Elise was hospitalized for the first time (aside from her long 30-day stint at the NICU after I gave birth to her). We brought her there last saturday (Aug 25) because she was flaming up and wouldn’t eat or drink anything since morning. Sometimes, just a sip of this or a bite of that but more often taking in nothing at all. It seemed like swallowing has become a chore for her and she couldn’t taste anything since her nose was congested. Come lunchtime, her movements were sluggish and she was rarely moving from the couch beside me and that sent off all alarms in my head.
Ring the Alarm
So I texted her pedia (he rejected my calls, baka busy) and asked him what I should do about it. He immediately texted back telling me to bring her to the ER and look for a certain doctor. She might start to dehydrate na, he added. True enough, the senior pedia resident took just one look at her, noticed her dry lips, dry skin and sunken eyes and told me she already is dehydrated and needs to be admitted.
Off I went to process her hospital admission while the husband tends to her at the ER. A few mins later, I could see Pau waving crazily from the ER, motioning for me to come over. What I saw wasn’t pretty. Elise was crying and wailing incessantly, Pau taking deep breaths, doctors and nurses trying to calm the patient. They just started taking her blood for tests and trying to get a good vein for an IV. The husband told me he was scared of holding her because he was feeling woozy seeing them prick Elise. So now I had to brave myself to witnessing the daughter being punctured with needless.
Tired and Calm, At Last
Three (3) tries later, a hemlock was finally placed on her chubby foot. That’s after becoming a straight-jacket and a nursery rhyme jukebox (plus I fighting off tears). They wheeled me with a wimpering, but calm Elise on my lap. We readied the bed, set her on it and she was instantly asleep with a pout on her lips. Obviously fatigued from all that crying. (and probably mad at us letting her go through all that) She was already wary of the people coming into her room since she would suddenly jump up and hug me the moment the door opens.
After a day, they concluded on the final diagnosis as lower respiratory tract infection, almost pneumonia but not quite. May also be asthma if it becomes recurring. I’m like, huwat? This, recurring? *insert panic moment here*
Huwahappened?
Unfortunately, young children can become dangerously dehydrated quickly. Good thing the husband nagged me into calling her doctor. We still haven’t figured out why it happened. The doctors said it might come from another sick person or talagang uso lang. But her pedia just reminded us to keep everything clean in the house just in case it was an asthma attack and to keep her off allergens like peanuts, chocolates and her favorite, mangoes (gasp!).
Three days and 2 nights later, we were sent home with a happy (and starting to be vibrant again) toddler in tow. And the parents more wary and careful of their little girl.
Oh well, there goes my long vacation. 
on Aug 29th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Oh no, I’m glad she’s finally home and feeling better. I myself was admitted to the hospital last May because of almost-dehydration, due to gastritis.
on Aug 29th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Thanks KVs, and kids are more prone to dehydration kaya scary. Buti nalang I listened to the husband.
on Mar 3rd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
[...] She was admitted at the hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia, again. The first time was just last August. This time, we stayed for 5 days, 2 days longer than the [...]
on Aug 27th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
[...] got hospitalized the first [...]