Our Touch of The Flu

(Samuel resting after his spinal tap)

It Started as An Ordinary Day!
This thursday, we came home from a prayer meeting and Samuel fell asleep on the floor in front of the heating vent. I moved him to the couch where he slept a good two hours. He woke up fine. He was still a little sleepy but did not want to eat. After a while we sent him to bed. Later that night, I heard him moaning and went upstairs to check on him. He was face first in his pillow. I tried to turn him over when i realized he drouled all over his pillow. As I tried to turn him he was very stiff and would not turn over. I noticed then that he had soiled through his pajamas and his bedding. Determined to clean him up. I was unable to alert him enough to even move him. As I tried to pull him off the bed, he just crumpled to the floor. So I got Steve to help me. He still wouldn't get up for Steve.
Steve was able to get him changed and I took care of his bedding. We took his temperature (102.2) And upon Steve's request, I went to get some tylenol for his fever. When we tried to give it to him, he clenched his teeth and wouldn't take it.
The next morning, when Steve was getting ready for work, Samuel came down to use the bathroom, but did not make it there. He soiled his clothing again. Steve changed him and got him back into bed.
Later that morning, Samuel got up and seemed ok at first. He was crouched on the floor trying to plug in the Christmas tree in the living room. He fumbled with it for a few minutes and I told him to go sit down. He was unable to plug it in. Later he was eating cereal for breakfast. Hardly ate any when he just let the bowl drop to the floor. He started crying as he slumped to the floor to pick it up. Later, again I tried to get him to eat something. He refused to eat rice that he agreed to, then I made him some toast. As I handed it to him, he missed it and almost knocked it out of my hand. We tried again and that time he grabbed it. I was starting to be concerned. Then he fell asleep on the couch again. This time for a while. So I made an appointment with the doctor.
Off To The Doctor
His appointment was at 3:20pm. The doctor wasn't sure exactly what was going on with him. She said he still has a fever but there is something else there. He is not quite himself. She was going to send us home and check in with her in the morning but decided it was best they check him in the ER.
Then to Hillcrest Pediatric ER
So next, we were on the way to Hillcrest Hospital to the pediatric emergency room.
He couldn't get his own coat on. He was acting a little dilerious. When we arrived at Hillcrest, he was unable to get on the examining table. They did a CAT scan. It came back with only a little swelling in his nose. They were really concerned about his behaviour and were thinking he might have meningitis. The only way to confirm if he had that was to do a spinal tap. So they wanted to send him to Cleveland Clinic childrens Department downtown to test him there. There was also concern that he may have had a seisure in the night that was cousing things. When we found out we were going to Cleveland Clinic, I sat with Samuel and prayed with him about what was going to happen. He bowed his head and prayed. A little tear came down his face, but after that he was a brave boy.
Then To Cleveland Clinic Pediatrics Dept.
So off we went to Cleveland Clinic via ambulance. When we arrived there our friend, Michelle Anthony was waiting for us in the waiting room. I was releaved to see a friend. (Steve needed to be home with the other children and if Samuel was really contageous...it would bring it back to the children there. But we were in touch with Steve through every step.)
At first they admitted him to the PICU. And after a few questions and a few minutes the doctor said that he did not need to be there. He was not that sick. Neurology checked him and said right away that he looked as if he had a bad case of influenza.
But that meningitis can be very serious and she recommended that we have him tested to rule it out.
We were moved down to the main childrens ward and were checked on constantly. Various doctors kept updating us on what they were looking for and asking the same questions over and over. They were very thorough. They said there were two types of meningitis that could be taking place. Viral and Bacterial. If it were viral they would rehydrate him and send him home. And if it was bacterial, he would be in the hospital 10-14 days with medication and supervision.
By this time, they had put an IV in his arm for the second time, because the one they put in the emergency room had made it's way loose and it was leaking. They poked him a total of 3 times to get the second one to stay in. Later that night, the doctors suggested that maybe we could give him the spinal tap that evening under some sedation. Steve and I talked about it and the conclusion was that he was already so tired that he would be done and be able to sleep the rest of the night. So we went down the hall and they squirted some horrible stuff up his nose which make him scream. He calmed down quickly and finally laid down on the table to rest. I was waiting for him to close his eyes or something. But that never happened. The doctor set up to do the proceedure. But when he sponged Samuel's back to clean the sight, Samuel started shifting his body around and crying. The doctor said they would wait until morning when they could sedate him more for the test. In this process of trying to do the test, Samuel's IV got knocked out of his arm again. The doctor decided that when they put it back in they could draw some blood for the second blood test. He did not like that at all. They poked him a couple times but they were not successful at getting a good vein. And decided to give him a little break and do it later in the room.
Even Later Thursday Night
When back in the room the doctor finally got another IV in and drew the blood they needed.
That night nurses kept coming in to check on him. The doctors wanted a urine sample...so we were trying to get him to pee in cup for a while. But hadn't all evening. Around 5am, he jumped up from his sleep and started crying that he had to go to the bathroom. He was connected to all kinds of wires. I got up and tried to calm him down and get the thing for him to pee in. Well he wouldn't settle down, I called the nurse for some help, and suddenly he peed all over the floor. Finally, still crying, He calmed down. I had to explain to him again about where he was and what was happening. He managed to rip the IV out of his arm again. I got him changed and back into bed. I called the nurse again and said he peed on the floor. Then I crawled into bed with him and just hugged him. It took about 15 minutes before the nurse finally came to the room. ( she said she was with another patient.) House keepng came to clean the floor. Then the nurse had to come back to replace the IV back in his arm.
Later Saturday Morning
Later that morning a doctor came in with about 4 other doctors in training. She informed me and them all the information we had up to this point with Samuel and the need for the spinal tap was still there. Based on his blood samples, which were all normal and consistent and other information they suspected that he probably has a viral infection of some kind but there still was not enough info to conclude that. The spinal tap would be scheduled at noon. They would move him back upstairs to the NICU to do the proceedure because they have what they need to sedate him for the spinal tap.
Samuel slept most of the morning, and about 12:00 the pediatric neurologist showed up. We woke up Samuel so the doctor could ask him some questions. Samuel couldn't say where he was. For example the doctor would ask him where he was and Samuel would say, "I'm 6." And the whole time he had tears in his eyes.
We finally went up for the spinal tap around 1:00. I overheard a nurse telling another nurse that Samuel has strep. I said, "strep?" She said, "Nobody told you yet?" So I finally found out about him having strep. They sent me out of the room to do the test. In about a half hour they came to get me. When I saw Samuel sleeping, they said that he did well. He probably wouldn't remember a thing. He started to come to, but wouldn't open his eyes. The nurse asked him to a question and had him squeeze her fingers. But he wouldn't open up his eyes. He just wanted to sleep. A little while later, I asked him if he could hear me. He didn't answer. I said, "Samuel, can you smile for me. I want to see your teeth." I saw nothing. About 20 minutes later...Samuel finally said, "CHEESE"...and smiled. He closed his eyes and went back to sleep. They moved him back to our room, and he slept for the rest of the day. Later that afternoon, we were still wondering if they were going to do the EEG test they were telling us about. And a nurse tapped on our door and held up a sign and pointed to me. She put on her mask and came in and said, "You have H1N1." I had asked her earlier if there was someone who could tell me if I needed to go to the ER because I was feeling miserable this whole time as well and had not been able to get ahold of my doctor. She said Samuel tested positive for the H1N1 and I probably have it too. What a relief that was. They started him on Tamiflu.
It was around 8pm when he started waking up. He sat up for a while and seemed a little better than he was before his test. He actually started to smile a little. He asked for cherios and some water. We talked and watched a little TV together. Then he was ready to go back to sleep. That night went very well. He slept peacefully. We were told that the spinal tap looked good and we could possibly go home Sunday evening or Monday morning. They just wanted to observe him off the IV for a while before they sent him home.
Sunday Morning
The doctors came in and said they felt the influenza was the cause of all the trouble and he should be able to go home in the afternoon. Samuel and I prayed together to thank the Lord for answering our prayers. We were ready to go home.
Home at Last
Samuel and I are both home and doing well. Samuel was diagnosed finally with strep, dehydration and H1N1. The doctors said that his high fever could have been the cause of his disoriented behaviour.

( He was picking at the air with his fingers, had poor fine motor skills, would go to pick something up and then later realize that it wasn't in his hands, was very weapy, and had a fever that was pretty consistent at 102, but occationally hit 103. He just wasn't himself.)
The whole time I thought I was sick with a head cold until they said I probably had the flu as well. Go figure.
Samuel and I are both taking "Tamiflu". He doesn't even seem like he is sick now.
Praise the Lord!!!
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving me perfect peace through this entire situation. Thank you for all the people you have placed in our life to pray and be of support to us. Thank you for bringing us home safely and protecting Samuel through all of this. May everything that has happened glorify you and help us to grow in your likeness. Amen.