Was I complaining about how yesterday started off? I take it all back now… I can top the whole lock the girls in the car thing.
My morning started off at around 1:30am with Ella crying. I went in to her room and picked her up only to notice that the right side of her face was swollen and her eye was almost swollen shut. It wasn’t gunky or anything… she just look like she got in a fight with a pro boxer in the middle of the night. I called Nick into her room, and after some debate, I decided to take her in to Children’s Mercy Urgent Care. Their facility south of us is only about 20 minutes away and they recently just started being open 24/7.
When I got to Children’s Mercy the doctor’s were perplexed. Had she fallen? Had she eaten anything strange? How long had she been on Amoxicillin? After answering all of those questions and poking and prodding at her a bit, they decided to send us to the Children’s Mercy downtown so that she could get a CAT scan. So…3am, I’m driving downtown trying to find the hospital in the dark. Not a place you want to get lost at when you are by yourself! I made it and they took her back to a room right away. By 7am, they had given her an IV (had to stick her twice to get it) and soon after she had her CAT scan.
It seems like we spent a lot of time waiting, which is normal when you are in the ER at a Children’s Hospital. They wouldn’t let her eat or drink, so she was tired and hungry, but still smiling.
We found out that the Amoxicillin that Ella was taking for her ear infection wasn’t working and the infection in her ear had spread to the tissue behind and around her eye and into her sinuses. Thank God it wasn’t anything serious, but since the eye tissue is so close to her brain, they wanted to make sure that it didn’t get worse. They gave me the choice of having her admitted for observation, or to leave and take her in first thing to the doctor tomorrow morning. By this time it was 10:30am and I was soooo tired of being there, so we decided to come home. She is on a stronger antibiotic and is napping peacefully now!
I am so thankful to have a Children’s Hospital so close to us. I was crying when they were doing the IV…she was just so helpless and unknowing. I can’t imagine how parents deal with things even worse than what we have been through. You have to be a pretty strong person to watch your child go through multiple surgeries, chemo, painful physical therapy, etc.
Well, I’m off to take a nap. The picture above was taken a couple of hours after her antibiotic was taken. Her face still looks like it is bruised and swollen, but she is already looking much better!
What a way to spend her 9 month birthday, isn’t it?
Oh my gosh… HOW SCARY! I’m so glad that you are all home now and got to the bottom of it. I really hope that the stronger antibiotic will help. Please keep us posted! xo… 🙂
You must have been so worried. I’m glad it wasn’t something more serious and that you were able to get it taken care of. (I had to come here from the pork loin recipe to find out what it was.)
I’m sorry that you and she had to experience that, but WHAT A TROOPER! Still smiling, I hope that her personality is like that always. Yes, let us know how she progresses.
Poor kid! That sounds awful. But I am happy it was nothing worse!
Wow! I am so glad that they were able to quickly (even though it didn’t seem it!) determine the problem and get her started on something to help. I hope that one day I will be one of those pediatric doctors helping precious babies like Ella and their mama’s (and daddy’s) like you! It is definitely a blessing to have a children’s hospital nearby…I worked in our’s this summer and hope to do residency here in a couple of years. Hope Ella gets well quickly…it’s amazing how children can look so pitiful and still have a smile on their face! Precious!
My heart be still-this is just the kind of thing I miss about being a pediatric nurse. Kids are so beautiful and good parents like you are such a joy. I’m so glad that the problem was is on it’s way to resolution.
The first time our oldest got an ear infection, I was sure he had leukemia…not much of an alarmist am I?
Hope you both get good naps.
Kristen,
I’m so glad Ella is recovering from this awful problem!
Poor baby girl! The first thing I thought when I saw the picture was ‘Oh no! She fell, BAD!’ I am so glad it was nothing too serious.
Griffin fell against a coffee table when he was learning to walk and bruised his cheek and eye badly. Of course, everyone looks at you out in public like you are some kind of monster! It’s a toddler, people! Bruises are an accessory on a toddler. Like a purse.
Aw, poor baby. How adorable still, though, even bruised up outta the ring 😉 I hope she feels better soon and you get some zzzzs.
What a pretty girl you have there! It’s so hard to see your babies hurting.
Hope she’s on the mend soon…
Glad everything is okay. What a night! Hope you were able to get some sleep.
I almost cried when I saw that picture. Our sweet little baby…glad to hear she is getting better. Keep us all posted. You are a great Mom and Nick is a great Dad. Love you both.
Oh what a sweetheart Ella is!!
My little brother once had a bug bite his ear as a baby and it swelled to the size of a large, large dried apricot. Apparently I once had such a high fever as a baby that I had a seizure and my parents were worried I had brain damage.
Two academic scholarships for college later, both my brother and I are fine, but as I get older I appreciate more and more the stress and love parents willingly pour out for their babies.
Hugs to you and Ella and your family! Thanks for always being so real, and such a great inspiration for the mom I hope to be someday.
Oh no!!! How awful for her. And for you!!No wonder you were tired
Wow, what a way to start your morning. I am just glad they figured out what was going on. I hope you both get lots of rest today!
How’s the little baby doing?