Wednesday, August 15, 2012

NORWALK (dad)

**this blog covers last Friday through Wednesday** It's Friday afternoon and we have been given the go ahead to take Nevan home tonight. Anita and I are exhausted. I can't say that we are exactly excited to come home. Leaving the hospital never comes with the reassurance that he is now cured or even okay. This time it feels even worse than before. Nevan has lost 6lbs. This is hardly a small amount considering he is only 4 years old and already lean (daddy's genes) to begin with. We will need to push eating and fluids to regain what he has lost. He was readmitted the previous Friday. His fluids were very low and he was not eating or taking his meds. We had the NG tube put in the next day to eliminate any nutrition or med concerns. By mid week he had shown signs of weight loss. On discharge he weighed 6 pounds less then when admitted at the beginning of the second week. He now has little to no body fat. He feels fragile to hold, and he is. He struggles to walk. He cannot negotiate stairs and has fallen down twice.  We thought the weight loss was due to the vomiting and lack of fluids. It was actually however hours before discharge that his stool sample test results came back. They found that he had Norwalk Virus. From what we can figure he got it from contact with someone or something in the hospital. Anita and I will have to go back and add entries for the first week of this journey. I also caught a Norwalk virus or 24 hour flu bug from the hospital on the first day nevan was admitted when this all began.
It's now Wednesday and Nevan's vitals seem stable. No fever but heart rate still sits around 120+. Vomiting and diarrhea have gone away. Except for one occasion which we will blame that on the 4th bowl of spaghetti he ate back to back. It's his new comfort food. It helps with swallowing his meds. Even after over a week he can still feel fluid passing through his tube and it causes him to gag. We may be able to take the tube out next week but it depends on his eating habits and his willingness to take his medication. He's still pretty lethargic and depressed from the situation. We try our best to engage him but he's not interested.
Anita will write soon. She too has been ill with what appears to be the same virus. This means she cannot have any contact with Nevan. He may have some resistance considering he was just sick with the virus but its not worth the risk. I spend the day with him and administer his meds every time. I do his meds as often as Anita but we switch back and forth to maintain his comfort with both of us for just such an occasion. After dinner he starts crying out of nowhere. I ask whats wrong. He says " I'm sad that mommy's sick". I'm sick of him being sad. Its been weeks since he's been himself. I'm worried I won't be able to help him find himself again when this phase is finished. The tunnel is dark and narrow and will be for the next few weeks, or more. Some people say that these situations can test ones faith. I'll reserve my opinion on religion. A discussion him and I will have in 15 years over an 18 year malt. My patience is being tested and my temper among other things. In the next post I will discuss the financial impact that is being felt by all of this and the stress that follows.
Funny thing of the day. Nevan sees that I bought Cinnamon Toast Crunch. "Daddy did you get my favorite cereal?" ..." You make me so happy"...

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