One week ago today, I was working on cleaning the house and getting prepped for the
Bridal Shower I was hosting on Saturday. My mom had taken Natalie and our nanny to the park for lunch and play time, while I had the house cleaned and starting cooking. By 4:00 pm my mom was back with Natalie. I took a sleeping Natalie from my mom and noticed that she was on fire. She woke up very soon after we made it into the house, so we took her clothes off and tried to cool her off.
My mom went home and Natalie went back to sleep. By the time we woke her up, around 6:00, she had a fever a little above 104. This is high for our normally healthy baby, which naturally freaked us out. We called the pediatrician on call, who said to give her Motrin, she was probably fighting an infection and if she wasn't better by tomorrow to bring her in. By Saturday she seemed to still have a fever, but was doing a little better. But by Saturday afternoon (once the pediatrician's office was closed) she wasn't better, she was worse. So Saturday night I left the shower early and we drove to the after-hours children's care center.
The doctor examined Natalie and told us that she had tonsillitis, a virus, which didn't require medicine. She told us to keep giving Natalie Motrin and Tylenol every three to four hours, that the virus will last for exactly 72 hours. So we only had a few more days left. By Monday at 4:00 Natalie would be better. Or so we thought.
She slept all night, but awoke on Sunday morning with a raging fever, which we quickly treated with another dose of Motrin. A few hours later we were back with a dose of Tylenol and continued with that throughout the day, so medicine and a lot of holding and cuddling were going to be the cure for her. Or so we thought.
Monday, I had to leave on yet another business trip to Minnesota. When I left, Natalie was still asleep in our bed, after getting up around 5:00 for her first dose of Motrin. By the time she woke up, her fever was at a scorching 105 degrees. Phil gave her more Tylenol, which seemed to get the temperature down. He stayed home all day with her and although her fever would go up and down, we thought we only needed to get to 4:00 and she would be better. Or so we thought.
Monday night, she threw up the Tylenol he gave her and was still hot. Not a pleasant night, so Tuesday morning he took her to the pediatrician. The doctor took one look and said that she didn't have tonsillitis, but that she had some sort of infection. He figured it was a bladder infection, but couldn't be sure without tests. The first test was a catheter to get a clean urine sample - not an easy procedure. Basically two people hold Natalie down while to doctor inserts the catheter. Scary and painful!
Results weren't concrete, so Phil had to take her to another location in the hospital for a blood draw. Back to the office for a shot of antibiotic, then home to wait. I was sitting in Minnesota, panic stricken, waiting for Phil to hear from the doctor.
Natalie seemed to start getting better after the antibiotic so I stayed in Minnesota, then Wednesday morning she took another turn for the worse. I tried to get home, but Delta was less than helpful...I mean, where was the offer to charter a private plane? My daughter was sick! Luckily Phil has been able to spend every day that I was gone, at home with Natalie.
Today she seems better and except for a fever almost every day or night she is getting through it. I guess the first non-well baby visit for us came with a bang!
We have to take her in for a follow up ultrasound and catheter so they can check to make sure everything is working right and no damage was done to her kidneys, so wish us luck with that.
