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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Firsts....



So there are many firsts that Eleanor has accomplished over the last month....
Having a "conversation" (this is where we blow raspberries back and forth), reaching for and grabbing at toys, rolling from back to front (then getting mad because she hates to be on her stomach and can't go the other way yet), and somewhere in between all that, our family's first hospital stay not related to a baby being born. 

Miss Eleanor Rae had an abscess on her bottom that appeared over the course of a few days.  On Easter weekend Grammy and I noticed that she didn't like to be held a certain way, but I just chalked it up to her being achy or uncomfortable due to her cold... She and I both had a cough and sore throat.  Mom and I never noticed anything during diaper changes that weekend.  By the Wednesday after Easter, she had a fever of 102.6F.  So I called the pediatrician's office.  I told them she wasn't feeling well all week so far, and that she had a fever.  They told me what to watch for--increased fever (to 104), but said it was probably related to whatever bug she had.  But to bring her in if she got worse.

I went to carry her into the kitchen later and she started crying very hard when I rested her bottom on my arm to pick her up.  I opened her diaper and noticed she was red and very swollen.  It was the length of her buttcheek and about 2 inches wide on the right side, and the left had swelling about the size of a quarter.  I called the office and told her we needed to bring her in, that I was pretty sure she had some sort of infection.

I got her to the pediatrician's office within 20 minutes (insert:  I'm super-mom because none of us were dressed and I got all three kids and myself dressed and at the office.  I know people have done it with more kids or less time, but don't bash my super-mom dreams)!

Dr.  Bargen told us it was a staph infection of some sort, and that it was probably MRSA.  It was too big to drain in the office and Miss E would have to be admitted so that she could be put under anesthesia to make incisions and drain it.

We were admitted that night where they took her from us for 25 minutes (from beginning to end), to cut the abscesses and drain the infection.  She was loved by all the nurses who came in to care for her.  Besides when we were first admitted and immediately following the surgery, she was incredibly happy and super smiley.  Everyone remarked that she was so beautiful (I know), and so sweet and mild mannered (I know, I know).  And "Does she EVER cry...?" oh, and..... "There are about 15 people here who would take her home, if you didn't want her anymore...."

The best story from being at the hospital:  We were in the Women's and Children's Tower at Bryan East, on the second floor.  My parents sent get well balloons and a teddy bear for E.  I'm not sure if the flower place messed up, or if the volunteers who bring the gifts to the floor messed up, but we received an "It's a girl!!" balloon bouquet!  The old lady volunteer brings in the balloons and walks across the room to put them on the table, she turns to me nursing a 15lb baby in my lap and says "......Congratulations....?" 
Yeah... I birthed a 15lb baby and lived to tell about it.... what up?

She's healed up and doing just fine now.  We found out that the infection was just a staph that was sensitive to the antibiotics and not MRSA (thank God!).... It came up pretty fast, and we are just supposed to keep our eyes peeled for anymore high fevers or anymore swollen or hard bumps.  There's not much we could've done to prevent it.  Hopefully we never have to go through this again; this is a first I hope to never repeat....





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