ER visits

[Spryte]

DS (13) is at the ER with DH. I'm home, biting my nails., looking for distraction. We didn't wake DD (6) this time, to go in. We have in the past but tonight it made more sense to split up.

 

Or it did till I'm sitting here alone worrying. :( This is my son with multiple LTFAs and he has had hives for a day. Despite Benadryl the hives have spread and he's having breathing issues. We can't pinpoint a cause. He's at the ER now.

 

How do you all do it? Does everyone go? Or do you split up?

[maize]

Split up, but as far as I can remember I have always been the one to take the child in. I'd be anxious too if I were the one at home.

[maize]

I hope your son is better soon!

[Miss Peregrine]

It's usually me that takes them because we visits are 4-6+ hours and dh gets up at 3:30am to go to work. Plus, I would be too anxious to not be there.

 

Hope you hear good news soon.

[Spryte]

It's my first time not being the one to go. Oh man, it's hard! I had taken melatonin and night time meds, so didn't want to risk driving.

 

He's already got an IV of steroids going. Among other things. Whew.

[OneStepAtATime]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[DesertBlossom]

:hugs: I hope he feels better fast. Waiting at home would be agonizing.

 

We rarely ever go together to the ER. We went together when DD was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. (We knew in the dr's office that would be the diagnosis) Otherwise I usually go. Though last year dh went with ds to get his head stapled (and then unstapled and stitched instead) after he fell back flat on his head and split it open.

[Junie]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

Praying for your son.

[mamaraby]

We haven't had to go to the ER often, but when we do, we usually split up. Dh is really good about texting me with updates as I usually stay home with the other two.

 

I can understand how it would be nerve-wracking, though. Hope he's better soon!

[JessReplanted]

I am always the one who takes the child to the ER. I hate the ER. 👎

 

I hope your son is feeling better soon!

[nixpix5]

DH always goes. He is just so much better under pressure. Nothing rattles him, he's logical and attentive. He stays so calm that the kids are at ease. When it comes to my kids I am a wreck. It just works out better for us that way.

 

I hope he is better soon!

Edited June 24, 2017 by nixpix5

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm always the one who goes- because I am the one who always needs the ER. Dh takes the kids out for hot dogs. I hope that the steroids have him feeling better soon.

 

 

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[heartlikealion]

I don't think I've ever not been there, but that's just the way it's played out. I could understand staying behind. Dh has not always been there and thus I had to take both kids. Or something happened to dd (youngest) and we decided to just take the whole family. Sometimes we need two adults to handle dd (one to hold her down, one to distract her or whatever).

 

Breathing issues? Like wheezing or something? I hope he's okay. Does he have asthma or is this an isolated thing? They might give him a nebulizer treatement or steroid.

[cjzimmer1]

The majority of our ER trips are me taking the affected kid and at least one if not more very small children (who only make the situation more stressful) because DH is always at work, out of town or somewhere unreachable with any child old enough to actually render assistance.

 

He did take DD once after she got a dog bite and a few days later it started showing signs of infection.  I just didn't want to wait until morning to start antibiotics since I knew it could turn ugly fast.  I actually went to sleep waiting for them to come home.

 

But otherwise I always seem to be there.

 

Hope he is feeling better soon.

 

Edited June 24, 2017 by cjzimmer1

[Spryte]

I don't think I've ever not been there, but that's just the way it's played out. I could understand staying behind. Dh has not always been there and thus I had to take both kids. Or something happened to dd (youngest) and we decided to just take the whole family. Sometimes we need two adults to handle dd (one to hold her down, one to distract her or whatever).

 

Breathing issues? Like wheezing or something? I hope he's okay. Does he have asthma or is this an isolated thing? They might give him a nebulizer treatement or steroid.

He does have asthma. It complicates the allergies. :(

 

He's had hives for the last day, and tonight about three hours after the doc recommended massive dose of Benadryl - he woke up feeling like he could not breathe. He did an emergency inhaler, and then we could see the hives moving and covering more of his body. It was horrible. He was so uncomfortable. The Benadryl was at its peak, too.

 

Had he just eaten, we'd have epi'd. As it was, they saw him walk in the door at the ER and immediately did the IV for steroids, in triage. They gave Pepcid, too.

 

He is already more comfortable. Whew.

[gardenmom5]

1ds had multiple ER visits, every three- four months.  we didn't know what was going on, for several years before he was diagnosed.. . we split up.  (he had a pinched nerve in his spine.)

 

2dd had a lot of hives for a couple months before her wedding (she was also 4th year grad student) - her's turned out to be caused by stress.

 

for her cause, ?zyrtec? is more effective than benedryl.

[Tap]

I am always the one who goes to medical things but I workin the medical field and know the kids health history (dh doesn't).  FWIW...I would Never, Ever take a healthy child to the ER, if I had another option.  When my appendix ruptured a few years back, ds22 drove me. Once they knew they were keeping me, I sent him home. He was 22 and with me less than an hour before I kicked him out.  I left dd10 at home with dd18 even thought dd18 doesn't babysit dd10 usually (long, complicated reason for this). There is no way I want my family exposed to the nasty germs/viruses/bacteria in an ER unnecessarily. I think you absolutely did the right thing.  I also sounds like you already know what is going on, they just need to give him the treatment he needs and then he will come home.  That would make me more likely to think that dh could handle it without me. 

Edited June 24, 2017 by Tap

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

We split up usually, and it's DH who has taken them because I've pretty much always had a nursing until now.

 

Of course, the one time said nursing had to go to the ER, I rode in the ambulance and left a 3, t, and 7 year old at home alone for the 30 minutes it took DH to get home. The little guy had a chunk of apple wedged in his throat, so no time for arranging much else.

 

I hope your little guy is home soon!

[Guest]

I usually ended up in the ER but to be fair, I also was with my son more than my dh. He had a job. We only went twice, come to think of it, and once, my dh was with his FATHER in the same ER at the same time. The other time, it was a completely unexpected allergic reaction. I did that one as I myself have allergies and was more sympathetic. The time we had to have planned (not ER) tests that involved...maleness...my dh stayed with ds. More sympathetic. AND I just don't "do" medical very well. It was such a relief to me when my dh retired so he could take ds to the annual physical.

 

All that said...maybe if I keep talking I can distract you?????

 

Nope. Hang in there, Mama. It's a rough road with these allergies. Thank God for modern medicine. Truly, had I been born 10 years before I was, I'd be dead three times over. I am so thankful for steroids and benedryl and IV and allergy knowledge. Thank God for these gifts.

 

((((YOU))))

[Jean in Newcastle]

He does have asthma. It complicates the allergies. :(

 

He's had hives for the last day, and tonight about three hours after the doc recommended massive dose of Benadryl - he woke up feeling like he could not breathe. He did an emergency inhaler, and then we could see the hives moving and covering more of his body. It was horrible. He was so uncomfortable. The Benadryl was at its peak, too.

 

Had he just eaten, we'd have epi'd. As it was, they saw him walk in the door at the ER and immediately did the IV for steroids, in triage. They gave Pepcid, too.

 

He is already more comfortable. Whew.

I'm glad that he's doing better. My Dd had mysterious hives once. It turned out to be a certain kind of pneumonia.

[Spryte]

I'm glad that he's doing better. My Dd had mysterious hives once. It turned out to be a certain kind of pneumonia.

Hives are so strange.

 

The doc thinks this is related to a recent poison ivy exposure. Wow.

 

I'm glad that it's probably not another food!

[happi duck]

(hugs)

[Guest]

I'm usually the one who has to go to the ER, and yes we always split up if we can.

[Guest]

Hives are so strange.

 

The doc thinks this is related to a recent poison ivy exposure. Wow.

 

I'm glad that it's probably not another food!

Get this: with my son, it was playing in a certain kind of grass after being in a chlorinated pool. Go figure.

 

Hope things are better.

[Laura Corin]

Hope he's better soon.

 

We haven't had to do any ER trips since Hobbes was young: he broke his arm and we ended up getting him strapped up where we were in China and flying with him to Hong Kong for surgery; the whole family went to the hospital and on to Hong Kong.  I hope that fulfilled all my ER trip requirements....  

 

We ended up in the Minor Injuries Clinic with my mum when she fell the second time last year.  Husband and I took her in, as Hobbes is old enough to leave at home.  She just had bruising - no broken bones, amazingly

[Catwoman]

I just saw this thread and I hope your son is doing much better, and that you're starting to feel a bit calmer, too. It's so hard to sit at home, waiting and worrying! :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[Lizzie in Ma]

It depends.  Sometimes I go, sometimes dh goes, sometimes we both go.

Sometimes oldest takes herself.

I guess no rhyme or reason to it.

[Ottakee]

99% of the time I go. I go with our kids, our foster kids, and with MIL (and FIL before he passed away). I am much better with medical stuff and can stay calm.

 

Once DH had to take day to the ER as he cut his hand up in a bike chain and needed stitches. I was already at the hospital inpatient with another child. As soon as they got there though DH traded with me and he went upstairs to be with our inpatient child and I took over the ER child.

 

Other than that I think DH has come along twice but he is NOT a hospital person at all.

[lmrich]

Glad he is feeling better. 

We always split up, and I always go. My dh went once when our son needed stitches but I was off camping with the Girl Scouts and our girls. 

 

[Selkie]

:grouphug:   :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

I'm glad he is feeling more comfortable. Waiting at home is so excruciating!

[Insertcreativenamehere]

We have four children: of the oldest three, we've only made one ER visit. That was for dehydration after an extended stomach virus and I took him. 

 

The youngest is medically complex and has been to the ER dozens of times. When it comes to medical stuff, I'm on point because DH gets squeamish and doesn't understand the complexities of DS' medical history or current care regimen. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

:grouphug:

 

 

[Splash]

Usually it's me and dh stays home with other kids.  Sometimes once he gets kids settled if it's major he will come join us.  I'm the keeper of all medical info on kids.  He knows a lot but doesn't keep as up to date as me.  Being stuck inside a hospital room makes him stir crazy.  When younger dd was in PICU for 35 days I pretty much lived with her the whole time.  Dh would come Friday nights and relieve me so I could go home and see other kids, sleep, etc and I'd return Saturday night.  He did great but was so thankful to go back home and take care of the other four kids rather than be in the tiny hospital room.  I know other families that both parents always go but for our other kids it works better for one to be home and one to go.  DD has ultra rare life threatening illness so lots and lots of ER and doctors visits.

[Spryte]

He's home. Steroids and watching like a hawk. Hives are mostly gone but still making an appearance. Breathing is fine again.

 

I survived my first time not being at the hospital with him, thanks to all of you. Thank you. He's been in the ER and the hospital many, many times, he's like an old pro. But I've never stayed home. That was hard.

 

He feels pretty rotten, and we'd had a Maker's Gathering planned for today. Cancelling will break his heart, so we are hosting a dozen kids despite it all, and he's going to nap as needed. He and DH are determined that the show must go on. Oy.

Edited June 24, 2017 by Spryte

[Mom-ninja.]

So glad he's home and doing better. 

[OneStepAtATime]

He's home. Steroids and watching like a hawk. Hives are mostly gone but still making an appearance. Breathing is fine again.

 

I survived my first time not being at the hospital with him, thanks to all of you. Thank you. He's been in the ER and the hospital many, many times, he's like an old pro. But I've never stayed home. That was hard.

 

He feels pretty rotten, and we'd had a Maker's Gathering planned for today. Cancelling will break his heart, so we are hosting a dozen kids despite it all, and he's going to nap as needed. He and DH are determined that the show must go on. Oy.

Glad he is home and doing better.

 

Good luck with the gathering.  Honestly, it may perk him up.  

 

Hugs and best wishes. :)

[Kassia]

Glad he's home and doing better.  Hope he is well enough to enjoy the gathering later!