Limo Service

Can you say stubborn???

I nagged. I begged. I pleaded. He refused to go to Urgent Care.

Unfortunately, Peanut is sick too. It was only when I said I was going to take Peanut to Urgent Care so I might as well take him too, that E. reluctantly agreed to go.

E. and Peanut had matching temperatures . . . 102.5.

Matching diarrhea.

Matching vomiting.

Matching all-over-cruddiness.

Peanut was proclaimed to have "the flu" and Tamiflu was prescribed. (As a side note, many, many thanks to Jenn for rescuing Peanut, retrieving his things, filling his prescription and saving the day. She's been pooped on, peed on, and puked on, and she still loves the little guy! Peanut could use your good thoughts too, as he is still super sick. The Tamiflu and the Tylenol won't stay down, so he's simply miserable.)

E.'s case was a little more complicated. He was dehydrated. Because he hasn't been able to take his diabetes medication (since he can't take the meds on an empty stomach and hasn't been able to keep anything down), his blood sugars were out of whack. His oxygen saturation level was poor. He had "tachycardia" (a too fast heartbeat, I am told).

So, he got a limo ride . . .

Oh yes, that is an ambulance you're seeing. Captured on my cell phone.

You can imagine how thrilled E. was.

I will tell you this . . . as he was being loaded on the gurney,

he looked at me and said,

"I guess I should have listened to you, huh?"

Ya think???

After a few hours in the emergency room, this is what we discovered:

* E.'s temperature climbed to 103.4. Tylenol helped.

* A "quick test" for Flu A and Flu B was negative. It is my understanding that that test will be sent out and there is still a possibility that something could come back positive.

* A nasal swap was collected for HINI. (Holy smokes . . . that was not at all like I imagined. I think they were trying to reach the back of his brain with that swab!) It was also sent out and the results won't be available for a couple of days.

* The tests for Flu A, Flu B and H1N1 could all come back negative and he could still have "the flu." Just some other strain.

* His heartrate continues to be fast, so he's on a heart monitor. Other than being too fast though, there's no abnormal activity.

* Blood was collected for cultures. They want to check for other possibilities of infection. Things have to be "grown out" before we'll know anything there.

* A chest x-ray showed the beginnings of a pneumonia.

* A medication called Phenergan really does help with nausea, but it leaves a sore hiney.

* His blood sugar climbed to 212. Then 250. Then 280. They're keeping it stable with insulin now.

* Oxygen has helped with the dizziness and light-headedness.

Then . . . he was admitted. Yup, the stubborn butthead had to spend the night in the hospital.

He's in "isolation." Visitors have to be healthy, over 18, and have to "mask up" to visit.

He's gotten bags of hydration.

He's taken Tamiflu.

He's gotten three different IV anti-biotics.

He's doing breathing treatments.

His blood sugar is being monitored and controlled with insulin.

His heart continues to be monitored, but seems normal.

His fever is being kept down with Tylenol.

He continues to receive oxygen.

He looks waaaay better today (he won't let me post a before and after picture . . . drat). He says he feels a bit better too.

A doctor is supposed to check in on him today, but it's Saturday, so who knows when that will happen. E. did have to submit his meal requests for tomorrow, so that wasn't a good sign for getting out of here today, but we can still hope.

The next time any of you see E. and want to slap some of that stubbornness out of him, feel free.

S.