Monday, January 24, 2011
And finally tonight.. to my honey bunny Jack...
A Heartfelt Thank You....
It takes a Village to raise a child. And in Jack's case nothing could be more true. I truly appreciate and cherish all the love and support I have received. From posts and inbox messages, calls and offers from everything from an apartment in the city if I needed a rest or a shower, to help with my girls.
What I have learned is that I am blessed with three beautiful children and kind and generous friends. Thank you, all of you and know how much I appreciate your love and support...
Liz.
What I have learned is that I am blessed with three beautiful children and kind and generous friends. Thank you, all of you and know how much I appreciate your love and support...
Liz.
This is the infection Jack had...
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/228816-overview
He seems to be reacting positively to the antibiotics thank fully. We have decided not to with another Picc but have inserted a NG tube that goes through his nose. Right now Jack is very uncomfortable and threatening to pull it out.....
Tomorrow can only be a better day....
He seems to be reacting positively to the antibiotics thank fully. We have decided not to with another Picc but have inserted a NG tube that goes through his nose. Right now Jack is very uncomfortable and threatening to pull it out.....
Tomorrow can only be a better day....
home with my girls
But my heart is with Jack. He has his NG tube.. but he hates it. He tried to pull it out. He has called me no fewer than 20 times. If I go to the hospital and I see him in tears I will pull it out for him. His father is with him and trying to encourage him to give it time.
I keep waiting for a break, for a sign, for something....
I love you Jack.. with all my heart.. just stay with me..
I keep waiting for a break, for a sign, for something....
I love you Jack.. with all my heart.. just stay with me..
Life in a Babies Hospital
Most do not know what it is like, and with all my heart I hope they never do. Its a lot of sitting around and waiting.. waiting to find out if your child is going to live or die, waiting for tests, waiting for test results, waiting for doctors to make round for the two minutes they are going to tell you where you are.
Its hard to leave your child because often they need, they need you to find the doc because their line has blown, they need you because they are getting sick, they need help getting to the bathroom, they need to know they are not alone.
When finally they fall asleep you are left with just you and your fears. Some eat, some drink, I am choosing to keep this journal.
Its hard to leave your child because often they need, they need you to find the doc because their line has blown, they need you because they are getting sick, they need help getting to the bathroom, they need to know they are not alone.
When finally they fall asleep you are left with just you and your fears. Some eat, some drink, I am choosing to keep this journal.
Sunday Morning At Columbia
After staying up until midnight waiting for them to bring Jack for his MRI, we finally fell asleep only to woken up at 7 am Sunday morning. We were on our way to Milstein finally for Jack's MRI. Jack has a hard time with IVs. Getting the one currently in place, took many attempts and from the start it burned. The MRI required Jack to lay still in the machine for half an hour, while contrast was injected through his IV. The contrast caused an intense burning sensation, I watched as tears ran down his face, but he held still and got through it. The MRI guy loved Jack and said he was better than most his adults.
Once back in the room it was obvious his IV was blown. His hand was swelled to twice its size and he needed another IV. Charlene from the IV team came and Jack held out his other arm for yet another IV. Later in the day a resdent came to insert a NG tube through Jack's nose that would go into his bowl. I asked repeatedly how often she had done it. She did not want to answer. She got the tube in but was unable to take the "guide out" making it extremely painful for jack. Tears streaming down his face, and begging them to take it out .. finally they did. The resident finally copped to never having done it before.
So now we are waiting for someone with experience to try. Nothing ever comes easy for Jack. But he held his own and watched "man against the wild" on his iPad. We laughed about how his sister sam would fair "out in the wild". We both agreed she was too much of a diva to do it. However, Kate my youngest, said "if a film crew was following her she might give it a try". We all laughed...
Today jack is on day five of IV antibiotics to clear up this life threatening infection. He needs seven in total. And we are waiting for the results of the MRI and another attempt at the NG Tube.
Some say Jack is lucky to have me. Its the other way around, Jack has shown me courage and a passion for life that I have never seen in anyone before. xxx Jack.
Once back in the room it was obvious his IV was blown. His hand was swelled to twice its size and he needed another IV. Charlene from the IV team came and Jack held out his other arm for yet another IV. Later in the day a resdent came to insert a NG tube through Jack's nose that would go into his bowl. I asked repeatedly how often she had done it. She did not want to answer. She got the tube in but was unable to take the "guide out" making it extremely painful for jack. Tears streaming down his face, and begging them to take it out .. finally they did. The resident finally copped to never having done it before.
So now we are waiting for someone with experience to try. Nothing ever comes easy for Jack. But he held his own and watched "man against the wild" on his iPad. We laughed about how his sister sam would fair "out in the wild". We both agreed she was too much of a diva to do it. However, Kate my youngest, said "if a film crew was following her she might give it a try". We all laughed...
Today jack is on day five of IV antibiotics to clear up this life threatening infection. He needs seven in total. And we are waiting for the results of the MRI and another attempt at the NG Tube.
Some say Jack is lucky to have me. Its the other way around, Jack has shown me courage and a passion for life that I have never seen in anyone before. xxx Jack.
January 2011
The past post is from today. I am spanking new and do not know how to change the date. This morning Jack is going to get a tube that will be inserted down his nose, through his stomach to his colin. This will allow us to give him the nutrients he so desperately needs. Prior to this Jack had a picc line. Every night I would prepare a bag and feed him through that line. However, Jack developed life threatening infection and the picc line had to be removed.
This was after a 48 hour stay at Columbia's ER. Because of the lack of available health care to the uninsured and the poor, these families have no choice but to go to their local ER. Columbia Pres. is one of the top Hospitals in the country. However it is located in Washington heights. During our 48 hour stay, jack slept mostly. I sat in chair with the following companions.. a 15 year old girl, clearly a gang member, holding her hand with huge puncture wounds. She had been bitten. No not by a dog, by another 15 year old girl. There were three of four teens who had overdosed. Two 17 year old boys, clearly felons, under 24 hour police watch and numerous screaming babies with pnemonia. Ten different doctors came in to talk to me about Jacks infection, they had ten different recommendations on how best to treat. John, my nurse who has seen me through many of Jack's struggles once told me when I complained that no one seemed to have an answer to Jack. "Liz thats why they call it practicing medicine."
This was after a 48 hour stay at Columbia's ER. Because of the lack of available health care to the uninsured and the poor, these families have no choice but to go to their local ER. Columbia Pres. is one of the top Hospitals in the country. However it is located in Washington heights. During our 48 hour stay, jack slept mostly. I sat in chair with the following companions.. a 15 year old girl, clearly a gang member, holding her hand with huge puncture wounds. She had been bitten. No not by a dog, by another 15 year old girl. There were three of four teens who had overdosed. Two 17 year old boys, clearly felons, under 24 hour police watch and numerous screaming babies with pnemonia. Ten different doctors came in to talk to me about Jacks infection, they had ten different recommendations on how best to treat. John, my nurse who has seen me through many of Jack's struggles once told me when I complained that no one seemed to have an answer to Jack. "Liz thats why they call it practicing medicine."
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