One phone call away...

None of us...not one...are more than one phone call away from an emergency.  I was reminded of that this last week with my nephew.  I'd been busy working on the painting of the new craft desk unit that my Dad, Husband & Son made for me.  I had just talked to my Dad about the hinges for my island unit and gone back out to work with hubby in the garage.  I came back in the house 20 minutes later and realized that I had missed a phone call from my Dad.  I called him right back thinking that he had another question for me....I couldn't have been more wrong.

You know how you can tell with some people that something is wrong the minute they say hello...I could hear it in my Dad's voice...he wasn't calling me back to talk about the project.  He called to tell me that he was on his way to watch one nephew while my brother and sister-in-law were rushing the other one to the Newton Emergency Room.  My nephew had been sick for over 10 days and now he was screaming out in pain and covering his swollen right eye.  I called my Brother's house immediately..."What can I do?  Do you want me to meet you at the hospital?"...all my SIL could get out was "That would be great".  I could hear it in her voice too...she was scared.  I grabbed my purse, cell phone and headed out the door.  Filled in my son & husband and drove to Newton.  I got there in time to meet them at the door...I parked my brother's car as he helped his son into the hospital.  By the time I got into the hospital they were ready to take him in.  My nephew was crying out in pain....Bless his heart!  It hurt my heart every time he cried out!

The doctor quickly got the information from my SIL...he had been sick...they thought it was the flu, treated with Tamiflu and his glands (which had been the size of golf balls) were getting better.  Sunday his fever had spiked to 103, back to pediatrician on Monday, blood panel, UA, sent home with antibiotics.  Tuesday woke up with a swollen eye...and pain.  LOTS of pain as the day progressed it got progressively worse.  He had a scheduled appt. with the dr. & a CT scan the next day.  Thank goodness that they brought him in...they did the CT scan that night.  He ended up having a severe sinus infection...but no symptoms of a sinus infection.  The infection had leaked into and around the area of his eye.  They thought that it had even penetrated the bone around his eye.  They started an IV and gave him a strong dose of antibiotic.  The ER doc said he had only seen this one other time in all his years of practicing.  He also told us that it was they were very fortunate that the pediatrician had prescribed the right kind of antibiotic...otherwise my nephew may have been in septic shock by the time he got to the emergency room.  Wow....what I have learned about that since scares me even more than when he first said it.  Once an infection goes sepsis (it starts to move throughout the body)...it goes up before it goes down.  The only place it had to go was to the brain...and once it goes septic....hard to fight.  They made plans to send him by ambulance to Wichita.

They got him loaded in the ambulance with his CT dvd, records and a shot of morphine for the road.  We headed to Wesley...the ambulance with my nephew & SIL; my brother followed & I brought up the rear.  Once at Wesley we quickly got settled into the Pediatric ICU.  That was scary too...ICU?!  That was sad...so many sick kids.  And one little girl beside my nephew...had no parents there.  They wouldn't be able to be there until the 4th or 5th of April. WoW!  Makes you wonder why...and I felt so bad for that little girl.  She was so darn cute...calling out "Nurse".  I pray that God will heal her quickly!

They got my nephew settled in for the night.  He was on 3 strong antibiotics.  I went home to rest a bit and say good-bye to my hubby, who was headed to Florida for a business trip.  Headed to Wal-Mart in the morning to get things for my Brother & SIL...was met there by a rude lady who chewed me out for being on the phone while I was in the checkout.  (I never do that!!  EVER!!  But that morning, I had an emergency)  She was rude & had no compassion...I apologized to the checker for being on the phone, I told her, I never do this but I had an emergency call and was headed to the PICU.  I wished I had turned back around & told the lady that I hoped when she had an emergency in the future (because it WILL happen to her) that someone would show her more compassion than she had shown me....but I couldn't...because by this time I was in tears.  Pent up tears because I was afraid...and I wasn't going to show my fear at the hospital.  So, it came out in tears at Wal-Mart.

I got to the PICU at Wesley and we waited...and waited ...and waited for the ENT to come and look at my nephew.  Of course, he couldn't eat...in case they had to do surgery.  What is worse than a sick 11 year old who only wants to be home in his own bed?   An 11 year old who hasn't had anything to eat since 5:00 the previous night!!  The ENT finally came (as unprofessional as he could be)...and didn't think it had penetrated the bone and wanted to try the antibiotics before he did surgery.  Hooray!!  Being moved to a regular room...and PIZZA ordered for the 11 year old!  Papa John's it was...and what did he do when it came?  Slept!  Too funny!!

We kept up the same routine everyday...I came bringing videos, board games, laptop (that was the favorite!) & snacks...and antibiotics were pumped into him several times a day.  Did re-learn a few things...hospital chairs...UnComForTaBlE!...hospital food...NOT that good...Restaurants around the hospital...much improved!  Jimmy John's, Panera & Chipotle!!  Beats the Cafeteria!! :)

He was released on Friday night, after he had a pic line inserted from his right arm to near his heart.  He went home with a 2 week supply of iv antibiotics.  I got to see him on Sunday...he looks great!  Drugs seem to be doing their job.  Mom & Dad...looking a bit tired still.  Nothing a few good nights' sleep in their own beds won't cure.  I'm thanking God...for great antibiotics, good doctors and healing of the infection!  Also for the flexibility to be able to drop everything and go be with my family.  I'm not sure how much I did, but just being able to be there and support them and be an extra set of ears to hear what the drs. said and another voice of reason to talk to my nephew....was a Blessing!  I pray that none of you will get that call anytime soon, but if you do, I pray that it will turn out as well as this situation did.  I know that I will get another call like this in the future...they are bound to happen.  They may not all turn out this great...but I know without a doubt...that God is in the midst of each and every one of them and He will get me thru whatever is in my future.