There's a first for everything... {Shiloh's Hospital Visit}

Saturday night we didn't sleep a wink.  Shiloh was up, crying, fussing, and screaming every hour.  Just awful.  We endured, all you can do when you share a tiny cabin with thin walls... although the poor ladies on the other side probably didn't sleep a wink either.

So after such a odd night, I noticed in the morning as I was holding Shiloh, that she felt kinda warm.  We took her temperature, and it was slightly high.  We immeadiately chalked it up to being teething.  So it was tylenol, check temperature, paci-popsicles, check temperature, hold fussy baby, check temperature.  At about dinner time, her temp was down.  She ate.  Then within half and hour, she threw it alllll up.  Awful.  Hmmm, what issss this?  Does teething really cause vomiting?  No.  So we checked her temperature again. Up.  She ate again before bed.  And again, didn't keep it down.  At this point some of the ladies here on the base who have small children were talking to me (yes, God gifted me to be able to understand spanish for this) about how if it gets worse, they know someone who has good relationships with several pediatricians in Diriamba.

Over night she did eat once, and did keep it down.  Praises!  But when we woke up around 6am, her temperature was up higher than ever.  She ate again, and this time immediately threw it up.  So that was that.  Off to get the phone number of that friend.

His name was Mynor.  Super amazing man.  When Brandon called to tell him what was going on, he said, "Okay, I'll be there in 10 minutes."  He took us to one pediatrician that him and his wife use for their 2 ninos.  But she was out doing her rounds at the hospital.  So he called another.  That doctor met us at his mothers home.  While we were sitting waiting for him, Shiloh threw up AGAIN.  Gosh.  This was beginning to really worry me and wear on my heart.  Poor thing.  She just layed against my chest as I held her.  No expression on her face.  The doctor was very kind, and he basically told us that the only way we could tell what was making her so ill was to take her to the hospital where they could run some lab tests.

So we went to the Diriamba hospital.  (Much different experience than an American hospital).  But nevertheless, its a hospital, they have trained doctors, and medicine.  It actually one of the best in this area of Nicaragua, Mynor said.  So they checked us in, took her temp... it was still rather high.  And they ordered a blood test, and a urine test (more on that later).   We'd have to go to an outside lab to get them done.  So the doctor encouraged me to keep nursing her as often as I could, so that she would stay hydrated.  I sat down in the waiting room of the clinic and did so.  We planned on taking her to do the labs once she ate... but upon finishing, she threw it all up... whoa.  She couldn't even lift her head up at this point.

Mynor (did I mention how amazing he is), pulled some Nicaraguan strings and got them to let us into the hospital's labs to do the blood test right away, and then get her on an IV.  The blood test was hard... who likes watching their little one get pricked?   But then the IV insertion was even worse.  Because she's such a plump baby... they had a hard time finding a vein.  It took the nurses two tries, and in between tries, they gave her some drops of tylenol, and that made her throw up AGAIN.  Yes, for those of you mommies out there, I was in tears.  I would do anything for Shiloh, Brandon would too.  We'd go to any lengths to find out what is wrong, to find medical care, to keep her safe, and healthy... but at that moment standing in a foreign hospital, with a crying baby, feverish, vomiting, and so helpless, I cried.  And cried.

Eventually the nurses got the IV in, hydration!  They gave her an anti-nausea medicine through it, and began monitoring her while waiting for the lab results.  Brandon and Mynor went back to the base to grab us some belongings... the doctors told us we might be there +8 hours.  Shiloh slept.  And slept.  And slept.  By afternoon time, she was acting more "herself".  She even gave Mynor some baby smiles.  (I think she could tell just how amazing he was!).  The lab results came back.  She had an infection in her urine.  I guess the doctors said its common in this climate down here, really easy to dehydrate, and the dehydration makes babies prone to it?  Thats what we gathered from his quick diagnosis.  The nurses gave her some equivalent of pedialyte (tasteless, but Shiloh LOVED it), an antibiotic, and tylenol.  They told us we were free to go after she could keep it down for an hour.  But to come back if any of the symptoms returned.  Ay ay.

taken while in the hospital

her 2 prescriptions.

her poor bandaged hands

Complete turn-around.  She was back to her bubbly self in no time.  Babies really do bounce back.  REALLY.

bruise :( but she's all better now! :)

It did scare us as parents.  I guess being the first time she had been sick didn't help either.  Being away from our own comfort and our own pediatrician.  But you know what?  We have an amazing God.  One that beckons us to put our trust in because His love surpasses our fears, our worries, our pains.  We prayed over our daughter.  And God was our comfort while we were worried for her.  God was my comfort as the tears fell in that exam room.  Its moments like those that human words can't even bring an ounce of comfort or peace the way that God can.  I was reminded of a couple of verses from Psalms:

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you." ~Psalm 56:3

"for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." ~Psalm 95:7

And for those of you who are still wondering... Shiloh is completely healthy now.  She is back to her bubbly, giggly, and monstrous self.  And we're are very thankful!  Thank you to each one of you who prayed for her!

Oh yea, remember when I mentioned that urine sample?  Um, they gave us this tiny cup:

How do you get a baby to pee in a cup?  Seriously?  We chose a better alternative, one that goes in her diaper.  It was one moment during all the chaos of the day that we had a good chuckle.