The Flu, and Farewell to 2014

Two posts in one week?  We must be inpatient...

The Great Influenza of 2014

You know, I'd just been saying to Tom that it was going to be so nice to have one nice healthy Christmas for Aidan.  So, truly, I asked for this.

It started on Saturday (12/21).  He was fine all day - he played all morning, went to Occupational Therapy and was actually fairly cooperative, went for a haircut and walked around the mall on his own feet, and then we all went grocery shopping.  Long, productive day.  So when he seemed a bit extra tired and cranky, we weren't too concerned - no nap will do that to a guy!  Things went downhill fast after bedtime - his breathing was fast and shallow, and although he was keeping his sats up around 95ish, his heart rate was high and he had a low-grade fever.  Something was brewing. Every 20 minutes, he'd wake up and cry, needing to be held and comforted back to sleep.  He complained that his tummy hurt and started gagging and retching - sure he was going to throw up (we know that he really can't, but when he's nauseous, he's so sure that he will).  

By morning, he was clearly sick.  Slumped halfheartedly in his beanbag chair, refusing to walk because "my feet hurt for walking, so carry me mommy!", feverish, lethargic, and still retching.  

I busied myself around the house, finishing up dishes and laundry and other things that needed to be done to get the house in order, while playing the "hospital or not?" game in my head.  I called Urgent Care to ask if they could do a rapid flu test - they couldn't, but advised what I already knew.  Half an hour later, we were en route to CHOP.

The ER was a madhouse - clearly, everyone ELSE in the world was ALSO sick on Christmas week, so we waited about an hour to be seen.  Aidan spent that time practicing his "If I look really sick, and super sad, will it get me more presents for Christmas?" look.  It isn't not working...

Once we got a room - and a pretty SWEET room too actually (it had an en suite bathroom!), we settled in for nine hours of who even knows what.  They did some bloodwork, suctioned him for flu/RSV testing, placed an IV (the usual drama ensued), and gave fluids and sugars.

Aidan looked suitably sad the whole time.  Eventually, he was admitted upstairs for IV fluids and sugars while he got through whatever virus was taking him down.  We'd later find out that they sent Aidan's flu swab on the slow boat to China because they didn't think flu was likely, but oh guess what, he tested positive for flu.

Anyway, once we got upstairs, (new room!  5S4) Aidan and Daddy hung out for a bit while I went down to the car to get my overnight bag, where I discovered much to my extreme dismay that I forgot a vital piece of work equipment, and I had to drive all the way home for it.  An hour each way.  At midnight.  Kill me now.  So yeah, I did that, and came back with some awesome Sofia the First action figures for Aidan from Santa.  

You might be thinking they look just like your daughter's dolls.  So close.  But not quite, because they're obviously action figures.

Anyway, uneventful night, except for all of the blood sugar testing and such, and we got the flu Dx and first dose of Tamiflu in the morning.  It must have made him pretty drowsy, because the poor kiddo was out like a light for most of the next afternoon (Monday, 12/22).

We were able to get him back up to full feed rate and no IV, despite some icky GI side effects, so this flustravaganza was only a 1.5 day affair, which might actually be an all-time record low (way to go, Aidan!).  Very happy to bring him home and spend Christmas at home and (relatively) on the mend.

So long, CHOP!  See you in 2015!