Our Family Saga...

Lexi has been sick since Monday. I called her doctor's office on Monday and Tuesday and felt like I was bugging the staff. After the third day of this sickness, she has become lethargic. I called the doctor again this afternoon. I finally got through after nearly an hour of the busy signal. I talk to the receptionist, who directs me to the nurse, who then directs me to the doctor. My conversation with the doctor consisted of her telling me all the things I needed to feed/give to Lexi and me trying to say..."yes, I have tried all those things...she won't take them." Finally she said, "well, you need to get pedialyte popsicles and give them to her...and if she's not better by tomorrow, bring her in."

breathe Kristi breathe.

Here is the rest of the conversation:

K - "Okay...when should I be concerned about her lethargy? She has only been awake for 1 1/2 hour today, and spent that time curled up barely functioning..."
Dr. - "Why are you waiting until this late in the day to call?"
K - (now crying since i am obviously the world's worst mom)..."Because your office staff blows me off and makes me feel like an idiot for calling."
Dr. (obviously feeling bad) "Oh, I'm so sorry...they shouldn't treat you like that."
K - (still crying) ...and her sister is sick and my hands are full and i'm trying to do the best i can....

...fast forward to a half hour later...we are at the doctors office - after hours (she was either really concerned or felt bad about the way I was treated earlier) She was worried about Haley's temp (104) and decided Lexi needed to go to the ER to get some fluids. So Haley and I came home to try and cool her fever down...Curtis went to the ER with Lexi....


Lexi getting checked into the hospital...


Curtis said Lexi stared down the doctor with this very same look.


Her IV is in.

Now...this is where the story gets interesting... Lexi was there for a few hours, and Curtis thought she was coming home until they got the test results back. Apparently, her electrolytes were so low...she was severely dehydrated. The doctor was amazed because she had been so responsive to him. That ER doc and our Pediatrician decided that Lexi would need to be transported BY AMBULANCE to CHOC (kids hospital). WOW!!! Where did this take a turn? Apparently it was much more severe than I had anticipated.

So, Curtis' parents came over, and Connie stayed with Haley while Bruce and I went to the ER to be with Lex. We were only there for a few minutes when our "ride" appeared. I rode in the ambulance with Lex and Curtis and his Dad drove behind us. She was such a trooper. Apparently, Bruce & Curtis could see her through the ambulance windows. They said she looked like a queen...riding around town in her car seat strapped to the gurney.


When we got to the hospital...what I thought would be a few hours, turned into and overnight stay and the remainder of the next day/evening. It was rough. She slept very little...she was fighting having the iv in. She normally sleeps on her belly and sucks her right hand, and she couldn't do either because of the iv. So she cried most of the night. Hospitals are not an easy place to sleep. There are people coming in all hours of the day...poking & proding. Lexi had all kinds of tests run including one for a urinary tract infection - involving a catheter. Nothing anyone should have to do - especially a 20 month old.

-this is a pic of lexi after the catheter incident...they gave her a froggie since she was such a good girl.

But we made it through... Lexi and Daddy came home last night. Test results are still out...we're not exactly sure what she had/has. Our job is to keep her from dehydrating which is difficult...she doesn't want to drink anything. Curtis is feeding her with a syringe. In the meantime - Haley is going down the same road...we are doing our best to keep her drinking/eating...but not only does she have the flu, but she has strep as well. So swallowing really hurts too.

So the end of the story (for now) is this...the girls are home. We are trying to keep them out of the hospital. But we are really struggling with them...they are fighting us hard and we need patience and we need your prayers. Please keep us in your thoughts.