This is topic My afternoon and evening (or, why does it take so long to be seen at the ER?) in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
 
Everything's fine.

At about 1pm, I fed Thomas, burped him, and put him in his bassinet (aka laundry basket) in the living room and went to take a shower. DH was in the computer room with the doors open.

I finish my shower and start getting dressed when all h-e-doublehockeysticks breaks loose. Baby's crying, Hubby's yelling...

Thomas threw up and DH thinks he aspirated some of it. DH got as much as he could out with the bulb aspirator. He didn't spit up, he VOMITED. Big time. And he wasn't breathing well and his crying wasn't normal.

I'm not...NOT a panicker, but I was scared. I dailed the new doctor and handed the phone to DH. He left her a message to call us back. (It's Sunday.)

By then, Thomas was turning purple.

So DH called EMSA. EMSA paged out the Fire Department. First Responder (besides DH) was on the scene within 2 minutes. (I suppose it helps that he lives and parks his truck less than a half mile from us.) EMSA had a 2-paramedic truck at our house in about 10 minutes. (That's a good response time out here, believe me!) Doctor calls back while we were waiting. She says we're doing the right thing and to call her office in the morning.

By the time the ambulance got there, Thomas had calmed down, but his breathing was still erratic. Once we got in the ambulance and they put him on oxygen, he settled down to sleep and his breathing went back to normal.

All the way to the hospital, the paramedic kept telling me how good he was doing, but not to feel bad about calling. He said he'd rather go on a hundred calls that turned out to be nothing than one bad one.

So we get to the ER and head to a triage room. Nurse takes his temp. Normal. Sends us out to the waiting room. 3 hours...

Get called back to one of the urgent minor care rooms. Another hour...

PA listens to his lungs, takes his Pulse/Ox, looks him over and says he seems fine. Leaves to call her Attending. 1/2 hour...

PA comes back and says we need to go get chest X-rays. She sends us over to the Radiology waiting room. 1 hour...

Radiology takes 2 films, sends us back to urgent minor care to wait. 2 more hours...

By then we'd been there almost 8 hours. I missed my nap, hadn't eaten, and was feeling light headed...so I turned off the lights and climbed up on the bed with the baby...no sooner had I closed my eyes the PA was back.

She said everything looked fine, but that it was best that they had the X-rays anyway so they'd have something to compare if I had to come back with him tonight or tomorrow.

I ask if there's anywhere in the hospital to get something to eat this late. "Food Court." I call DH to come get us and tell him to meet us there. Hike through the hospital for 20 minutes, find the food court. It's closed.

Call DH back. Tell him to meet us at the main entrance. Hike around another 15 minutes trying to find the main entrance. I hate this hospital!

So now we're home and Thomas is sleeping peacefully.

That's all the excitement I'd care for this year, thank you very much!
 

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Posted by tt&t (Member # 5600) on :
 
(((((Boon & family)))))

Wow, long day. I hope you can get some rest and feel better soon! Yay for Thomas being okay.

[ June 07, 2004, 01:30 AM: Message edited by: tt&t ]
 

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Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
 
(((Boon)))
(((baby & hubby too!)))

Glad everyone is okay. 8 hours in an emergency room is like 48 hours anywhere else.
 

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Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
 
Glad everyone is okay! ER rooms are hell on earth; I truly believe that Satan rules them. One time we had to take Operaetta to a children's hospital ER and had to wait for almost 13 hours! Kisses to Thomas.

space opera
 

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Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
 
Is that DH for Dear Husband? You've been spending too much time on BabyCenter.

Glad baby's ok, hope you can get some sleep. (Yeah, right )
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
The abbreviation "DH" is not exclusive to BabyCenter, Richard.

Boon, what an awful ordeal! So glad Thomas is all right, though!

(((((Boon&baby&DH&otherkiddles)))))
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
Glad everything is okay, Boon. Sounds like you handled it with the most excellent parent-skills any kiddo could wish for.

Still breathing okay this morning?

(From the other side of the fence: I routinely go 20+ hours without peeing, just because we are rushing back and forth from patient to patient in the ER. To much bureaucracy to be efficient medicine, and waaaay too little actual patient contact and continuity to be good primary care. But our goal is to keep people alive, and it (usually) works for that. *whew!)
 

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Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
 
Boon,

Glad everyone's OK. Sounds like a scary, frustrating time.

quote:

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I routinely go 20+ hours without peeing, just because we are rushing back and forth from patient to patient in the ER.

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I'd take my hat off to you, but I'm afraid you might pee in it after a 20-hour day.

Dagonee
 

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Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
 
So, where DOES the abbreviation "DH" come from? It's vaguely creepy, if you ask me.
 

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Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
 
Not as creepy as the forums where it's taken root, I assure you.
 

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Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
 
It makes me think of "DLF" from "Prince Caspian."
 

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Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
 

quote:

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He didn't spit up, he VOMITED. Big time. And he wasn't breathing well and his crying wasn't normal.

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quote:

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The diagnosis of pyloric stenosis is made when an infant has a history of progressive forceful vomiting. The pyloric valve (opening at the bottom of the stomach that regulates the stomach emptying) becomes bigger over time and blocks the stomach from emptying. The baby begins to lose weight, and may become dehydrated. Dehydrated means the baby is not keeping enough fluid in his body. The baby may show signs of being sleepy or not be as active as usual. The baby may not have had a wet diaper in several hours and the soft spot on the top of his head may be sunken.

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None of the symptoms are present, except that he vomited once.

He's fine this morning, made it through all the night feedings fine, and all the feedings at the ER with no problems.

Called our doctor...she wants me to bring him in this afternoon so she can listen to his lungs and weigh him...no appointment and no charge. I'll mention pyloric stenosis, but I don't think so...I think maybe he just didn't burp well enough or something and it upset his little tummy.

Thanks for all the good wishes. I love you all, and I wouldn't share so much if I didn't think you cared.
 

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Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
 
I thought it was Darling Husband. At least, that's what it was when I was at ivillage.
 

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Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
 
Dork of a Husband...but that's alright. I let him think it's for Dear, Darling Husband.
 

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Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
 
Oh, yeah...I know the ER was busy, and I wasn't really frustrated until the food court was closed. I know it's not the nurses' or doctors' fault things seem to move so slow, it's all the paperwork and crap they have to do. Oh well, at least everything's fine now.
 

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Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
 
Yeah . . . I guess "Designated Hitter" didn't really make sense . . .

-o-

(((Boon)))

(((baby)))

(((DH)))

[ June 07, 2004, 01:01 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]
 

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Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
 
I thought Damn Husband. o_O
 

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Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
 
On the fertility sites it means Dear Husband.

And the act of creating a baby is referred to as the baby dance, I think. I wonder if teen pregnancy would drop if the media started referring to it like that all the time.
 

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Posted by larisse (Member # 2221) on :
 
Whoa! Quite an ordeal for such a little guy.

{{{{Baby Thomas}}}}
{{{{Boon & Hubby}}}}

I am so glad he's okay now. Be safe.

CT... TMI, but that is definitely not good. I'd hug you too, but that extra squeeze might not be such a good idea.
 

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Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
 
How in the WORLD can you go 20+ hours without peeing!?

(Since I can't seem to go an hour without needing to go )
 

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Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
 

quote:

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And the act of creating a baby is referred to as the baby dance, I think. I wonder if teen pregnancy would drop if the media started referring to it like that all the time.

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I've been witness to massive quantities of reproductive stupidity (recent links available on request), but even I don't think the vast majority of teen parents failed to recognize the significance of the BD.
 

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Posted by amira tharani (Member # 182) on :
 
*hugs Boon and family* Glad all is okay... but 8 hours is a long time.

I had to go to A&E (Accident and Emergency) today - I fell and sprained my ankle at work, so they sent me off in a taxi to make sure it was just a sprain and nothing worse (it was indeed just a sprain), and I was out again within two hours, which I thought was pretty impressive! Thank goodness we have one of the best A&E depts in the country right here in Oxford! What impressed me was the way that they dealt with this kid who was about 10 who was in the minor injuries bit where I was but seemed to have hurt her leg pretty badly. It had cellophane and then a bandage so maybe a burn or something, I don't know. She was trying so hard not to scream but I could hear her whimpering and crying and the nurses were really really good about it. I was in ahead of her but they got someone to her first, which I was glad about, otherwise I would have said "look, this is just a sprained ankle, I can wait, go see the kid who's in real pain." Anyways, I overheard them talking to her and they didn't talk down to her at all and just calmed her down and explained everything they were going to do and were just really relaxed and professional about it - she sounded much calmer after being in the cubicle with a nurse for 5 minutes. I got sent away and came back and she was still there, so it must have been something pretty serious. Anyway it definitely impressed me - so here's to all the A&E nurses out there, you do a very good job under very stressful circumstances.
 

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Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
 
Glad everything's ok, Boon.

And just for the record, I am also not crazy about the abbreviation DH, and similar ones.

[ June 07, 2004, 03:29 PM: Message edited by: Ela ]
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
*shrug* I like abbreviations in general, so it's no great surprise that I like this one.

As far as pyloric stenosis, I thought that didn't show up so early? My brother had it, so I was on the lookout when I had my kids, and my memory is that symptoms show up at about 3-4 weeks or so.
 

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