Friday, April 06, 2007

Boggled

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and well wishes for the Littlest One. I am quite boggled and quite upset with the whole situation. My last two posts tell most of the story. We ended up going back to the IWK on Thursday afternoon. His white blood count was a little high, and his bloodwork showed bacteria or infection was somewhere in his body. One of the fire department guys drove me in cuz I don't drive right in the city, and hubby was already gone to the city in the Pete to do a little work (finally!) for the day. We got there shorty before three. We were there quite awhile before the rectal surgeon (or whatever) came in to finally tell me what the problem was. This astonishes me to absolutely no end that this wasn't picked up at our own hospital on the first day, last Tuesday. And especially so upon the first IWK visit on late Tuesday/Wednesday morning when they did more x-rays and the ultrasound. Are you ready for this? -- He was constipated. I'm sorry, I am not in the medical field, but wouldn't you think that they should have realized this at the start? He had most of the symptons listed in the little booklet the IWK gave me, he said he had pain in his belly all around his belly button, he said his bum hurt, and I told them several times that he kept going to the toilet to poop but didn't do anything. (He had pooped once on Monday and once on Tuesday, so I didn't really clue in. But come on, doctors should.) Obviously the on-call doctor Tuesday night here can't read x-rays right. He said the Littlest One was full of gas and very little stool. I was shown the x-rays today by another doctor who showed me that same x-ray and all of the poop, plus the x-ray from yesterday where it had moved to the other side but was still up high.

Anyways, basically when we got to the IWK and talked to the rectal doctor, he said even though the Littlest One was pooping daily he was constipated up high. He looked at the x-rays and said it was "clear that he's constipated". They gave him an enema. (And left me alone in the room with him screaming and crying to get away while trying to hold his cheeks together long enough for it to work. I was not impressed.) He didn't pass very much, and I told them that. Hubby arrived about an hour-and-a-half later to take us home. He came around a fair bit and finally ate some. (He's lost five pounds since Tuesday!) Through the night he started crying and complaining again. I called the IWK and told them how he was. Whoever I talked to said he should have something oral to push the poop through. I called our hospital next, and the nurse said to come up and get an oral Fleet laxative. He was asleep when I got back, so I left him alone. He only took about two mouthfuls and wouldn't touch it again. I even tried it in orange pop, no go. "That doesn't taste like orange pop." I called the hospital again. That's when this other on-call doctor showed me the x-rays. He did a rectal exam (that went over like a ton of bricks), and there was nothing there. He finally coaxed the Littlest One to drink lactulose and said if he got worse, and things didn't start moving to bring him back. I don't know if it was the little bit of Fleet he actually swallowed or what, but shortly after we got back from the hospital he started liquid pooping. Hopefully the hard "plug" will soon pass, but so far he's back to his normal self, and he eats and drinks again.

So now he's on lactulose for a bit (I already have a big jug of that -- Pumba takes it every day), and I am increasing his fiber intake. I'd still like to know what caused it. He's never had a problem like this before. I've had to use glycerin suppositories a few times on the Oldest One when he was about that age but never on the Littlest One. As far as I can think of, too, nothing has changed in his diet. He doesn't overdo it on milk products, doesn't like cheese (only on pizza, and he doesn't get that a lot), and drinks a ton of water each day. Anyways, healed up for now for Easter, and that's a good thing. (And I can tell he's back to his old self. The little bugger just got into my face astringent and wasted about half of it, along with a bunch of cotton balls. At least I salvaged some of it that he dumped into a bowl.)

Here's the finished baby hoodie. Bernat Baby Co-ordinates (which I didn't like using at all) and this free pattern in size 6 months. The "sparkle" strand running through it was very easy to pick, and it irritated me to no end the entire time. There's a crappy close-up picture, but it shows said sparkle a little better. I haven't gotten this to the new baby yet, maybe next week.


I got my package from Dipsy! Thanks ever-so much! Three skeins of Schoeller & Stahl Crazy yarn, a cute kitty postcard, and three chocolate bars. The middle one is gone, and I have put the other two away til tomorrow at least!

What to do with the new yarn?! Suggestions welcomed!

Happy knitting!

9 Comments:

Blogger Donna M said...

Really glad to hear that the little one is finally feeling better and settling down. It is amazing how painful constipation can be and because they seem to be pooping ok, you just don't think of that!
At least he is better now and able to enjoy some Easter treats!

8:05 PM  
Blogger aija said...

Oh gosh. I'm glad they were able to figure it out finally, but not knowing so early on?

(I laso hate to admit I giggled at, "went over like a ton of bricks.") :) Have a good weekend!

2:18 AM  
Blogger Dorothy said...

Glad you are home again, and that little one's problem has been discovered. Not fun! Poor little guy!
Easter is tomorrow; all that chocolate will get him going :)
As for the yarn - a scarf? That's my standard for "funky yarns".
Hoppy Easter!

7:40 AM  
Blogger Heddy said...

What a tough weeek! You must be exhausted! But at least Travis was home to help and be there with you in that scarey time! thank heaven's it wasn't anything more serious -- it is so scarey when kids get sick (I can't even imagine what you've been through in the past few days). The Bigger One must be glad to have you, Daddy and the Littlest One all back home again.

That yarn is really funky! What weight is it? Would it be a nice baby sweater, or Hatt, booties and mitts for one of these peopel you know who are either having or just recently had, baby girls? I think it would be a sweet baby sweater (and maybe baby pants too!)

8:31 AM  
Blogger lexa said...

It's a chunky yarn, recommended needle is 10-12mm!

8:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm glad all ended well!!

10:37 AM  
Blogger Shelley L. MacKenzie said...

Glad to hear your little fella is doing much better and that is problem wasn't more serious. I've been praying for him though.

I've got that pattern for the little baby hoodies, but haven't made any yet. Yours looks great!

As for the new yarn, what about making a scarf with it?

9:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My gosh, you poor guys, what a horror you had to go through! I can so imagine the little one's pains - what a shame that the doctors didn't realize what he had the first time around! I'm so relieved to hear that he's a bit better by now - all the very, very best to him and to you as well!
Great that you've received the package and enjoyed the chocolate too! As for the yarn, my tip would also be a scarf, I guess the yarn just screams for that ;)

2:13 AM  
Blogger monica said...

Glad to hear they discovered the problem with the little one. The baby jacket looks very nice, I love the yellow.

11:10 AM  

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