Round 2!

     This is original art based on Emergency Room round 2!  Please, imagine that yellow/orange blob to be a peach!  Thank you very much!

     ER round 1 consists of sitting in the local emergency room for about 3½ hours.  That was following a VERY rude awakening at 1am by a VERY sick child.  I don't think Tiana has ever been so sick, or lost so much in one fell swoop as she did that morning!  It was a very big production that then continued in the form of violent dry heaves through until about 7:30.  Add to that, about 6:30 or so the runs started.  Ok, TMI but it is back story for the next stories.  In the morning I called the doctor just to see what I should do.  She offered to send a prescription for Zofran (anti-nausea medication) to the pharmacy for me.  I actually already had some for Tiana from earlier this year and so I gave it to her.  Fast forward to about 3:30 pm.  Tiana's really not wanting to down anything and the fever starts to go up.  I call the doctor's office again.  Because of my morning call, they suggested I bring Tiana in and they'd see her.  She really wasn't doing well AT ALL!!  Her blood pressure was pretty low, almost pass out point low!, when she was sitting or standing, her pulse was really high and so they decided that fluids, IV style, were the way to go.  Oh, but their IV nurse had already left for the day so they sent us to the ER.  So begins ER round 1. 
    Kent had to go to Special Meetings because he had the sound system, so it was just me and Tiana for the long haul.  So we get there with orders from the family doc.  Those aren't good enough, of course, so we had to wait for the entire set of everything AND another doctor to evaluate her.  And she had to pee.  But first she had to wait for the other patient at the end of the hall to be arrested.  Ok, drama over, time to pee -- in a cup of course.  She makes it back to the bed, lays down and waits.  FINALLY a little boy, I mean the doctor, walks in.  No joke, this must be one brilliant teenager!  He really can't be over about 19!!  Nice guy, really "gets" the teenager in Tiana and agrees that yes, she needs IV fluids.  So, in come two more teenage nurses (I'm going to be soo old!!) to start the IV.  When I find out that it will take at least an hour to drain into her, I take off for a bite of dinner.  I haven't really eaten all day and am in this for the long haul.  I come back and she's pretty much just watching the telly getting hydrated.  We're sent home and all enjoy a nice long night.  An UNINTERRUPTED night! 
     Now it is Thursday morning at about 10 am.  I wake Tiana and try to get her to eat. She's really having none of it. Everything still tastes like last night's big episode. About 10:30 she calls out that her side hurts so bad.  I go to check it out and yes, it's the lower right side, yes right where that nasty little good-for-next-to-nothing appendix resides.  Call number 3 to the doctor.  Yep, given recent history, go straight to ER don't stop at the doctor's office. So, I insisted on a quick shower for me and time enough to get some "toys" together to entertain myself for the day. We walk in and immediately recognize 2 of the nurses from the night before!!  Not good!  They recognized us, too, even worse!!☺   
     So, it's determined that we'll start with an ultrasound since there is no radiation to affect her young body, particularly the abdominal region.  They are hoping to rule out any gall bladder infections or appendicitis.  Well, due to too much ultrasound-impermeable gas, the appendix is rendered un-findable.  That means we need more IV fluids, more blood work (to compare to last night's), more urine sample (can't do that!), possible pain meds and finally possible CT scan.  Because the ultrasound was so brutal, Tiana's pain went from a 9.5 to a 12 on a scale of 10.  They decide to go ahead and give her a small dose of narcotic.  That leaves her LOOPY!!  And of course, it is AFTER the pain meds that she gets to go to the restroom.  And yes, I had to help, but can I just say, that's nigh on impossible while holding an IV bag, holding her up, not LOOKING at her while she's taking care of business and then getting her "proper" again!!!  So, duty done she's to now start drinking this peachy flavored concoction of oral contrast for her impending CT scan.  Vile looking stuff and I guess vile TASTING stuff.  This is the first time the tears start to flow.  Even the IV needles didn't allicit this type of response.  At some point, though, in her loopiness, she looks at me with these glassy eyes and says it tastes like metallic poop and peaches.  I told her I didn't know what that tasted like because I'd never had it and then I asked if she'd had some at school or something.  She told me that she'd one time eaten a robot's poop and then a peach!  It was so funny!  I'm sure you really had to be there but it was quite hysterical!  And so was she!!!  She was laughing so hard and tears were just streaming down her face and then...she fell asleep!  Just like that.  Over.  Done.  Sleep. 
     Almost 6 hours later we learn that for the most part they have no idea where the pain is coming from or what is causing it.  All blood counts are fine, urine is mostly fine, CT is clear.  Next stop, doctor's office tomorrow for a female exam just to make sure that THAT region isn't causing the problems.  Now if she'd just EAT!!!