I wish there was a way to shorten this story but he's been so sick for so long that its impossible. I put all his symptoms down on paper late last night with dates of visits and treatment. Turns out he's been sick with a cough, congestion, or an ear infection 8 out of his 13 month life. Most recently since 12/29 being the worst of it all..Here's a run down of everything up to Jan this year. He was born 3/14/11. On 3/31 he started coughing, producing ALOT of mucous, and having diff breathing. I thought for sure he had RSV, especially since I had found out that my SIL's son who had been visiting with her 1 month old when Lucan was born was in Primary Children's with RSV. While they were here nobody bothered to do the number one thing in preventing infection, WASH HANDS, around these newborns. They put them in eachothers swing and carseat and so on. So when I found out Kaelin had RSV real bad and Lucan was so sick, I was worried. We had a chest x-ray and the culture and both were fine other than we found out he'd broken his left clavicle at birth. This cough lasted through April and then off and on in May. He was fine in June and then in July when we had gone to Fish Lake, he got coughing and sounding bad again into Aug. During Sept to part of Nov he was fine again. Then in Dec he got bad..He had a fever, cough, retractions, grunting..he was diagnosed on 12/29 with reactive airway disease and also a double ear infection. This is when he started his first antibiotic and breathing treatment. I did a lot of breathing treatments in Jan, his cough would come and go. His 9 month well child visit said his ears looked better but his lungs were not. He was fine again in Feb til Valentine's weekend..he was fine one minute, I left to the store and got a call from Cody saying something was wrong with Lucan. He was trembling, warm, and lethargic..I finished my errand and got home to a very sick boy. I checked his rectal temp and it was 104.5, I called the Dr and was told to quickly give him an antipyretic and watch his temp close and if got above 105 or any new symptom to get him in. This was at about 4 or 5pm..His temp came down to about 102 and hung out there for the night and part of Sun then went away. Never any other signs of anything. Lasted less then 24 hrs..on the pm of 2/17 after I got him out of the bath I noticed thick green and really foul smelling drainage from his RIGHT ear. I went immediately to his drs night clinic. Double ear infection #2 with a rupture of the right ear-a second antibiotic and ear drops with orders to see the dr again in 14 days. Appt was 3/2 and both ears looked great. Still some fluid but it was clear, nothing to worry about, part of the healing process. Then on 3/7 just 2 days later woke him up to get ready for work and he was laying in puss in his crib, matted to his hair and super gross. I got him to the dr that am and guess what another double ear infection with a second RUPTURE of his right ear. (only 17 days from the first rupture and a documented healing in between). A 3rd oral antibiotic and a 2nd ear drop, was referred to an ENT..saw the dr again for his one yr check up 2 weeks later and his ears were still infected, the ENT appt was the next day..Ears looked bad, surgery scheduled..Had surgery done on 3/23, right ear was still infected left ear was fine..more drops and see Dr in 3 weeks. Well we didn't make it 3 weeks. We were back to the ENT one week later with massive infected fluid draining from left ear, and a fever of 102. Saw the ENT the next day..Surprise an infected left ear, right ear tube was already plugged. A 4th oral antibiotic was given, along with told to use drop #2 a 2nd time after irrigating the ears this time and see the Dr in one week. Saw the ENT a week later, which was a good thing cause the morning of the appt he had more fluid draining from the left ear and the left ear still infected but right ear not plugged anymore, but still was wet. A culture was finally done on the left ear..Given a 3rd ear drop. The dr called me on Tues of this week. Results of culture were in conclusive, grew a whole number of bugs but not one predominant one to which a sensitivity was done to tell us what exact antibiotic to use on this kid..not the news I wanted..I asked the dr that day about pink eye symptoms and he gave us an eye oinment and told us to use antoher 5 day course of the #3 ear drop. That brings us to today..Stats are as follows: 3 double inf prior to tubes with 2 right ear drum ruptures, right ear infected at tube surgery, and 2 infections after surgery. (the left twice). A total of 4 oral antibiotics, and 3 ear drops used 5 times..I had a lot of questions today and was so scared for this appt. He still has infected fluid in both ears. We are doing a 5th oral antibiotic and are gonna use 2 of the 3 drops we have every day. One at night and one in the am. The dr hopes that hitting him with 3 diff antibiotics at one time will finally kill this. We are scheduled back in 10 days and if not better or worse, he needs more surgery. The surgery will be to remove the tubes, rinse everything out super good, and suction him dry and see how he heals without tubes. My big concerns are: 1. He's the only one in our family that has been sick the longest. We've all had minor short lived things but nothing like him. Does he have an immune disorder?? Dr. won't test now since he's currently infected and has been on so many antibiotics. 2. A sinus abnormality or allergies causing an over production of drainage. The Dr won't do a CAT scan. He says its not necessary to expose him to radiation to find out his sinuses are small and under developed and full of crud since he has an infection right now. All babies and children have small sinuses so this is not unusual while it can make it harder for his fluid to drain. 3. Allergies?? The fluid he sees in his ears is obviously infected rather than clear like allergies would be. 4. What about his body trying to reject the tubes as a foreign object?? No cause the tubes move when the body tries to push them out during a rejection. His tubes are in perfect position.. 5. I asked about Benadryl, going to an allergist/immunologist or up to Primary Children's and he said Benadryl wouldn't help and that I could go to the other drs but that it wasn't necessary. Although I can always get a second opinion whenever and wherever I want. I was thinking that PCMC would be a referral when he got to a point where as an ENT specialist he could no longer think of anything to do for us. But I guess its not and instead its a second opinion.. SO I'M LEFT FRUSTRATED, DEPRESSED, ANGRY, ON EDGE AND CRY ALL THE TIME..it is so hard to sit on him and force him to hold still with Cody's help to put drops in him that aren't even helping. Tubes in are no good, tubes out we already know are no good and the medicine doesn't help. I'm on edge, a long with Cody. Ash is feeling left out and can't figure out why Lucan gets so much extra care and time. She is naughty and acts sick sometimes to get us to notice her. Its so sad!!! We are all done with this!!!
4 comments:
Oh my gosh! I just checked your blog this morning, I can't believe that. I'm so sorry. I can only imagine the frustration...especially as a nurse. Let me know if I can do anything for you. And keep updating on Lucan's status. Good luck...take it one day at a time!
I can't even begin to undertsand the emotions you're family is going through :( I hope they figure something out within these next 9 days.. Let me know what's going on... You know I'll be there for anything- whether it be a shoulder to cry on, a babysitter so you & Cody can get away... whatever... Good luck
Oh my your poor family especially your little Lucan to have to go through all this. I hope you can come to a conclusion soon and it all ends for you. Keep us posted.
Good luck!
Ugh Tawsh. What a nightmare! That doesn't sound fun at all. I'm hoping that you have figured something out maybe by now...
It's no fun watching your baby be sick and not being able to fix it. I hope it's a stage thing and he will grow out of it!! Good luck and hang in there.
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