Having just been at the hospital a week ago to have a baby and a few months earlier for Andrew's broken femur, I thought our hospital stays were finished for the foreseeable future.
Of course, life has a way of throwing unexpected events at us, and we have found ourselves with another member of our family admitted to the hospital this week.
Ricky complained of ear pain the Friday before I delivered Sean. Because I knew we would have a crazy week ahead of us, I took him to the clinic that day to get him some medicine. The prescription seemed to work and by the next day his ear was feeling better.
On Sunday, however, his ear pain had returned and by Monday, his ear was sticking out in a Dumbo sort of way. Because I already had a one-week check-up set up for Sean for Monday afternoon, I called the Dr. to see if they could take a look at Ricky's ear while we were there.
The diagnosis surprised me. The Dr. said she thought he might have mastoiditis. Mastoiditis is an infection of the bone behind the ear. She asked if I didn't mind taking him upstairs to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists (Otolaryngology) for a second opinion. I agreed without realizing that this was a first sign that we probably weren't going to go home that day.
The Dr. agreed with the previous Dr.'s prognosis and then shared the treatment plan with me--Ricky would be admitted to the hospital for 2-3 days to receive IV antibiotics and to have a tube put in his ear to help drain the infection.
What? I was definitely shocked. Did he really need to be in the hospital? I just left there a week ago!
So, Ricky was admitted. His room is actually just next door to the room Andrew stayed in when he broke his leg.
This is picture I took of him this morning. See how his right ear seems larger and lower than his left? That is one of the symptoms of mastoiditis.
Poor guy! He was as shocked about the news as I was and did not really want to be in the hospital. He has asked to go home several times and we have to remind him gently that he will be there for at least 2 more days.
He has already been through a lot. Getting his IV in took three tries--very traumatic. Then, when playing Wii with Daddy this morning, he knocked something loose in his IV. This large fluid bump on his arm was the result:
So, a fourth IV try was made. Thank goodness it was successful! We assured the nurse that he would be very careful with this one so that he wouldn't have to get poked again.
Another plus for us is that Rick's mom has been here to help out. It has been so helpful to have another adult here to help out with the kids. Unlike Andrew's hospitalization, we don't have to worry about juggling the other kids between us because we know she is here to take care of them. She has been very helpful so far and I am so glad for her help--especially since I am extra tired because, well, I just had a baby!
Of course, life has a way of throwing unexpected events at us, and we have found ourselves with another member of our family admitted to the hospital this week.
Ricky complained of ear pain the Friday before I delivered Sean. Because I knew we would have a crazy week ahead of us, I took him to the clinic that day to get him some medicine. The prescription seemed to work and by the next day his ear was feeling better.
On Sunday, however, his ear pain had returned and by Monday, his ear was sticking out in a Dumbo sort of way. Because I already had a one-week check-up set up for Sean for Monday afternoon, I called the Dr. to see if they could take a look at Ricky's ear while we were there.
The diagnosis surprised me. The Dr. said she thought he might have mastoiditis. Mastoiditis is an infection of the bone behind the ear. She asked if I didn't mind taking him upstairs to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists (Otolaryngology) for a second opinion. I agreed without realizing that this was a first sign that we probably weren't going to go home that day.
The Dr. agreed with the previous Dr.'s prognosis and then shared the treatment plan with me--Ricky would be admitted to the hospital for 2-3 days to receive IV antibiotics and to have a tube put in his ear to help drain the infection.
What? I was definitely shocked. Did he really need to be in the hospital? I just left there a week ago!
So, Ricky was admitted. His room is actually just next door to the room Andrew stayed in when he broke his leg.
This is picture I took of him this morning. See how his right ear seems larger and lower than his left? That is one of the symptoms of mastoiditis.
Poor guy! He was as shocked about the news as I was and did not really want to be in the hospital. He has asked to go home several times and we have to remind him gently that he will be there for at least 2 more days.He has already been through a lot. Getting his IV in took three tries--very traumatic. Then, when playing Wii with Daddy this morning, he knocked something loose in his IV. This large fluid bump on his arm was the result:
So, a fourth IV try was made. Thank goodness it was successful! We assured the nurse that he would be very careful with this one so that he wouldn't have to get poked again.Then came surgery. They put him to sleep to put a tube in his ear to help drain the infection. Unfortunately, once they got him under and got a good look at his ear, they discovered his ear canal was too swollen with infection to be able to get a tube in. So, he had surgery with no real results.
The Dr. seems to think the IV antibiotics will take care of the infection without the help of the tube anyway and that is what we are hoping for. They are keeping a close eye on the infection and we are hoping for the best. Meanwhile, Rick is sleeping at the hospital on an uncomfortable bed at night and trying to keep Ricky comfortable and entertained during the day. Rick has a nasty cold too, so he has been wearing a mask and wishing he could also be at home resting.
On the upside, little Sean is just as cute as a button and we have all enjoyed getting to know him. He is so good and calm which has made this whole ordeal with Ricky bearable.
Rick has talked about having enough children to have a basketball team, so I thought Sean's little shirt was appropriate. I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture, but it says, "Dad's Team" on it.
Another plus for us is that Rick's mom has been here to help out. It has been so helpful to have another adult here to help out with the kids. Unlike Andrew's hospitalization, we don't have to worry about juggling the other kids between us because we know she is here to take care of them. She has been very helpful so far and I am so glad for her help--especially since I am extra tired because, well, I just had a baby!
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