What a week

In case you haven't heard we had a very rough and scary week around here. It started last Saturday morning when Kate got up for her normal 4am feeding. She ate fine and went back to sleep.About an hour later she was in bed whining - which she never does. Jay got up with her this time and came and got me about 30 minutes later saying she was burning up - her fever was over 104 degrees. We freaked out, called her ped and took her to the ER. They checked her out and said she had a virus and to give her tylenol and Motrin. We did, every 4 hours but her fever would not break clmbing to almost 105. By Sunday evening she was so fussy and still had a high high fever. We went back to the ER. I had done ome internt esearch, which i am totaly opposed to for medical stuff but what choice did i have. I was convinced she had some sort of infection and my guess was a UTI. The ER dismissed us again saying it wa just a virus and sometimes a fever is all you had - the fact that she wouldn't eat wasn't unusual with a high fever. I asked them about the pssibility of an infection, specifically a UTI. I was told by a PA and a Dr that the only way to check for that was to put in a catheter and I didn't want to subject my baby girl to that when it was just a virus. By that time is was 4am - we were there for 5 hours!! I told them my ped's office was opening soon and I would take her there.
We got Kate in at 8:30 that morning. Her ped said it was probably a virus but he wanted to go ahead and rule out an infection. We did bloodwork (which was awful!) and then they had to put in a catheter twice! poor Miss Kate was being put through it an her fever was still high. We got the results soon as it turned out it was a Kidney Infection or UTI. Because she had been so sick for a couple of days they gave her a shot of antibiotics an told us to come back in Tuesday.
Monday night she was still really sick - we went back in Tuesday and after the doctor checked her out, he decided to put poor baby Kate in the hospital. I was freakng out yet relieved at the same time. I knew how sick my baby was but no one would listen! I also knew that nothing I was doing at home was helping and that she was getting dehyrated.
Thankfully, Aunt Sarah came up Tuesday evening and spent that first night with us. I don't know if I would have made it without her. They kept sticking Miss Kate and had an IV in her. She wouldn't lay in the big metl "tiger cage" crib so we took turns holding her and rocking her careful of the tubes, all night long. In the middle of the night, some of her blood work came back abnormal and everyone was running around shouting stat and ped ICU. I totally freaked. They did an EKG stat and moe bloodwork - stat. I had to leave the room - I couldn't stand to hear my baby cry anymore, but no matter how far I went, I could still hear her. Turns out the EKG was fine and the bloodwork was fine too, the second time. Thank God.
We ended up spending 3 dys in the hospital - we were so thankful to go home. We hadn't brought any clothes or toiletries with us and that room was definitely closing in on us. My good friend Jaci brought us bagels one morning - we were so thankful and also became quite the hit with the nursing staff. Once we got home, my friends from work pitched in and brought us several dinners and sandwich stuff - I can't tell you how much of a blessing that has been.
Kate is doing better now. Much better. In the middle of all this, Jay decided to call our agency, remembering that Kate had a full bio sibling pass away at this same age. It had never been disclosed fully to us how she passed. As it turns out, It was from a UTI. I can't begin to tell you what it feels like the thought of something happening to Kate. She has truly become my life - so much so that I am already worried about the man she will marry some day, he will never, ever be good enough for my sweet, sweet baby.
We have a good course of action, because of her history and the sibling history, i have been reassured that no one will be taking any chances. Theyare certain that Kate has a form of reflux which causes some urine to back up from the bladder into the kidneys - most of the time, this condition can be treated with long term (a year or more)antibiotics or in more severe cases, it can be treated with surgery. We have to go back into the hospital (just for the day) on Feb 8th for some tests just to find out exactly what we are dealing with.

On a much brighter note, Brooke finally got to come home for a couple of days (we have had some bad weather that prevented it before). She had a great time helping take care of Kate. She helped change her and feed her and even took a bath with her. They are finally really bonding like sisters!! Just check out my beautiful, beautiful girls - we are so very blessed.