The words "My tummy hurts" usually followed by a scream.
That was the one thing I heard over and over and over for the past 7-8 days at home. There were moments I felt numb, helpless and exhausted. Both Jessica (4½ yrs) and Jonathan (2½ yrs) were sick since last Sunday. Initially we thought it was a regular stomach flu. But as the pain and nausea didn't stop after 3 days, we knew that wasn't the case. Jessica was able to bear pain to a certain degree, but Jonathan was literally miserable.
Pediatrician initially suspected appendicitis and send us to E.R. They took a series of X-Rays and ruled out appendicitis. They thought it was constipation and gave him an enema. On top of the pain, he was nauseated and absolutely no eating but was drinking some if we would force, which kept his body hydrated. After long hours in E.R we came home but he continued being sick and was in terrible pain.
Back to Pediatrician's office.
They suggested another series of X-rays to see if it was intussusception of intestines. Took him to another hospital where they have specialized pediatric care. X-ray was an instant read and they confirmed right away that it wasn't intussusception.
Back to home...
He is still in pain. Can't even sleep for more than 30 minutes!
Then they suggested an abdominal ultra sound.
Back to Radiology department. (In the meantime, the Pediatrician suggested seeing a surgeon.)
He went under the camera and the radiologist found that lymph glands around his intestine were enlarged. A condition called mesenteric adenitis caused by some virus.
There is no medicine to fight the virus other than waiting to see it going away in its due time. Smita and I took turns carrying him. Smita cried with him. We tried giving enough attention to Jessica as well because she was also sick by the same virus but symptoms were milder. We didn't sleep much these days, didn't eat well and we both lost about 5-10 pounds in one week (which is a good thing!). But it was worth when we saw him smiling on Saturday first time since previous Sunday...
Lessons and some facts:
1. Well kids are a blessing, do not take them for granted.
2. Thank God for the medical insurance, doctors, hospitals, radiologists and nurses (an everyone in the chain).
3. Be amazed at the incredible complexity of the human body and do not miss the opportunity to know the creator of it.
4. Appreciate parents who have sick children. I salute you!
5. Slow down in life.
6. Can't emphasis enough the value of spending time with kids while they are well and playful.
7. Thank God for their smile.
8. Appreciate a peaceful good night sleep.
Thank you for those who prayed and called!
21 comments:
I'm sorry your kids (and yuoand your wife) are going through this.
I'll keep you all in prayer.
Hang in there, Bino!
- Steve
Steve - Thank you!
I'm so glad he is better, Bino! I had no idea it was this bad. I'm sorry, brother...It is tough to see those you love in a lot of pain and not knowing what is wrong. But I'm glad to know he is better!
Bino, it sounds like the worst is over. I remember those days well. I'm praying too.
We're dealing with the same thing over here. Charlie was just getting over a bad cold when he got hit with the stomach thing this weekend. He woke up Saturday feeling lousy. He seems a little better but he's still having a rough time.
Bino....I would normally say that the parents suffer more than the child but not in this case. The pain and sickness from this is something you have to experience to understand. Praise God your child is on the other side!
Praying for your whole family!
As you already know, our family has been right there in the trenches with you since our 8 year old first went to the ER on February 2nd with a ruptured appendix. A pre-surgery CT scan revealed other concerns the surgeon chose to address that resulted in 2 surgeries at 2 hospitals within 2 weeks.
I read your post out loud to my wife and we can just feel the loving arms of Father wrapping around your entire family the way He has so tenderly done so with us these past few weeks. Your 'lessons and facts' are spot on. Number 8 is still out there somewhere for us but it's getting much closer!
I guess I cut & pasted the wrong link into the above html... oh well... was sposta link you to my Feb. 17th post about our own hospital ordeal with our child and your kind comment there. So many people around us are going through so many major challenges right now. Good thing there's a whole lotta love too!
Oh Bino, I'm so sorry. I went through a nightmare stomach flu with my boys when they were small. It was a miserable 4 days or so. I'm so glad they're feeling better now!!
{{{{BINO}}}}
So sorry for your precious little ones suffering. That hurts a parents heart more than anything! I am glad to hear they are doing better, Praise God! It's encouraging to see you gleaning from your trials and giving thanks despite all you've gone through!! Thanks for your example!! Praying for a completely healthy little Jessica and Jonathan!
Bino,
Oh, I am sincerely so sorry that your kids have been so sick, and for you and your wife experiencing it with them.
Leonard told me about your children days back, and I have been praying for you all since. Deeply.
Ugh. What they had (mesenteric adenitis) indeed sounded so icky.
I am certainly glad, however, that they nailed down a disease/virus so that treatment could start. Not knowing is the worse.
I will continue to pray for you and your wife (strength, rest, getting back into the swing of things), and of course, your children (health, swift healing, overall feeling better).
Blessings my friend,
~Amy :)
Matthew - Thanks brother!
Aida - Thanks for the prayers! I hope Charlie would get over it soon.
Ike - Thank you brother for your prayers!
Toby - Ruptured appendix? It certainly is not fun! Its very tough on parents to see their little ones going through any kind of medical procedure, let alone surgery.
My son has hospital/doctor phobia. He developed it about an year ago. He fell on his back, bit his tongue and there was a deep cut on his tongue. We took him to E.R and the doctor tried to stitch his tongue without any sedation. Can you imagine the pain of needles on raw flesh? They literally tied him down to a piece of board and asked us to go out of the room. I still have his screams in my eras. He was only 1.5 yrs but screamed to a point that he might go unconscious. Then they stopped it and gave him sedation. Then stitched it as he was sleeping.
Ever since that event is he so very afraid of doctors/nurses or even the buildings which look like a hospital.
Amy (LW) - Thank you! Little kids in pain is no fun!
Lydia - Thank you for your kind words and honest prayers! It means a lot!
Amy - Yes, Leonard was very concerned and I appreciate his phone calls. I missed a chance to meet him as well. He came to town during these days, but I was not in a situation to go and meet him.
Thank you for your prayers and honest thoughts, sister!
Wow, man... that's absolutely awful what your kids have been through, and as others have said I'm glad things are better now!
You started off saying, "The words "My tummy hurts" usually followed by a scream."
That's exactly what my little girl was going through yesterday morning, except it was her chest! Her tummy and chest have been
hurting off and on for a week or two, and she's had diarrhea and a fever, and she threw up in school on Friday.
Yesterday morning she was in so much pain, and it was unbearable to watch. All we could do was try to comfort her as she looked up at us with eyes that seemed to be saying, "Can't you make this go away?"
Long story short, she does have some viral stuff going on, but she's also being treated for acid reflux. They think that's the main source of her pain. They put her on a stronger med yesterday.
Anyway... it truly is hard to see our children in pain! Like you say, appreciate it when our kids are in good health! The insurance we have is truly a good thing too. I spent $50 on copays and meds yesterday, and it would have been a LOT more without insurance. I'm sure the costs for what your kids went through were not cheap either!
And yes, your post has encouraged me to value the playtime together with my kids, and to love their smiles and goofiness, and their good nights of sleep. We often pray in the evening, and they choose a friend to pray for, and they always pray for that friend to have a good night sleep. I'll no longer be nonchalant as they pray those words!
Oh, Bino, my brother, I am so sorry for your family's ordeal! It's during these trials that I wish we all lived a little closer. I, at least, could have brought you a meal or watched the children while you and Smita grabbed some sleep.
Poor babies! Is there anything worse than seeing our children suffer? We would gladly switch places if we could!
I'm thanking God that you are all on the path to "normal", which is still pretty hectic with young children! :D Controlled chaos is much preferred to "out of control", isn't it? But I know that you know that Jesus was ALWAYS in control.
Love those babies for me...read them a story...bake some cookies together...color a picture (outside the lines!) and celebrate health and life! What a blessing good health is!
Hugs to ALL!
Joel, sorry to hear about your daughter's sickness. Since I deal with acid reflux too, I can sympathize with what she's going through. I hate that she's so young and having to go through that.
Bino, that's horrible about the doctor trying to sew your son's tongue without sedation. Whatever were they thinking of! I can understand why your son doesn't want them near him.
Hopefully, he'll continue to mend. I'll continue to pray for him and for Joel's daughter.
My three year grandson and his one year old sister were here when I go home and they were moping around because they're both sick. I felt so bad for them and wanted to just grab them up and make them feel better so I understand how you're feeling.
Charlie's much better today. Thanks, Bino.
Jamie, I'm with you on that. It would be wonderful if we all lived closer together so that we could help and encourage one another.
Joel - I pray for your daughter and hope she will soon get well. It's hard to see them in pain. My daughter asked some tough questions while she was sick. "I prayed to Jesus but he isn't healing me. Why I am not healthy like others?" You know, the age old questions...
Talking about insurance, we had a $25 copay before but as part of the economy taking a toll on the pay and other benefits, now they changed the plan and the copay is $50 now and for E.R visits it's $100. But I am grateful that we still have insurance knowing that there are so many people don't have any.
Jamie - You are so kind and it moves my heart! Thank you for your honest thoughts and prayers! Life is getting back to 'normal' again. They both are back to daycare/school and Smita and I are back to work.
Aida - The reason they told us that they want to try sewing it without sedation is that he is so young and there is always an element of risk in putting small kids to sleep by medicating them. But I think it was a bad decision. I can't imagine somebody needling me without atleast numbing the area and in this case it was his tongue. whew! As we were standing outside the room, I even thought of grabbing him and running home, kind of rescuing him from them. It was horrible!
Glad you are caring for your grand kids making them comfortable while they are sick. They need our touch!
Bino, I'm so sorry to hear of your kids' health trial! That's just awful - no way around it. I'm sure you and Smita are worn out from it all, too. So glad to hear that the kids are on the up and up.
Yeah... illness, of ANY kind, sure helps one to appreciate wellness!!
I just shared this post (I read parts of it) with my kids, just in showing them that I'm thankful for them. I read out loud the things at the end (your lessons learned through this). Such great stuff to keep in our hearts!
FS - Thank you for your concern! They are on the up and up now. And you can make it out by seeing the messiness at home :)
Joel - I am so glad this post was useful in such a way. Hope your daughter is doing better... What is her name?
Joel - Never mind. I found the names your children from face book: Noelle & Jared. Hope Noelle is doing alright. And my love to Jared...
Thanks for your kind thoughts, Bino. Noelle has been doing much better now. Only time will tell if she needs to stay on acid pump inhibitors or if it's just a temporary thing. She's so young to be having these problems!
Wow... a $50 copay! Ours went up to $35 this year. I remember when it was only $10, and then $15, and then $20... and it just kept going up! The ER copay has gone up this year as well, similar to yours, so that's why I was glad her doctor was able to see her right away on Monday morning. Otherwise I was going to go to the ER, because she was in so much pain.
Well... someday we'll be out of these bodies and won't have to deal with any of this stuff! Until then, we keep looking unto Jesus and living from His life!
Yes Joel, we just have to deal with these bodies until that day of our promotion. None of us have a perfect body but we will get one at the resurrection... In the mean time, we will live a life of hope, even in the midst of troubles...
I will continue to pray your family, especially Noelle. Much love...
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