This last weekend we experienced our first hospitalization with one of the younglings. Friday, early morning, when I went to feed Hailey Pie, she was burning up with a temperature of 101.4! So at 3:30 in the morning, I ran her to the ER to get her checked out. Since she was less than 2 months, it's taken very seriously so they ran urine tests, blood tests, and a chest x-ray to rule things out. But as the results were coming back, they couldn't find anything wrong with her. Besides the fever and slight congestion, there wasn't anything... so they sent us home. She has a low grade fever the rest of the day, but early Saturday morning I got a call from the ER doctor saying that the blood culture they took from her showed up positive for a possible blood infection and we had to come back in.
SO Saturday morning, we were admitted to the hospital and she was hooked up to an IV and they started a second blood culture then too. We basically had to wait 48 hours for this bacteria to grow to show what infection was happening. By this point on Saturday, her fever was gone and she was completely normal. But when a doctor sounds concerned, obviously I'm going to freak out a bit and do whatever needed to get my baby healthy again. To make a long story so much shorter than our stupid hospital stay... the first blood test came back as being contaminated. Meaning, it was something on her skin or in the environment that apparently got into the bottle... but at the same time, the second blood culture came back positive for showing an infection. Sooooooo, we had to stay another 48 hours to find out WHY.
Basically, after three days of being in the hospital, two blood cultures and MANY pokes to find a vein for the IV, it turns out there was nothing wrong with her. It was just two contaminated blood cultures. Sara and Jordyn had been fighting a cold and they're assuming that the fever was just a slight cold she was fighting off and that was all.
Now, let's get to the real part of why I'm writing all this. It wasn't to complain about doctors, or hospitals, or tests but it's about the lesson God taught me through all of this. Patience. I've always had issues with patience and not losing it when I'm really frustrated. It was SO hard to watch my baby lay there screaming and to be held down by two different people while another was struggling to find a vein only to fail at it and have to start again somewhere else. I'm pretty sure she has about 7 or 8 bruises on her arms from all that. There were so many times I just cried asking God why he was putting her through all this. Who knows why? At a couple points Jason and I were contemplating just taking her home because clearly it didn't seem like ANYTHING was wrong with her, but there was that tiny chance that held me back that I should stay. All of the stay for nothing. But through it, I gained a lot of trust in God. I'm not one to just say "Ok God, you're in control you know what you're doing... I'm not going to worry." But there were so many times where I was like "what are we going to do?!!" And the question was answered and God gave us ways through it. It's so clear looking back that he was under control.
Pain isn't fun, especially when it's your child, but I can see now that God lets these things happen to bring us closer to him. There was really nothing left to do, but to run to Him and give up any hope of controlling the situation myself. I had to find my peace in Him instead of stewing over how pissed off I could be. I'm grateful that he has kept Hailey safe and healthy through all of this and that he has shown me his strong hand in my life. I'm so grateful that he has given me my children and that I am the Mother they get to have. Ultimately, I have just been reminded that my babies are in His hands, which is a scary, yet comforting thought.
So that's my little lesson learned. We're home now and it's amazing how happy and content she's been since we got back. I really think she knows she's home! :) Although, when I asked Sara if she was happy to have her sister home she said "No, I'm happy to have YOU home Mommy!" But I know she loves her baby too! haha
SO Saturday morning, we were admitted to the hospital and she was hooked up to an IV and they started a second blood culture then too. We basically had to wait 48 hours for this bacteria to grow to show what infection was happening. By this point on Saturday, her fever was gone and she was completely normal. But when a doctor sounds concerned, obviously I'm going to freak out a bit and do whatever needed to get my baby healthy again. To make a long story so much shorter than our stupid hospital stay... the first blood test came back as being contaminated. Meaning, it was something on her skin or in the environment that apparently got into the bottle... but at the same time, the second blood culture came back positive for showing an infection. Sooooooo, we had to stay another 48 hours to find out WHY.
