Giving Thanks and Getting Sick

Well I'm a little disappointed in myself for not keeping up more often on my blog. I always try to do better then things get in the way. Plus our computer is basically a piece of crap so sometimes I just avoid it all together. So here is what has happened with us lately.

We had a great Thanksgiving. We always travel to my grandparents and it's wonderful to spend time with family. There is about 30 of us that gather at my Ma and Pa's house. My family is the absolute world to me and I enjoy every second I have to spend with them. It was a little tough being our first Thanksgiving without my cousin Lance. It was an obvious void felt by the entire family and so strange that he never walked through the door. I actually did okay until we all gathered around to be led in prayer by my grandpa. For some reason it really hit me then and I couldn't hold back my tears. Apparently that was it for all of us because after I lifted my head I saw many tears from most everyone. We all miss him so much and even though we all had a good time, he definetely wasn't far from anyone's minds. I have to say that as close as our family always was, I noticed that we all seemed a little closer. I think that after we lost Lance we all realized that our family was closer than any of us could have imagined. I'm so very thankful God chose these people for me to be my family. I couldn't have chosen better people and I will thank him for it every single day.

Here I am with my brother (farthest right) and my best friends in my family...my cousins. Lance would have stood far left next to his brother Cody and sister Anna. It's so strange to look at this picture of all my cousins and him not be there.


So the day after Thanksgiving we had plans for all us to get together and go look at Christmas Lights in a nearby town. However, shortly after breakfast Betsy threw up. It was strange because Betsy has NEVER thrown up. This wasn't like a little spit up..it was straight up puke! She seemed to be acting okay so we thought maybe she had just ate too fast. She went on and finished eating her scrambled eggs and then played just a little before throwing up again. This time it was alot. I put her in the tub and she was crying and crying. After I cleaned her up she just wanted me to hold her and she obviously didn't feel good. She was very lethargic and actually fell asleep on me, which my little energetic daughter that she is, she never does this! We knew she was sick and we decided we should pack up and make the journey back home. Even though it's a good 3 hour drive, we thought the best place for her to be was at home. We especially didn't want her to be around so many people by staying at my grandparents. We loaded up the car and Betsy threw up another 3 times before we got home. By that evening, she was running a fever of 102 and started having diarrhea.

She did this on and off for a few days and I even called the doc reguarly to check in. She told us it was just a stomach bug that is going around and to make sure we keep Betsy hydrated. Betsy is usually really good about drinking when we ask her to but she was so sick that she did not even want to take one little sip. She hadn't thrown up since Friday and by Sunday we thought she might be getting over it. She tried to play and really wanted to have energy but still wasn't eating and drinking properly. We got to the point we were forcing liquids down her and that made the situation worse. Sunday afternoon she starting throwing up again and we couldn't control her fever. We took her to the Emergency Room and said yup, it's a stomach bug and she just has to fight it. The attending physician said that it also appears she has got an ear injection that stemed from the virus but turned into a bacteria. He gave her an antibiotic for that and sent us on our way.

Monday morning I followed up with her pediatrician who didn't like the antibiotic he prescribed. She said it wasn't very strong so she gave her a shot of Rocephin. Betsy continued to be sick and had almost constant diarrhea. She hadn't thrown up again since Sunday but she was so sick. We went back to the doctor on Wednesday and she admitted Betsy to the hospital for some IV fluids. She said it would be a lot easier on everyone and we wouldn't have to force liquids down her so much. She said this was just give her a little "tune-up" and she would feel so much better. Of course we were scared to death. She hasn't been back to the hospital since she left 2 years ago and all we could think of was 'hasn't she been through enough!' I wish God would cut her a break sometimes.

So we were directly admitted to the hospital and Tony went back with Betsy to get her IV started. I haven't felt this bad for her in a really long time. I just feel so helpless for her. She has been relatively healthy given her rough start to life so when anything happens I just freak out.

So we spend night #1, Wednesday, in the hospital. It was very rough. The three of us probably got a total of 5 hours sleep. As soon as Betsy would fall asleep she would use the bathroom. And her little bottom was so raw that she would just scream in pain. It was just a nightmare. It was one of the longest nights of my life. We sure were looking forward to going home the next morning.

Thursday morning Betsy's pediatrician came in and said that Betsy's lab work came back and showed that her potassium was very low. This was due to the fact that she hadn't had adequate nutrition in the past six days. She said that since she continued to have diarrhea all night and even threw up once, it was due to her potassium levels. It can be a dangerous deal when this happens so she decided to keep her another night to run another bag of potassium. We were so sad. I have to say though that my little angel is such a trooper! She was so good on Thursday and even played alot. We could tell she felt so much better and went all day with only a handful of dirty diapers. Such an improvement. By that evening Betsy went to sleep soundly and slept ALLLLL night in her little uncomfortable hospital crib with her arm stretched out beside her with her IV. I'm so proud of that little girl, words cannot express.

By Friday morning we were cleared to go home. Bety's stool cultures came back positive for rotavirus, just a type of virus. There is a vaccination for it but since she was in the hospital for the first four months of her life she didn't receive it. You have to have 3, or 4?, shots by the time you are 32 weeks and her pediatrician did not feel as though she should receive it being so tiny. So she got it, may not be the last time, but if she ever gets it again it wont be as bad. Thank God. And Thank God for watching over my little princess and keeping her as healthy as possible for a 24-weeker. She is such a miracle.

This is Betsy upon arriving to her room. We were waiting for the topical anesthesia to soak into the spots on her arm to try an IV and also waiting for the nurse to bring over the crib for her to sleep in.


Betsy wandering the halls. They had a playroom but she enjoyed the train in the hall the most.


Playing with her interactive DVD.



Here is Betsy with her new doll, "Debbie" as she named her. She really tried to play with her when she first got her, but she just didn't feel good. :(


This was our last morning. Betsy was feeling so much better and was HUNGRY! It was so nice to see her have her appetite back and her doctor said let her eat what she wants. So she got bacon and eggs.


It took a solid week. A REEEEEEALLY long week for mommy and daddy and Betsy, but Betsy finally felt better and was just as energetic as ever. Welcome back Betsy!