We were back in the hospital yesterday....

Unfortunately, our little Matthew was not doing so well today. He ended up in the ER because he could not get any fluids in or hold anything that he did get in, down. His ENT thought it was best if we went to the ER to get him rehydrated since it is crucial to his recovery that he stay hydrated.

Although he was acting semi-normal last night, the lidocane they had placed during surgery in his throat had apparently worn off by about 4pm. He was still doing ok until about 6 or 7 after eating donut holes and drinking everything in sight. He fell asleep and woke up at about 11pm and we gave him another dose of tylenol w/codene. Then about every hour he was up and crying. They crying irritated him more, he couldnt drink and would not keep down the meds for the pain. All morning he would not drink even if forced to drink. He had not urinated since the day before in the hospital before we left. So that was our first clue that he was dehydrated. He was really lethargic and wouldnt move. The ENT's office told us to go to the ER and that they would call to let them know that we were on our way and that all he would need was IV fluids and pain meds.

When we got there about 12pm we waited about 20 minutes before even being checked in. I told them that I didnt want him to be exposed to the other 20 sick patients in the ER. So they took us back until he could get processed through. They finally took him to an ER room by about 1pm. Apparently it was no use that the ENT's office called to tell them we were coming. It was 2 1/2 hours before I finally told them that we would not wait anymore. Unfortunatley Matthew's ENT's office was in a hospital that was about and 1 1/2 away in another state. Or else we would have gone there and they would have treated him immediately.

Our ER is horrible. I HATE going there. I asked what the hold up was if we were wating for a Ped. or ENT and they said there were 8 people ahead of him that their charts were not even looked at!! I told them that all he needed was IV fluids and pain meds but they said that he could not have it until the dr. saw him. I asked if it were possible to send him up to pediatrics and they said he could not go there unless he was admitted. I asked how that could happen and they said that his ped or ENT would have to approve it. So I told them, show me a phone and I'll make it happen.
At this point matthew was pretty much incoherent and was really starting to worry me. Meanwhile the man behind the curtain in our room was hacking up a lung, there was a young girl in the hallway going on a rampage and there were people screaming in pain etc. Matthew had told me that all them were scaring him. So that was it. As soon as I got up to go call his ped to get him processed faster, they came in to finally give him an IV. So now we had to stay. It took 3 people to hold him down to give him the IV. It was aweful. They just poked and poked and could not get a line in. They decided to try his other arm. That poor kid was so wiped out and now they were poking him full of needles and didnt even know how to pick a child. Not to mention that he was dehydrated so it was harder to get a line in. THEN they decide to give him a tylenol suppository and do a rectal temperature!! I was FURIOUS. THere was no need to get his temp since it was obvious that he had a temp since he just had surgery and if they were going to give him tylenol there was no reason to get a temp. AND if they were giving him IV fluids, I asked them why they could not just put something in his iv. They told me that it's because they have not been able to master how to create tylenol for the IV! DUH, use something else!

So finally, matthew was able to rest. Grandma came by to help me out. The doctor finally came in to look at him and it was by then 4pm!! He tried to force Matthew's mouth open to take a look at his throat to be sure he was not bleeding... which to me was a waste of time because we would have seen the blood in his drooling mouth since he could not swallow. Luckily he was gentle or he would have gotten a piece of my mind. He agreed that after the fluids and urinating, that he would be a lot better off... DUH! Imagine if we had to wait unitl it was 4pm before he got his IV. That poor kid.
Then Nana & Grandpa came to visit too. A short time later Sean showed up. He left work to come home and another driver helped him out, having to have gone through the same thing with his daughter.

A little while later he finally perked up and said he was feeling better after they gave him some morphine. He decided that he wanted to drink and finally go pee! He at some ice and a popsicle and promised that he would take his medicines and drink so we could go home.

He was doing 100 times better by the time we left. Now we will push every drop of fluid in and we've been telling him that we dont want to go back there so he HAS to keep drinking and taking his medicine. So far, so good.