Children's Hospital

Whew what a long couple of days!  This is a long post but it's mostly for me so I can document our experience...

Apparently Madelyn does not have chicken pox.  Yesterday I was noticing that the rash was spreading and looking large and blotchy with welts rather than the tell tale pimple looking chicken pox.  I also noticed that it looked as though she had some bruising, this was very concerning.  I called the pediatrician and they said to go ahead and bring her back.  She took one look and said "this isn't chicken pox".

Our dr decided that it was a reaction to the antibiotic she was on the week before for her ear infection or it was a reaction to a new virus.  She told me to keep an eye on it and if it seemed worse to take her for some blood work.  I brought her home and just didn't feel comfortable with the diagnosis so I packed her up and Ryan and I headed to Children's Hospital.  Grammy and Papa came and got Collin and took him to their house for dinner.

We arrived to the dreaded ER (a germaphobe's worst nightmare) and it wasn't long before we got a room.  And then we waited, and waited and waited and waited.  Can you imagine trying to entertain an 18 month old in a room where you are not wanting her to touch a SINGLE thing?  Yep just go ahead and imagine that for a minute or so...

Her rash was MUCH worse while at the ER (we don't have any picture documentation) and she was most certainly starting to bruise more.  I also noticed her hands and feet starting to swell.  I was very nervous...very, very, nervous.  Yet I could feel the prayers of others and I knew my God was with us in that room.  I just kept repeating over and over and over "She is yours God, she is yours, please protect her".  The blood draw was a N~I~G~H~T~M~A~R~E

Poor Madelyn was being pinned down by two adults and was still getting away.  She was terrified and screaming "mommy" and "bye bye".  I did the only thing I knew to do...

I held her head in my hands, touched my face to hers and I repeated over and over 

"Mommy is right here, I love you baby" and I silently prayed that God would comfort her.

After what seemed like forever they announced they hadn't gotten enough blood.

You HAVE to be kidding me!

"No worries, we will get more after we admit her"...

Admit her?  Yes they were admitting her.

I cried.  I couldn't help it.  I had been holding back my tears because I didn't want my baby to see me crying.  I didn't want to give her any more reason to be scared.  But at this point I just couldn't help it.  My mommy tears just flowed.  

And as they flowed, I simply continued to cry out to Jesus.  

"Please protect her, please, please protect her."

The rash was worsening by the minute and the bruises were seeming to pop out all over.  Her little feet were so swollen that she couldn't walk.

They escorted us to the 6th floor where we got a private room, thank you Jesus!

Soon after, the resident dr came in and told us her blood work was all perfect.  

CBC, platelets, white blood count...it was all just fine.  

Can I get an AMEN people?!?!

Praise the Lord!!

I started making phone calls to Grammy and Papa and to Nana too, 

all who answered on the first ring.  :)

They kept us over night to watch her progress and to finish up more blood work looking for viral infections.  I sent daddy home to sleep and I stayed with Madelyn.  I held her all night.  She slept horribly, only a half an hour at a time.  She went for more blood work at 2:30 a.m., complete torture in the day but in the middle of the night, good grief people.  

And yet they were just trying to help my baby, and I appreciate all of them.

I didn't sleep a wink.

As I held Madelyn all night I thought of all the parents who were spending the night in that same hospital with me.  

I thought of all the mommies who had just received a life changing diagnosis.  

I thought of all the ones who had made this place their second home.  

I thanked my Jesus all night long that my baby was going to be ok.

Morning came and so did the blood labs.  All was normal.  

So thankful we were there because if I had been at home I would have freaked out.

Madelyn's red rash was now mostly bruise looking patches.

She was diagnosed with 

Infantile Acute Hemorrhagic Edema.  

Apparently she had a virus of some kind and this was her anti bodies response to the virus.  The actual rash is not from the virus, but a reaction to it.  

It is "very benign" and will clear up on it's own in 1-3 weeks.  

We saw several doctors and they all said they see it often.

The normal pattern is a red rash which then turns purple and then to brown. 

Just like a bruise.  

She still looks awful, and her poor hands and feet are so swollen but she is her spunky self.  

Praying for a good nights rest...

thanking my Jesus for protecting our baby...

thanking Him for being with me in the awful trenches of gripping fear while waiting for a diagnosis in an ER with my baby girl...

remembering that she was HIS before she was MINE...

grateful that I personally know the great physician!  

Tomorrow I will post on Collin's PJ party at Grammy and Papa's!