At the Hospital...with Carter

Brayden has frequent flier miles at the local hospitals but can we use those miles for another family member? We know or recognize many of the staff in the ER closest to home. However it is not Brayden making a visit this time. It is Carter.

He spent the evening in the ER and now admitted to Loudoun.

He has an enlarged colon (NOT due to constipation). What that means...I do not know.

This all started last Thursday, he was sick and vomited several times. Friday he was doing better, tired and not hungry, but better. Saturday he played in his basketball game but on the way home he was complaining of pain in his stomach and vomited. Sunday he was home but not really eating much. Monday, he went to school (still not eating much) and then to basketball. After basketball he was crying about pain in his stomach. Tuesday, was a snow/ice day, home from school and he was doing pretty well in the morning. Shortly after lunch he was complaining about his stomach hurting. I found him curled up in his bed and unwilling to move. He tummy was bulging out and hard as a rock. I called the pediatrician and they told us to take him to the ER.

There was concern about his appendix. I quickly loaded him in the car and we headed to ER. On the way, he vomited (all over the car because we were on the highway and I could not pull over). So we rode in the car with the heat blasting and windows rolled down on a cold wintry February day...the car smelled terrible.

Once in the ER, they were immediately checking his appendix. He was put on IV fluids, given Zofran for the vomiting and pain medication, which helped him a lot. Some blood work and an ultrasound came back inconclusive. He was scheduled for a CAT scan...he had to drink the barium. The barium drinking was a battle that I never want to repeat. We fought with him to drink it. Jeremy and I fought with each other. It was stressful and ugly. Then Carter vomited up a lot of it. He still seemed to get some in him so he was wheeled off for the CAT scan. The results came back and his appendix was fine but his colon is enlarged. In between the tests and people coming in and out, Carter was having explosive diarrhea (a few clothes and linen changes).

By about 10:00 p.m. he fell asleep in the ER and by 11:30 p.m. he was admitted to the pediatric wing. He is not allowed to eat anything yet and will start with liquids and mushy foods later today. He is feeling better and saying his stomach does not hurt as bad anymore.

As I was getting things situated for today I was discussing with Luke about where he wanted to go; with a neighbor or to the hospital. He response was:

"Which hospital? It is the bear one? Or the one with all the video games? Or the one with the cafeteria I like?"

It is disturbing how comfortable all the boys are with the hospitals and seem to know them too well. The good thing is, they are not scared of hospitals and all the equipment, they have seen enough of it.