Totally Unexpected

My plans for today were to finish packing for New York, clean out my car, get a free Spicy Chicken Sandwich at Chick-fil-a and spend the rest of the day with family...instead I am sitting in a Children's Hospital in Atlanta with little Mya, waiting for the doctor to do rounds. Crazy!

If you know me, you know that I am not a fan of taking my kids to the doctor and I have been fortunate that they have both been very healthy! I rarely ever give my kids meds and normally try and let their bodies work to fight off any little bugs on their own. However, Mya started running a fever Friday night and by Sunday morning I knew something was up...probably an ear infection. Again, my first reaction would be to try and let her body fight it off since she didn't seem to be in any pain, since we were supposed to be leaving for New York on Tuesday, I thought I should get it checked out. So off we go to urgent care Sunday morning...

After the doctor's initial exam, she said her ears, throat and nose looked clear, so the next step was to check for a UTI and draw blood to check for infection. When the blood work came back with an elevated white count and since no other source of infection seemed clear, the doctor came back to explain the next step. She said a high fever and elevated white count in a baby so young could be caused by meningitis and that they needed to do a spinal tap and admit her to the hospital to start IV antibiotics right away. At first I was in shock because she didn't seem that sick - just a fever!! The doctor explained that while it could be just a virus, if it was meningitis and I took her home, she could get a lot worse very quickly. At that moment I had to decide what to do and my heart was torn! In my heart I thought there's no way she is that sick, but I knew if I left and something happened, I would be the one to blame. So I asked if she was sure this was the best option and told them to go ahead. Now for a mom who doesn't normally even give her kids tylenol...this was quite a leap!

I tearfully called Chad and told him what was going on. (to add to the drama I had left my cell phone at home on accident that morning, so I was having to actually remember phone numbers and use the phone in the office!) I was upset at the thought that she could be so sick, but I was almost more upset with the idea that if she wasn't that sick and I was putting her through all of these awful tests. I wasn't allowed to be with her during the spinal tap, but they said she did great. Then they drew more blood, put in an IV and did a chest x-ray...all before we loaded up on the Ambulance to head to the hospital. Thankfully Chad's parents arrived to help and were able to get my car to the hospital while I rode with Mya. Riding the ambulance I was still in shock for all that was going on! My poor little girl looked SO little on that big stretcher!

My parents met us shortly after we got to the hospital with supplies for me and Addison dropped off at my brother's. When the doctor here came in to look at Mya she said that the initial spinal tap showed no meningitis! Praise the Lord! After she looked in her ears she said, she didn't know how anyone could have seen in her ears b/c there is a little wax blocking the view and Mya's ear canals were so small. After removing some of the wax, the doctor said there was fluid behind one of her ears and so it was probably just an ear infection after all! UHH!! What relief, but also frustration that poor Mya had to go through all of that! She anticipated us going home today.

So, that's what has brought us here today. We are still waiting on the doctor to do rounds and tell us if we can go home. Mya hasn't had a fever since we arrived at the hospital, however the nurse this morning said that in Mya's chart the doctor had ordered an ultrasound for today and more blood work for tomorrow. She hasn't seen the doctor yet either, so she wasn't sure why we wouldn't be going home today. She said Mya looked too good to be a patient here!

Even though I don't have my camera, I took some pictures with my computer. Poor little hand with the IV...I know how uncomfortable that must be for her. She keeps trying to chew on it, so I had to put the little sock over it.

Thanks for all the prayers! Hopefully we'll be discharged today and can still head out to New York tomorrow. We are all so ready to be in our house and back with Chad, but obviously Mya's health is the first priority right now.