*WARNING: If you are afraid of stories involving blood, skip this post*
Last Friday we saw the GP (our pedi was closed), he just gave paracetamol for the fever. Said to come back if it doesn’t get better in 2 days. Then on Sunday night Ellery’s fever rocketed to 39.7 after sponging. He vomited as well after a coughing fit. That was 330am, so we went to NUH A&E. The scan ruled out a chest infection and the blood test was clear. They said to have follow up check up with our pedi in 1 week. But after last night’s multiple coughing episodes, we decided to see the pedi in advance of the appointment. It was the first time I saw our pedi look grave. He noticed instantly that Ellery was lethergic, and after a quick examination said he had a chest infection. He wrote me a referral to go to NUH A&E. Said probably need to be warded for 3-5 days, don’t wait, go now.
I did drop by home (it’s on the way to the hospital) to pick up a bag of stuff, including my breastpump which I desperately needed since Ellery wasn’t drinking. I could already feel the tenderness from the accumulating milk. I didn’t want to get mastitis in the process!
Was shuffled into isolation cos he had a fever plus a cough. As per routine they took a scan and a blood test. But oh man…the doc couldn’t find his vein and pricked and pricked his little hand so many times!!
They said they were going to extract the blood using a plug to allow for a drip later. Then Doc #1 inserted and reinserted no less than 7 times on the right hand, and another 3 times on the left hand before she got it into the vein! Then she squeezed and squeezed so hard because she didn’t quite get it perfectly done, so had to squeeze extra hard to get the blood out. So…because it wasn’t done properly they had to pull the plug out…and do it again!!!
Thankfully Doc #2 came along and did it, and she was much more experienced. She ended up putting the plug on his right foot. Poked him once, adjusted once and the blood came out.
Then…they found that the potassiam levels in Ellery’s blood was higher than normal. Doc #2 said it could be because Doc #1 squeezed so hard to get the blood sample out it could have burst the blood cells releasing potassiam into the sample. So Doc #2 said we should redo the blood test to see whether the potassiam is really higher than average or whether it was cos of the way the blood was collected. Ok.
So Doc #1 comes back to take blood for the retest. She says, “this one is not so painful, it’s not inserting the plug, just pricking the skin and getting some blood”. So she pricks, then squeezes…then drops the testtube! So the precious blood spilt onto the bed!! Her hand had blood, the tube had blood. And she had to squeeze more blood from Ellery since the blood she had collected was gone!!!
THEN
Doc #2 came along and said that she was extracting the blood the wrong way! To confirm whether the potassiam level was indeed high they needed to extract the insertion way (like for the putting in the plug). So, they had to get a needle and poke him again! Then there were no less than 5 docs/nurses searching his wrists and ankles for a good spot to poke. And if you’ve seen how they do it, it’s by pressing the palm against the inside of the wrist…and by pressing the foot inwards. Not comfortable at all. And they were doing it all at the same time on Ellery! And they had a hard time cos his hands were starting to swell from all the poking. I mean…there were so many tiny tunnels in this hands!
Doc #2 then asked whether it was too difficult for Doc #1. Then Doc #3 came and did it. And did it properly. As she finished collecting the necessary quantity for the retest, she asked whether there were any other blood tests that needed to be done, and the answer was no. In the end the potassiam level was normal, i.e., the initial high content was due to the Doc #1’s handling. Sigh.
Then we got moved to our ward. And I find out the diagnosis is actually pneumonia! The chest scan showed the upper right lobe was infected. It developed so fast! The previous scan was clear!
Anyway, we get to the ward and the ward’s docs come to see him. After discussing Ellery’s medical history and the development of the illness, they conclude that they need to do a blood culture, meaning, more blood needs to be taken. Again! This is all in the same day mind you. And all within a span of 5 hours.
So the whole process of bending and pressing his wrists and ankles started again, and then the poking by Doc #4.
So that was the end of the bloody affair.
Then there was the suctioning of the mucous. In goes the tube down the nostrils. First the right, then the left. A couple of hours later, in it goes again. Down the throat, down the throat, down the left nostril, down the right, down the throat again! Poor Ellery!!! He turned completely red from the choking sensation! He hand one of those cries that are soooo bad that no sound comes out!
;(
But I know it’s good for him so I’m not going to get too emotional about it.
So he’s warded. Which means I’m warded too. 3 days minimum. So…poor Asher too. Suddenly no Mummy around. Thankfully Por Por and Gong Gong can take him.
There is one thing I’m really thankful for though. That Ellery, at 3 months, will probably not remember this episode at all. I think it’d have been a lot tougher if it was Asher at 2.5 yrs.
I’m thankful.
Now Ellery’s finally sleeping. One tube for the drip attached to this right foot. One wire attached to his left big toe to monitor heart rate and oxygen content in the blood. And an oxygen mask strapped to his head (he was found to have low oxygen levels due to the lungs struggling to cope with the infection).
Please keep praying for Ellery’s complete and speedy recovery! I covet your prayers!
Goodnight!
I would have KILLED Doc #1! Sigh. I’m glad he’s better now. It must have been quite an ordeal for him and the whole family!
Hi Selena,
I hope Ellery’s feeling better!
Take care!
Luv, Anita
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