Rotavirus? ... We think so!

Okay ... were home now and have LOTS of posting to do! But before we really get into some fun posts we thought we would update everyone on a rather eventful 1st b-day for Emma. So heres the 411.

Friday May 8th (Emma's B-day)

Emma woke up and the day started well enough ... Mom decided to treat Emma to pancakes for breakfast. Just as breakfast was being served Emma threw up a LOT all over the floor. This was our 1st indication our little girl wasnt feeling too well (I was still in Manchester at this point).

For the rest of the day she continued to throw up and later that day started having some pretty severe diarrhea. She was still pretty active but definitely had something.

Saturday May 9th

We could tell something was really wrong ... she was just so lethargic. She didnt throw up saturday but had even worse diarrhea than ever. She wouldnt really eat or drink either.

Aly gets pretty worried so takes Emma to an "instacare" for a checkup. The doctor spent about 10 minutes with her, gives her a diagnosis of an "ear infection", prescribes her with some antibiotics, and sends her home.

I arrive from Manchester that evening.

Sunday May 10th

She is still really lethargic. Its actually a little cute ... she would just want to cuddle and sleep. The whole day though is spent changing diapers and trying to get her to drink since we already know dehydration can be a big problem if we dont keep liquids in her.

We have a family dinner and she has fun with her cake. We were just going to let her blow out a candle but she ends up having a GREAT time with it (stay tuned for some awesome video of her and her cake!).

Again in the evening she is throwing up and has severe diarrhea.

Monday May 11th

Things pretty much go from bad to worse. She just wants to be held ... cant keep anything down ... and has liquids coming out of both ends. We are pretty worried since the doctor indicated it would be 24 hours at the most till we saw improvements but we sure didnt see any!

Between sunday afternoon and monday we go through an entire pack of diapers. We spent most of the morning and afternoon trying to find a pediatrician that was willing to see her. The SOONEST anyone can get us in is 4:00pm! (Thanks Grandma for trying so hard!).

We take her into the pediatricians and low and behold her ears are totally fine. Either she has wolverine like healing abilities ... or she never had an ear infection in the 1st place. We think its the 2nd and are pissed and the instacare doctor.

The pediatrician is the 1st one to actually tell us what could really be wrong ... rotavirus. She tells us if she doesnt have a wet diaper by 9pm (we hadnt had a "wet" diaper since Sunday 11pm) we need to get her into the ER for an IV.

9pm roles around and she has a "little" something ... but were really worried and go to the ER anyway. We get there at 9:30pm and she was up and drinking ... which made me not want to be there ... but Aly and Grandma says its a good thing and we stay. We FINALLY get back into a room around 12:30am.

Doctors come in and out and we try to get her to drink water, apple juice, and/or gatorade. She doesnt and we finally opt for an IV. We start the IV at about 2:30am ... they also take some blood to see how shes doing.

The blood results come back and she has really low blood sugar ... so low, in fact, that they want to keep her in the hospital indefinitely till its normal again. We are moved to a room at 4am. Grandma stays with us the whole time till we find out well be there all ... night ... long.

Tuesday May 12

Emma has now developed a phobia against all nurses and doctors (which pretty much started at the instacare). Anyone with scrubs and/or a stethascope sets her off in a crying/screaming fit.

Since they also believe its a virus of some sort she is quarantined to her room ALL DAY ... but shes super cuddly and sleeps quite often. We thought we would be gone in the morning ... but at 8am a doctor comes in and says we will be there till at least 4pm (we never see him again).

We WERE supposed to leave for New York for my brothers wedding (8:30am) but of course cancelled our tickets the night before (US Airways were a joke and we had to file a BBB complaint to get fees waived due to this emergency).

We are FINALLY released @ 9:30pm (because she is drinking pretty well ... especially her formula)! We are told to watch her diet and make sure she pees soon. We have diarreah still so its almost impossible to tell if shes peed. We have to wait almost 15 hours before we definitely got a pee pee diaper.



Emma in her "crib"



The IV hand ... Dad didnt handle this so well.

Wednesday May 13

Our baby girl is back! We have pee in the diaper and just a few poops still a little runny but definitely not diarrhea. We arent cleared to fly and our travel insurance is absolutely amazing!

Thursday May 14

Around 1pm my family calls and wants us to fly out for the wedding. Emma definitely cant fly yet ... and so Aly stays with her. I fly out about 4 hours later and arrive in NY around 1am Friday May 15. Richard gets married! WOOHOO! Congrats bro! It is a LONG day but I leave early Saturday morning.

We were supposed to fly into Vancouver from NYC but thats now not an option. So we lost out tickets, we had to pay to fly me to NYC (with some help from Mom and Dad! Thanks!) and now we need to buy more tickets back to Vancouver ... this is SO not a cheap trip!

Wednesday May 20

We FINALLY arrive back home ... at 1am :).



So ... Aly and I and Emma STILL need to have a vacation!

For anyone out there with kids ... that travel insurance its a GOOD idea!

We are grateful our little girl is healthy again ... I personally kinda miss her cute cuddly "stage" ... but she now says "ass" which kinda makes up for it!