, Hannah was still sick. She wasn't puking anymore, but instead making frequent trips to the bathroom and filling her diaper. We continued to give her saltines and sprite. She consumed the crackers and drank the sprite, but she mostly slept. We decided she had the flu instead. Brian and I ate my pot roast and Hannah gave daddy his new cushioned running socks.
Tuesday, I went to wake Hannah up before I went to work and she had made mess in her bed and her diaper and was cradled in her bean bag chair. I was not successful at rousing her. I called Brian and he cleaned the messy bed and I cleaned the messy girl in the bathtub but she still wasn't fully awake. When I finished, I wrapped her in a towel and sat in the rocking recliner in her bedroom. She reached up and touched my face and said "Mommy, just sit here and hold me." I rocked her for a few more minutes until she was out cold asleep again. Then we all got in the car and drove me to work for my research team meeting. I told Brian not to go home, to wait for me to call him back. As I was going up the stairs I was calling Hannah's pediatrician. The receptionist told me that there was a walk-in morning clinic that Brian could bring her to, that she could page the doctor and he could call me, that we could set an appointment, or I could take her to the ER. I told her we would go to the clinic. She said that would be a good idea. I called Brian back and told him to take her the walk-in. I walked into my meeting and hashed out research.
When I was done, I called Brian back and he was in the examination room with Hannah and the doctor. Hannah had roused but they were going to take some blood and then send her home to rest. When Brian was pulling into our driveway from getting her anti-nausea prescription, the receptionist called him and said that Hannah was severely dehydrated and to take her to the ER for IV fluids. Brian called me. I told my boss I was leaving and would make up the hours in Thursday (my usual day off). Brian picked me up and we all went to the hospital.
The ER was no lines, no waiting. They took us right back to a semi-private room. Hannah was cradled in my arms, slipping in and out of sleeping again. The ER doctor came in, pushed in her fingernails and said, "oh she isn't too dehydrated, just go home." I knew that crossing the threshold the ER cost my insurance about 3 grand so I was going to make this guy earn his money. I also understood that ER people want to admit you or send you home and I knew we were between-ers--not quite right either of those. I told him that we were here on the medial advice of a PA at the walk-in clinic with her regular pediatrician's full support. But if he thought she was fine, then we would go home. I would trust him. When I said "I would trust him," his eyes changed. He said that he would call Hannah's doctor. I told him we would wait. He came back in a few minutes and said she needed fluids right away.
The doctor called in the ER nurses who discovered that Hannah has my veins. No blood comes out. I suggested they use her hand. They called in a special IV team who put an IV in her hand. The nurse asked me if I had anti-nausea medication. I said that we did, but while we have the line, maybe they could just inject it. They said that they could that. Within 20 minutes, Hannah was fully awake. I sat and held her while she had the line in her. I had my computer because I had gone to work so we finagled out way into the hospital Internet and watched Sesame Street for the next hour. About half the bag was gone. The nurse said they could use the rest of the bag or we could go home and bring her back. I don't like going and coming back. So I said we can get the rest in her as long as the doctor agreed. The ER doctor said that the pediatrician said to put in all in. So the turned up the drip and filled her up. She had to go to the bathroom over halfway through so a CNA brought a potty chair. The nurse through it was a good sign that she was using the fluid. After she used the bathroom she started smiling and being silly. That's went she put a sticker on her nose. When she was done, we thanked everyone and went home. Overall, I was satisfied with the service. I think that people have to advocate for the care they want and every request I made was taken seriously and I was appropriately insistent and gracious as the interchange required.
Wednesday morning, Hannah woke up happy and clean and dry. Just like we like her. Pre-schoolers sure know how to scare their parents.
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