Thursday, August 4, 2011

Appen-What?


Appendectomy! That is right! My baby boy had to have an appendectomy! Last week (Monday) Wyatt showed symptoms of the flu. He had diarrhea and vomiting as well as a low-grade fever. We took him in on Tuesday to urgent care. The doctor checked him out and said that he most likely had a virus and that it would go away, along with the usual recommendations on flu care. By Thursday he had not gotten any better in fact, he started complaining about abdominal pain. So, we made an appointment with another doctor at our pediatrician's office and this time she listened and checked his abdomen. Since Wyatt cried the entire time he was in the office, she assumed that he was just sore from the diarrhea and vomiting. So, once again, we took Wyatt home and continued to treat his flu symptoms. Saturday was a horrible day for him, he kept crying and holding his stomach. All day long, the pain would come and go. It was coming mostly when he had to urinate, so we assumed that he might have a UTI. The last straw was right around 6:30pm, Wyatt was in so much pain that he was curling up into a ball. We knew that we needed to take him to the ER immediately. This behavior was NOT normal and neither of us could stand by any longer and watch him suffer.

Jesse took him to the Mercy Folsom ER. He got there at 7pm. They checked his blood (which nobody had done before this) and noticed that his white blood count was higher than it should be. They checked his urine and did an ultrasound which was inconclusive. Bless this ER doctor. I could hug him. In a conversation that he had with the nurse, that she reported to Jesse, he said "I normally would avoid doing a CT scan on such a young child, but there is something special about this one." I feel so strongly that the Spirit of God impressed in his mind that he needed to look further. I am so grateful that he listened. So, although they try to avoid CT scans on toddlers and the elderly due to radiation, he scanned Wyatt and the results were incredible. Wyatt had a perforated appendix. In English: there was a hole and a slow leak. Wyatt was transferred to the UC Davis Children's hospital in Sacramento. By this time it was 4am and his surgery was scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

I am so thankful that my mom was able and willing to drive out to Folsom to come get my babies at 3:00 in the morning. I tell you, that woman is a SAINT! Knowing that my other children were taken care of, was such a weight off of my shoulders.

Before his surgery, we spoke to the surgeon and asked as many questions as we could think of, including: How long have you been doing this? It was a relief to know that the man who would be operating on Wyatt had been removing appendixes for 20 years. He explained to us that what most likely happened, was that pieces of hard stool entered into the appendix and over time calcified and became as hard as bone (there were 2 "stones" in his appendix). This caused a blockage of the secretions from his appendix and eventually the back-up caused it to tear. He said that Wyatt also had a large puss-filled abscess around his appendix that needed to be drained/removed.

Wyatt 5am Sunday Morning after being in the ER since 7pm the night before.

Daddy 5am Sunday Morning


Wyatt went into surgery at 2:00pm and by 4:00pm he was in recovery and we were able to go in and see him. This is what he looked like:


It was heart breaking to see my baby with a tube in his nose and a drain tube coming out of his tummy as well as a catheter and an IV. The first 24-48 hours were a nightmare. I stayed with Wyatt overnight and every 2 hours he would wake in pain and was given morphine to help with the pain. At one point I crawled in his bed next to him and cried. I prayed with all my heart that our Father in Heaven would comfort our little one. That he would feel peace and that he would heal from this quickly. I felt such gratitude that this was caught early and that his surgery went well.

A quick side note/story: Jesse had been looking for a full-time job for a while. (He is self-employed, but there is a lot of work involved with that and also not a consistent pay, so we needed to make a change.) he had interviewed with a few different companies with only one job offer. For some reason, Jesse felt that he should not take that job. We were frustrated and our trip to Oregon for his family reunion was no longer a possibility. We did not want to spend money on a trip when we don't have a consistent income. Needless to say, we were disappointed, but we felt that were were praying and receiving direction for our family from the Lord. As I spoke to my mom, she gave me great advice (which mothers often do) and that was to change my attitude and trust in the Lord. As I did this I was able to recognize this miracle in our lives. Instead of being in Oregon we were home when Wyatt needed an emergency appendectomy. Instead of being at a new job without the ability to get time off, Jesse was home, and I was able to have him by my side, and not go through this alone. Sometimes we don't recognize these tender mercies from the Lord, but when they happen, it strengthens my testimony that God is real. He has given us the ability to pray and receive personal revelation. As we follow His guidance, our lives (although not always easy) will be directed in ways we might not understand, but that are for our benefit and our happiness. I have felt strengthened by his spirit as I have been coping with the pain of my child. How blessed I am to KNOW that I can trust Him with my life and my family.

The first 48 hours went the same, Wyatt had what they in the pediatric department called "no-nose" bands on his arms. The were basically braces that prevented him from bending his elbows and ripping out his nose tube. Wyatt was not allowed to eat or drink anything. They needed to give his digestive system time to heal and catch up. The tube in his nose went all the way down to his stomach and drained all of it's contents. He remained asleep during this time waking every few hours in pain, which was treated with morphine.


Tuesday Morning, they removed his catheter. Wyatt struggled for at least the first few times that he passed urine, but once that happened, things started to progress quickly. Tuesday night, they removed his nose tube. They started him on clear liquids on Wednesday Morning. The first thing he had was a red Popsicle. His smile came back rather quickly after that. And Katie (the nurse who gave him that Popsicle) quickly became his favorite nurse. It was as if my boy was finally returning.



On Wednesday afternoon, Wyatt POOPED! I think we had never been happier to see poop in all our lives! This was a sure sign that his GI tract was healing properly. They removed his belly drain tube and cleared him for solid foods. He had chicken nuggets and fries for dinner on Wednesday night and had his favorite drink: CHOCOLATE MILK!!! The doctors say that he should be able to come home in just a few days. He is playing in the play room and with toys, books, and coloring books that have been brought by sweet family members who have come to visit him and cheer him up.


I want to thank everyone who has helped us. Mom and Dad who let us stay at their house since it was closer to the hospital, my sister who watched my kids for the first few days, my brother who helped calm me in the beginning by answering my questions and giving me advice on what I should ask the doctors. To my sister-in-law who made us yummy dinner, my mother-in-law who let us use her car and came home from her trip earlier than planned to make sure that Jim's care was off of our plates and for her visits to the hospital. Our friends, Ethan and Nathalie who stayed with Jim all day Sunday and cleaned our house (you didn't have to do that). And a big thank you to countless others who have prayed for us and called, texted, messaged, and emailed us to offer assistance in anyway possible. I feel so blessed to have such a great circle of friends and family who are ready and willing to help if ever we are in need. And finally to our children who have been so patient and well behaved through all of this. WE LOVE YOU ALL!





5 comments:

  1. What a sweet little guy. I had no idea he was in so much pain. I don't know if that's harder for the kid or for the parent. I'm glad he's healing well and that everyone is feeling better.

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  2. I cried....! I'm glad he is feeling better. If you need anything, let us know!

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  3. Great post! (I love all the gory details!)

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  4. What a wonderful story! And so great that you wrote about it in detail so you can look back and remember how the Holy Ghost has worked in your life. We missed you at the reunion, but are grateful that you were able to be there for little Wyatt and each other. Great post!

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