My terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Let me begin by saying this is by no way a reflection on the staff at the clinic.  Everything that happened could have happened to anybody.  

With that said, let me begin...

Ike and I had to be there at 8 a.m. to get our spinal. (Thanks Aunt Icka for watching the kids!) These days are always a little frustrating because Ike can not eat or drink after midnight because of the sedation. Try telling that to a 3 year old.

We get our vitals checked and back into a holding center to wait for the nurse to start our IV. 

I always dread these times.  You never get used to pinning your kid down while they scream.  Your heart never stops breaking.  Although I don't sob physically anymore, my heart always does.

First try, miss.

Second try worked, they got some blood to do the CBC, and the vein blew.

So, the nurses decided just to send me to sedation and have them start the IV.  I go down by myself.  Tons of confusion as to why I am there.  So I sit while they figure it out.  Finally, around 9:30, they bring me back.  This time the nurse used a larger gauge needle and Ike just SCREAMED.

I broke.  3 times did me in.  I couldn't stop crying.

We started to put a movie on and wait for our spinal when the nurse came in and told me that we had to head back upstairs.

Why?

Well, Ike's platelets were at 10,000.

What?!?  

He is normally around 300,000 and this would mean Ike would be bleeding internally or something awful like that.

So, he would need a platelet transfusion before his spinal tap.

Sigh.

Ike then started REALLY crying for food and juice.

We get back upstairs, and the nurses felt something wasn't adding up.  He didn't have ANY bruising.  We have NEVER needed a platelet transfusion.  When they started those 2 other IVs, he stopped bleeding right away.

They decide to draw the CBC again.  By this time it is 10:15.  They try to draw blood off his IV, but it wasn't coming out, and they didn't want to blow the vein again.  So off to John to get ANOTHER poke.

Ike was crying to go home, and so was I.

They sent the CBC off, and it came back that his platelets were 337,000.

10:45, we head back down to sedation to get our spinal tap.

Ike finally begins to wake up at 11:30, and he was NOT happy.

I spent 20 minutes with my arms and legs wrapped around him to keep him from trying to walk.  It was awful.  I have bruises on my collar bone from where he was bashing his head into my chest.

By noon, the day started to turn around.  We were there until 1:45, but once we got hooked up for our anti-biotic, Ike could play! And Ms. Jen was there!  We love her!

AND, the social worker came to tell us about a new program available to us!  Ike still has to do shots at home.  So, this program provides a poke prize box to keep in your home!  YAY!  

And, Ms. Jen arranged for Ike to get free ice cream downstairs after all his horrible pokes.  Ike then didn't want to leave the hospital!

Sorry kid, I wanted to be long gone!

And that was my day at clinic.  I did get a picture of his huge bowl of ice cream!

I would take a week of steroids any day after that day in clinic.

And now on to the fun stuff!

Swimming.  And a ton of it!  Laney got a hold of my camera and took some pics of her best friends!

 Emmy, Jada, and Noah!

My kids and their blankies...

Also, Laney decided to turn everyone into fairies, and I FINALLY remembered to grab my camera.

Isn't he a cute fairy?!!?  (I'm totally kidding.  This kids needs to hang out with boys more often!)

And that is all for now!

Adios!