Copycat

This post needs to be prefaced with a HUGE disclaimer as I know that this is the first that many people have heard of this news.


**WARNING -- WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ MAY BE CONCERNING TO PEOPLE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS INFORMATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISSEMINATED ON FRIDAY OR YESTERDAY BUT PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THAT IT'S BEEN AN EXHAUSTING FEW DAYS AND I HAVEN'T HAD NEITHER THE TIME NOR THE ENERGY TO BE MAKING A TON OF PHONE CALLS TO PASS IT ALONG.**


My long time readers may remember that I was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum when I was newly pregnant with KT. Due to the extreme vomiting and the inability to keep fluids/food down my OB ordered a PICC-line be inserted in my left arm to facilitate home infusion/hydration therapy. I sincerely believe that line in my arm played a huge part in having a successful pregnancy and a beautiful daughter, in turn.



Often, when one is dehydrated their body rejects any liquids it is offered via the mouth creating a vicious cycle. IV hydration is the only way to "reset" the body and help to curb the vomiting. We got to experience this firsthand with Baby Girl on Friday night.

KT started teething on the way back to Idaho 2 weeks ago. Just our luck, all 4 molars decided to start pushing through at the same time. When she teethes she tends to vomit for a day or two (usually only 24-48 hours). We've attributed it to the extra drainage from her runny nose and increased drooling that accompanies new teeth. Although frustrating, a day or two of changing clothes, washing blankets and smelling like baby puke are manageable. Not necessarily enjoyable but their fairly short lived. This time has been HUGELY different.

It all started last Sunday. From Sunday to Friday it was a non-stop puke fest around here. She'd immediately throw up her bottle right after waking; most of her meals would end up back on the highchair tray before she was finished eating; both C and I were randomly covered while holding her, no matter when she ate last; and our nights were interrupted with the wonderful sound of a toddler gagging in her crib at 4am. My washing machine ran just about non-stop throughout the week. I spent my days cleaning up after her -- tearing the highchair apart and washing it, washing/drying/folding laundry, scrubbing carpets and upholstery -- and living in fear of the next "episode". Very little got done around here except to tend to the puke monster.

The top two molars have broken through the gums but they provided very little relief. Thursday afternoon she started rejecting everything we tried to give her. My thought is that she was afraid of throwing it back up so she didn't want to eat or drink. And I couldn't get her to try anything new. Friday rolled around and the refusal to take anything in was at its worst. She went from 4am until almost 6pm that evening without a single wet diaper. At one point I started holding her down and forcing syringes full of pedialyte into her mouth so that she was getting something into her system. All this resulted in was her getting pissed off and immediately throwing it back up all over both of us.

So I broke down and called the pediatrician's office for an appointment. Although there is some disagreement over exactly what is wrong with her (the pediatrician scoffed at it being teething related, heaven knows that her Mom see this similar pattern with every eruption of a new tooth, and diagnosed it as gastroenteritis although she didn't "exactly" fit the criteria/symptoms for it) it was agreed upon that she was dehydrated and in need of fluids.

Thankfully, due to our home hydration experience, the pediatrician was willing to order the insertion of an IV and allow us to take KT home for the evening. She would infuse a 250ml bolus of solution at the infusion center and then would be on a slow drip throughout the night. If she was doing better on Saturday the line could be pulled and we'd carry on as normal; if she wasn't doing better, our options would be discusses. The pediatrician said that in only 1 in 5 cases would he allow this. That in 80% of patients he'd admit the child to the hospital for fluids. But he believed that we could handle it and that KT would rest much better in her own crib on Friday night than to be in the pediatric unit at the hospital.

And so it was. (Please don't mind the grainy/bright picture as it was taken with my cell phone, the disaster that is my kitchen right now, or the pre-shower pictures.)








The IV fluids helped tremendously and KT went from Friday afternoon pre-appointment all through the night and next morning without any problems. She managed to keep a little formula down Saturday morning and a handful of animal crackers. Due to this the IV was pulled around noon yesterday.

Much to our dismay, the vomiting started back up again late afternoon yesterday. It was hit or miss throughout the rest of the day and our day turned into a major battle of wills. KT was extremely frustrated that we wouldn't feed her what she wanted and she refused all attempts at a bland diet. Fortunately, C was persuasive and managed to get some more animal crackers into her. So far, so good today, but we still have much more of the day to get through. It's just so difficult when she wants something to eat and you can't give it to her. You certainly can't explain the reasoning behind it to someone so small.

I promise that when all of this slows down and life gets back to normal, I will get back to the Christmas related posts detailing some of our adventures.