Trip to the ER :(

If you haven't yet heard about our recent hospital visit, here is a summary of the week's events. And for those who have been waiting for the next update, you can just skip to the end!

On Tuesday evening I noticed that Haidyn felt a bit warm and had also noticed during the day that she seemed congested. She ended up having a fever of 101 degrees. The doctor advised us to take her to the ER. So, at around 7:30pm we dropped Kealon off at a friend's house and rushed over to the hospital.
The ER pediatrician told us that because she was so young and had a fever, she would need to be tested for everything...including meningitis! Poor Haidyn had to have several vials of blood taken, as well as undergo a spinal tap. These samples were sent to the lab where they had to be observed for 48-72 hours before we were able to get the most accurate results. We were given "preliminary results" that the most dangerous illnesses had come back negative but were informed that Haidyn would still need to be monitored and receive antibiotics through an IV drip until the most accurate results became available. By 3am, a room had opened up for us in the Pediatric Wing, and we settled in.

On Wednesday afternoon Haidyn's fever broke but she was still congested and very sleepy all day. Another test was done to check for common colds and viruses; thankfully, nothing serious came up. Throughout the day, Stetson and I kept busy with phone calls, sending emails, and we even had a few visitors. Kealon's daycare is right by the hospital, so he spent the day there. Friends kept Kealon busy in the evening and Stetson took him home at night, while I remained at the hospital.

Thursday, the nurses said that Haidyn looked "fantastic!" She was much more awake and alert and her congestion was almost gone. However, we still had to wait for the 48-72 hours to pass before the doctor could be completely sure she was ok and allow us to go home! Nothing new really happened on Thursday--at that point it was just a waiting game.

Now it's Friday morning I am really feeling the effects of sleep deprivation, stress and hospital room confinement! I'm ready to get out here ASAP. The hospital pediatrician just updated us on the status of the blood culture and spinal fluid sample taken late Tuesday night. He said everything looks good in the 48 hour report, so Haidyn can be taken off antibiotics for the remainder of her stay. (She is being treated as if she has meningitis through an IV drip of antibiotics.) BUT she will still have to be monitored for another night to see if the fever returns once off the medication. That means one more night in the hospital for us :( At least the end is in sight...we should be released by Saturday at some point. Tomorrow won't come soon enough!

Thanks for all of the prayers, phonecalls, emails and visits! I would have gone crazy being in here without talking with people to make the days go by faster. We weren't expecting to have to go through this experience with a baby who is still so new to the world. It's nice to have had the support of so many people through her first few weeks of life! We are truly blessed.