ICU

Oh how things change in a couple of hours. We're currently sitting in the hospital outside of the pediatric ICU. Stephen was admitted last night around 10pm for a suspected infection; somewhere in his body.

I knew he wasn't feeling well yesterday when all he wanted to do was lay on the floor or be held. Then he took a long nap and when I got him up, he just laid on the carpet. By the time Bill got home from work, he was pretty warm and wouldn't you know, he had a 103.6 fever and was looking really pale. So we took him to the ER and they started their battery of tests.

The first round of tests showed that there appears to be some kind of infection and he is very anemic. The infection doesn't seem to be in his dialysis fluid, but we won't know for sure for another 24-48 hours. And because Stephen is now aware of what's going on, it's very hard to figure out what hurts because any time the doctors try to feel his belly he freaks out.

Over night they have him Tylenol to break the fever, IV fluids and a blood transfusion. There was no sleeping because they poked and prodded him every hour, but they gave him some more tylenol this morning and he's sleeping now.

So now we're just in a holding pattern waiting to see what the cultures grow if anything. Best case scenario is that this is just a viral thing and they'll get him all tweaked up and we'll be home by the end of the weekend. Worst case; this is a blood infection or something that would cause them to have to pull Stephen's catheter. But I don't think it's the latter.

And of course in true Stephen fashion, Bill and I were planning to spend the weekend in NYC to celebrate his birthday with a show and dinner with friends. A much needed mini-vacation. But I guess Stephen just didn't want us to go without him, so we're all snuggled together in his ICU room instead. Maybe next year we'll finally make it.