What a Nightmare

Yesterday was a complete nightmare!!!

I have had all three kids at home sick. It started last Friday with Tom spiking 39degree temps. The girls followed suit in the coming days but they both got over it after about 48 hours. Tom on the other hand, just kept getting worse. I took him to the Dr on Monday thinking he might have had an ear infection. He didn't and she just thought it was a virus. Yesterday he woke up covered in a rash and was inconsolable so back to the Dr's we went. I thought it was probably still an ear infection and he had had lots of diarrhea so I thought I would get told it was a virus, go home and ride it out. Well, actually that is what I would have preferred to have been told. Instead I got told to take him to Joondalup Hospital so they could have a look over him.

Arrived at Joondalup and they weren't concerned about the rash but they thought that he had a hernia on his groin. Still not overly worried at this point because I know these are fairly common problems and fixable. They sent him for an xray to make sure there was no bowel in the hernia. I was told that if the xray was OK, I would be able to take him home and they would refer him to see a surgeon as an outpatient at PMH in the coming weeks. I was sure that this would be the outcome!!!!

I realised things weren't quite going to my plan when the Dr came and asked if she could shut our door because Tom was screaming so much and she couldn't hear the Dr's from PMH on the phone. I asked her if she was talking to them about Tom and she said she was!!!! This was not the news I was after.

She came back to the room and told me to pack him up and take him to PMH where the Dr there was waiting for us. They said that where there should have been gas in his stomach there wasn't and he needed further testing to find out what was going on and possible surgery tonight.

We arrived at PMH with him still screaming and were taken straight through - thank God as there was a long waiting line. The Dr saw us straight away. They gave him some drugs to knock him out and he finally stopped screaming for a bit.

While he was calm, they examined him and decided he needed an ultrasound because they didn't think he had a hernia but that he had an inverted bowel - if this was the case, he would need surgery tonight to fix it as it's a serious problem.

We went upstairs to find we had the head sonographer doing his ultrasound and it was the same man who did Caitlin's brain ultrasound to give us the diagnosis of CP - arghhhhhh. Nervous now!!!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, he didn't have an inverted bowel, he doesn't have a hernia, he has a severe case of lower abdominal gastro and the lymph nodes in his groin and stomach are really swollen and that is why he is in so much pain.

A good dose of Painstop every 6 hours for the next few days and we should have a happy little camper back on our hands!!!

Talk about a stressful day!!

I Can't Believe It's March Already!!!

I'm not sure what is happening to this year but it is just flying along.

My little man is already nine months, my girls are in years 4 and 5 and I am back at work!!

Life has been really exciting but really busy lately. Grace (as usual ) is keeping us chasing our tails with all of her sport. Tball has now finished for the year. She finished up playing her 50th game and then had the State Championship Weekend last weekend. She won her teams fairest and best player which she was so excited about and they came third in the states weekend.

She has also been swimming and playing soccer. She has her Club Champions Night for her swimming on the 26th of March which should be a lovely night. Paul and I are taking her while Mum and Dad look after Caitlin and Grace.

Caitlin is doing really well. I don't want to jinx myself but she has been completely medication free for 3 months now and so far so good. Let's hope it stays that way. I still get jumpy and watch her like a hawk at times but she just keeps on trucking. I am wondering how long, if ever, it will take for that jumpiness to go away!!! She is doing really well with her communication PODD book and head switch at school. She told her speech therapist that she went to the circus the other week and she asked her teacher where one of the Teacher Assistants was when she was away. This is such an exciting time for us. She is just so clever and giving her a voice will allow us to see just how clever she is. I couldn't be a prouder Mum when I get these stories from school. How nice it will be to finally be able to talk with my girl and find out all of her thoughts and dreams!!!!

Tom is my miracle man! I know I dribble on about him all the time but I still just find myself staring at him in amazement that I actually have him. He is the easiest baby in the world. He sleeps perfectly, eats like a horse and is just one very content little person. He adores his sisters and follows Grace all around the house. He is still just cruising the furniture and crawling. When he doesn't realise I have let him go, he will stand for a few seconds but the moment he cottens on to the fact I have let him go, he plonks down onto his backside.

Legs is back at work. Don't know that he is all that excited to be there. I think he is much happier in the primary school environment but for now, he will stick it out where he is. He is working hard with helping me with the kids and doing most of Caitlins ABR. I am so blessed to have him!!!

Well, I am going to try and post a video and some photo's for you all so wish me luck,

Sam