CT Scan

We had to take Ross in for a CT scan and EEG yesterday.  It went really well.  Of course we don't know anything yet...We go to the pediatrician next Monday for the results.  It was kinda funny. The radiology tech was clearly not thrilled about having to do a scan on a 2yr old.  We were clearly not thrilled to find out they were going to have to inject a contrast into his veins after our experience in the ER.  We all took a deep breath and braced ourselves.  When Sam sat Ross on this huge contraption his eyes got huge....he didn't know what to think.  To make a long story short. Ross was wonderful.  He was quiet.  He was still.  He even started to fall asleep.  It is amazing how much comfort holding Daddy's hand can bring (the promise of ice cream for a reward didn't hurt either).   The tech was so surprised at how well Ross did (he wanted ice cream too).  It is funny...normally Ross wants Momma, but when it comes down to the big bad stuff he totally wanted Dada.  He was so brave and such a big boy.   When we were through we picked up Sammy and we all promtly went for ice cream.  We didn't get the EEG done yesterday.  It looks like we are going to have to go to Primary Children's.  We'll find out more about that later.  Thanks to all of you who commented and sent us prayers and kind wishes.

Follow-up

Monday Ross had his follow-up visit with the pediatrician.  We don't know much more than we did before the ER visit.  They ruled out strep throat, but we still have not found the source of the fever. By the time the nurse came in his fever was up to 101.3.  At this point we just can't take a chance with any temperature.  We've been told it is not how high the fever gets that causes seizures, but how fast it spikes.  Once a child has a seizure he/she is more susceptible to them.   Dr. Pollary told us 80% of febrile seizures are due to fever.  One out of 20 children will have this kind of seizure and only one out of those 20 are likely to have another.   Febrile seizures are not totally uncommon in children between ages 1 and 2.  Ross is 2 1/2 and he has had 2 so now he is even more vulnerable to have them than if he had only had one.0  Our course of treatment at this point is to try and control the fever, which consists of alternating between tylenol and motrin every 3 hours and wetting his hair to help cool him off without giving him chills.  In two weeks he has to have a CT scan and an EEG to see if there is anything in his brain function that might be triggering the seizures.  Then another follow-up with the good doctor.  If the tests come back normal, then we proceed with fever control.  So, in my opinion we have to prevent fevers at all costs.  I guess I'm going to have to put him in a bubble.  On the bright side, when his fever is down, Ross is the happy go lucky little munchkin we all love and adore.

Not so Happy Easter

Well, our Easter was not quite as happy as I had hoped.  After church Ross and I laid down in the floor and took a nap.  When we got up I noticed he felt a little warm.  I was going to give him some medicine when he asked for juice and a snack.  I thought he must not feel too bad if he's asking for food.  So, I gave him some juice and a clementine orange and sat him at his little picnic table in the kitchen.  A few minutes later I hear a strange noise.   I found Ross slumped over making a gurgling noise that I had heard before.  To my horror, he was beginning to have a febrile seizure (he had one about a year and half ago with a fever that spiked to 104.5).   I stuck my finger in his mouth to make sure his airway was clear because he had eaten a piece of his orange.  At this point he clamped down on my finger and I could not get it out. Sam had to pry his mouth open just enough to get my finger out (I honestly thought I was going to loose my finger, but he barely broke the skin).  We rushed him to the ER.

 We live so close to the hospital, but that was the longest drive of my life.  I was in the backseat holding him...watching him, trying to soothe him to no avail.  It is terrifying to look into the face of your child and realize they are looking at you, but aren't seeing you.  He was convulsing and his lips were beginning to turn purple.  We got to the ER , I jumped out and rushed him back to a room while Sam parked the truck.  When the attending staff learned it was not his first seizure they seemed a little more concerned and worked a little more diligently (not that they weren't working fast enough, but I think they thought I was overreacting...at first.)  He was still seizing and it was clear that this was a sick little boy. He was given oxygen and a tylenol bullet (suppository) to bring down his fever which was 102.3. Then they tried to get an IV started and get a blood sample.  He started coming around at this point and was not happy about being poked with needles (I wasn't happy about it either, but I have never been so happy to hear him cry...Is that mean?)  It took four people and 10-12 needle sticks (I'm not joking) to finally get just enough blood to do a culture (they decided to junk the IV because his veins were so tiny and they kept moving every time they tried to get into a vein). They also did chest x-rays and put on a wee bag to get a urine sample that they never got.  

Meanwhile, poor Sammy is in the waiting room by himself.  He was so worried about Ross (we all were).  He is such a good big brother.   I am also so grateful for Sam.  He is my rock.  He is able to calm me when I would otherwise panic.   He was so brave and strong and at the same time so gentle and empathic to his child's suffering.

We were released after about four hours and a mega-doze of antibiotic (two nurses tag teamed him and each gave him a shot...one in each thigh).  We found out that his white count was elevated, which is to be expected after a seizure...but basically his blood was fine as well as his lungs, throat and ears.  All we know is that the fever caused his seizure, but we don't know what caused the fever.  We are to follow up with the pediatrician a.s.a.p.

Before they discharged us the nurse came in to check on Ross and to take his temperature (rectally) one final time to make sure his fever had completely subsided.  As the nurse is giving us the temperature reading Ross says to the nurse, "thanks".   She almost lost it as well as the rest of us (Sam, Sammy and I).   She could honestly say she has never had that happen before.  After everything Ross had been through the little sweetheart still remembered his manners.   The child that left the ER was not the same sick little boy that arrived with his terrified family having a full blown febrile seizure.  He is doing much better now.  I don't know that I can say the same of his mother.

Nice "Do"

Sammy has decided he wants to start spiking his hair.  This is his first attempt at doing it himself.  I was gone when he got ready for school.  This is what it looked like when he got home from school.  Not bad for the first try.  I love that I can actually see his amazing eyes.

Strike a pose

Here is an original ensemble by Ross.  He is actually posing for the picture.

Beautiful Day

My in-laws came to visit the last week in March.  We had such a wonderful time with them.  We had not seen them since we moved here from Alabama which has been over a year and a half.  We had really missed them.  We wanted to show them all the things we love about the Vernal area, but mother nature had other plans for us.  The week before they got here it was springlike and beautiful.  The week of their arrival we relapsed into winter weather.  We had a few nice days.  The most beautiful was on Saturday.  So, we took them to Jones Hole, the fish hatchery and to Island park to see the rock art.  We had an amazing day.  We talked, we laughed, we hiked, we took pictures and we even had a picnic.  Here are just a few of the many pictures we took.   We took a weeks worth of photos in one day.

This is one of my favorite pictures.  I love how that single ray of sun shines down on Sammy's back.  We call this "The Thinking Rock".

Pappy decided it was time for a much needed break after our wonderful hike and picnic.  Ross  joined him on the side of the hill to absorb the beauty of the day.