Meningitis Blues

By Amy

*I am posting this a couple days after writing most of it...cause babies don't care if you'd like uninterrupted time for writing, so it's tricky to ever finish a post.  :)

Friends.  *Sigh*  It's been a rough week.  Last Wednesday night my little baby Miles started running a fever.  After a doctor appointment, a fever of almost 104 degrees, two trips to the ER, a three day hospital stay, a chest x-ray, numerous blood tests, a urine culture, and a spinal tap, we learned that our little dude had viral meningitis.  I can't even tell you how beyond grateful I am that it wasn't bacterial meningitis, which can be devastating in its long-term effects and can even be fatal.

It was terrifying to see my little 6 and a half week old baby so sick.  My husband and I switched off being at the hospital with Miles and being at home with our toddler, Hayden, who unfortunately was puking for several days during all this.  (Most likely they caught different strains of the same virus.)  All while my husband was supposed to be going to his classes. (He's a full-time Physical Therapy grad student in his last semester of classes.)

So, to say the week was rough seems like quite an understatement.

I cried a lot.  Emotionally, my husband and I went through the wringer.  We felt heavy, heavy worry and fear for our tiny little babe; the uncertainty of not knowing what was wrong while we waited and waited for a hundred different test results was exhausting.  Both of us felt helpless holding our poor toddler who was sobbing and writhing with tummy pain, stuttering through his sobs, "I don't don't don't...don't want pukes anymore!"  It was heartbreaking.  I couldn't help crying right along with him.  He kept saying, "I'm sorry, Momma." which made me cry even more!  I kept trying to tell him, "You didn't do anything wrong, buddy.  It's not your fault!  We just want to help you feel better!"  Plus, my husband and I were both so tired and overwhelmed.

But, I know that God was looking out for my little family.  We felt His help many times this week.  My husband and dad and father-in-law gave priesthood blessings to Miles, which gave us comfort and peace.  We had some amazing doctors and nurses who truly wanted to do whatever was necessary to get our little baby better.  We felt the prayers of our our whole extended family as well as friends and neighbors.  So many friends on facebook have given us encouragement, love, and support.  My amazing in-laws came to help, as well as my selfless mom, who stayed for a few days.  They basically saved our bacon and got us through this week, risking getting sick themselves by being in our home.  And a friend brought delicious dinner one of the nights that our babe was still in the hospital; she brought probably the most fabulous chocolate chip cookies that I've had in years.  I am not exaggerating people!  They were hot when she brought them, and I may have scarfed 5 in the kitchen as soon as she left.  (Ok, 6.  I was really stressed!)  It's kinda pathetic how much those cookies cheered me up! :)

We couldn't get his fever to go down, so we had to strip him down to just a diaper to try to cool him down.  

Little Dude feeling a bit better!  But, he's offended that they've got him in a dress.  Ha!

Now we are all home, and Miles is doing so much better!  I love to just look and look at him, alert and content, instead of flushed with fever and pain.  What a relief.  It makes me cry.  Guys, he is freaking adorable.  (Well, he's a little less adorable when he wakes me up wanting to eat every two hours all night, like last night.  Haha!)  And even though Hayden is still on the mend, he hasn't puked today or yesterday and that is a big deal!  He made some jokes, and even danced a little to the Daniel Tiger theme song.  We've been marathon watching it since it's Hayden's favorite and it helped keep his mind off of the nausea.  I'm pretty sure the Daniel songs will be stuck in my head till 2016.

I can't thank Heavenly Father enough for my sweet sons and for my husband Patrick, who would give anything to take care of the boys and I.  I'm a pretty dang lucky girl.

So, our week was rough.  But life is good. :) 

Ps.  Have you ever had a one of your children sick in the hospital?  Ever one of your babies?  It sucks, huh?  What was the hardest part for you?