One day D got sick and threw up. We didn't think much of it since it is flu season. There was never any other symptom, but vomit. No fever. No cough. No diarrhea. No nothing. He became progressively weaker and would rotate between wanting Steve or me.
He threw up for eight days before we took him to the doctor who told us it was influenza B and would just have to run its course. But D just got more and more sick. He laid on his bed and refused to watch movies. He would stare at the wall for hours and would hardly talk. He was completely lethargic. And then he would vomit. Everything that went in, came right back out 30 minutes later.
On day ten I took him to another doctor. By this time his feet and hands were ice cold, he'd had no bowel movement for ten days, and he had lost seven pounds. The doctor sent us to a hospital for IV fluids. D did not perk up. He just became more despondent.
We were sent to another hospital where an upper GI study was performed. D was so weak he could not turn his body on the radiology table. There was a team that had to help maneuver him. He had to drink barium and then we waited for it to go through his stomach and into the bowel. Only it didn't. Instead he threw up all over the radiologist. D stared at me through the glass as his body rejected the barium and my heart was completely ripped out of my chest. And because I am pregnant, I was not allowed to be with him, but had to watch through the glass behind leaded walls as the team tried to clean him and the equipment. All while he stared at me motionless. I begged the radiologist to turn off the radiation so I could go to him. Once they let me in they explained they had not obtained the pictures they needed and he would have to drink more. So with a lump the size of Texas in my throat and tears dangerously close to overflowing, I told D how much I loved him and how brave he was and then I told him he had to do it again. He drank more and kept it down, but his stomach did not empty for two hours. Normal time is approximately 12-15 minutes. The radiologist later told me this was the longest upper GI study he had ever performed.
Based on the study and the fact that there were no other symptoms, the doctors started treating him for post-viral gastroparesis. Basically, at some point he came in contact with a virus that paralyzed his stomach and intestines. He was given various IV meds that jump-started his digestive tract and reminded it how to work. He had a feeding tube placed so he could start receiving nourishment. And then we waited. I sat at his bedside holding his hand and stroking his face wishing I could pray to Heavenly Father and ask for a full recovery, but I couldn't form any coherent words or thoughts. I was frozen with terror. During this experience we took very few pictures mostly because D was so sick, that if he did not get better, I did not want those pictures to be the last I had of him. Thankfully, with modern medicine, he slowly started to heal.
D eventually hit important milestones like holding down food, gaining weight and having a bowel movement. After five days in the hospital (with Steve and I taking 24 hour shifts with him) D was finally medically cleared to go home. Driving home was surreal. He kept asking if he had to go back. He was thrilled to be out and so were we.
But once we got home reality hit. I had not anticipated his reaction to being home. He completely fell apart. He did not want to get back in his bed and he woke screaming in the morning because he didn't know he could get off his bed. He had forgotten how to interact with his siblings and M and J stared at D while he screamed in high pitched wails. He was starving all the time from the lack of food and calories. He would beg for food, I would give it to him and he would stare at it and cry. After two days I realized this was not something Steve and I could make right. This was something only his siblings could fix. So the next morning when D woke screaming I sent M and J in to comfort him and remind him how to be a kid again instead of a sick kid who Mom and Dad race to the second he hollers. It took several days for D to acclimate to being home and several weeks for him to return to himself. Thankfully, he has made a full recovery and should not have any negative residual effects from this terrifying journey.
Thank you to those who watched M and J, brought soup, visited, called, texted and prayed for D and our family. We are grateful to you and for the ability it gave Steve and I to focus on D.
He threw up for eight days before we took him to the doctor who told us it was influenza B and would just have to run its course. But D just got more and more sick. He laid on his bed and refused to watch movies. He would stare at the wall for hours and would hardly talk. He was completely lethargic. And then he would vomit. Everything that went in, came right back out 30 minutes later.
On day ten I took him to another doctor. By this time his feet and hands were ice cold, he'd had no bowel movement for ten days, and he had lost seven pounds. The doctor sent us to a hospital for IV fluids. D did not perk up. He just became more despondent.
We were sent to another hospital where an upper GI study was performed. D was so weak he could not turn his body on the radiology table. There was a team that had to help maneuver him. He had to drink barium and then we waited for it to go through his stomach and into the bowel. Only it didn't. Instead he threw up all over the radiologist. D stared at me through the glass as his body rejected the barium and my heart was completely ripped out of my chest. And because I am pregnant, I was not allowed to be with him, but had to watch through the glass behind leaded walls as the team tried to clean him and the equipment. All while he stared at me motionless. I begged the radiologist to turn off the radiation so I could go to him. Once they let me in they explained they had not obtained the pictures they needed and he would have to drink more. So with a lump the size of Texas in my throat and tears dangerously close to overflowing, I told D how much I loved him and how brave he was and then I told him he had to do it again. He drank more and kept it down, but his stomach did not empty for two hours. Normal time is approximately 12-15 minutes. The radiologist later told me this was the longest upper GI study he had ever performed.
Based on the study and the fact that there were no other symptoms, the doctors started treating him for post-viral gastroparesis. Basically, at some point he came in contact with a virus that paralyzed his stomach and intestines. He was given various IV meds that jump-started his digestive tract and reminded it how to work. He had a feeding tube placed so he could start receiving nourishment. And then we waited. I sat at his bedside holding his hand and stroking his face wishing I could pray to Heavenly Father and ask for a full recovery, but I couldn't form any coherent words or thoughts. I was frozen with terror. During this experience we took very few pictures mostly because D was so sick, that if he did not get better, I did not want those pictures to be the last I had of him. Thankfully, with modern medicine, he slowly started to heal.
On the second night in the hospital Grandma came to visit and it was the first smile we had seen in days. I snapped a pic on my seven year old phone.
As he started to feel better he would request Star Wars. Steve was more than happy to oblige.
After twelve days of being sick, D finally showed glimpses of himself despite the IVs and feeding tube.
D eventually hit important milestones like holding down food, gaining weight and having a bowel movement. After five days in the hospital (with Steve and I taking 24 hour shifts with him) D was finally medically cleared to go home. Driving home was surreal. He kept asking if he had to go back. He was thrilled to be out and so were we.
But once we got home reality hit. I had not anticipated his reaction to being home. He completely fell apart. He did not want to get back in his bed and he woke screaming in the morning because he didn't know he could get off his bed. He had forgotten how to interact with his siblings and M and J stared at D while he screamed in high pitched wails. He was starving all the time from the lack of food and calories. He would beg for food, I would give it to him and he would stare at it and cry. After two days I realized this was not something Steve and I could make right. This was something only his siblings could fix. So the next morning when D woke screaming I sent M and J in to comfort him and remind him how to be a kid again instead of a sick kid who Mom and Dad race to the second he hollers. It took several days for D to acclimate to being home and several weeks for him to return to himself. Thankfully, he has made a full recovery and should not have any negative residual effects from this terrifying journey.
Thank you to those who watched M and J, brought soup, visited, called, texted and prayed for D and our family. We are grateful to you and for the ability it gave Steve and I to focus on D.
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