Fighting Infections

BrynLee was only home a week before she got her first infection. We are seeing a pediatrician in Twin Falls so that we don't have to drive down to SLC for everything that goes wrong! Dr. Hansen is very good and he works closely with Dr. Wallis, which I absolutely LOVE! It shows that he really does want the best for BrynLee!
I took BrynLee to Twin to see Dr. Hansen and we got a urine sample (which is pretty tricky with her!) and sure enough it was a UTI.. This was our first experience with a UTI so we were a little clueless, but we're getting alot better at knowing what's going on with her! He put her on some antibiotics and sent us home! I could tell she was feeling better a few days later and life went back to "normal!"
2 weeks later was the county fair! Our oldest son was taking his first hog for 4-H so this was all new to us! He had already missed 3 weeks of working with his hogs because of our stay at Primary Children's with BrynLee so we really were just "winging" it! We had to stay at the fairgrounds in a motorhome because our house is 40 miles away, so it was like camping for the kids! Camping in town! :) Thankfully, the hospital is only a block away from the fairgrounds!
BrynLee's last dose of antibiotic was 2 days before fair. The first day she was really good, but the second day of fair she was fussy! It was hot and she was miserable! I really just thought it was the change, not being home, and the heat, but that 2nd night she woke up and had a fever! I've learned to just pack a thermometer with her everywhere we go, so I took her temp and it was 103.7! For a 6 week old baby, that is very high! I didn't even get dressed, just slipped on my flip flops, wrapped her in a blanket and told my husband I was going to the hospital! It was 1:30AM...
I was very surprised at the hospital how prompt and genuinely worried they were! I guess it was her condition, but I've been in the hospital before with a baby that has a high fever and they're usually looking at you like, "Seriously? You're here for this!?!" But the nurses and the doctor that night were all amazing! I didn't have to wait for anything! Labs came right in, then x-ray, then we got a urine sample and next thing I knew the doc was saying her UTI was getting worse! The previous 2 weeks of antibiotics did no good! They basically had held her off from getting any sicker, but didn't make her any better! So the 4 days after we stopped her meds, it just built up to the point where she now had a serious kidney infection! : (
They started an IV, pushed fluids and gave her a strong IV antibiotic and sent us back to the fairgrounds! They left the IV in and told me to get her to her pediatrician in Twin the next afternoon. By the time I got back to the motorhome it was 5AM.. She was finally asleep so I laid her in her bed and slept till 6:30. BrynLee got up, ate and I let my husband and son go take care of the pigs and when they got back I headed to my grandma's house (who lives close by) to catch up on some sleep and then she was going with me to the dr that afternoon!
When I headed to her house it was 8AM and that's what time the pediatrician's office opens so I called to get an appointment. The only thing they had was 9:15AM and 4PM. I know the hospital told me that afternoon, but looking at my baby, I knew we couldn't wait til 4PM so I told them I'd be there at 9:15. I still had to get ready and Twin is 40 minutes away! Let's just say I had to skip the shower part! : (
When we got to Twin BrynLee's temp had gone back up to 103.3.. Dr. Hansen took one look at her and said, "We're admitting her!" It was during her hospital stay that they found her hernias that she had repaired last month. That's another story!
We were there 3 days.. I missed my son showing his pig! I know he understood, but I still felt horrible!
Even when we got back I kept BrynLee at my grandma's house most of the time so she could continue to get better.
BrynLee is one tough little girl! Here are a few pictures of her during our 2nd hospital stay!



Shortly after being admitted




She always like her face covered!



They brought her toys the 2nd day because she was
feeling better! They had to move her IV to her head
after 6 veins ruptured, this one finally held!



(3rd day!) I think this look says, "Ok, I wanna go home!"



Finally, we're on our way home!