A rough week

So, I have been a little absent this week. I haven't had the time or energy to blog. It has been a very mentally and physically draining week.

It all started on June 24th. My Love Bug started getting sick with a fever. The very next day the Missus started with a fever. She was miserable. She was so hot (with a fever) and just wanted to sit on my lap and cry "mommy". The Love Bug had a fever too but he was in pretty good spirits. On June 26th we ended up taking the Missus to the ER to make sure she didn't have pneumonia. She had a chest x--ray and was diagnosed with a viral infection. We went home and just tried to keep her comfortable. We didn't have the Love Bug checked out because, again, he was in good spirits, although he clearly had the same thing. The next day I got it and the day after that my husband got it. We cancelled our plans to go to my mom's cottage that weekend in order to rest and get better.


On July 1st we had plans to go to my FIL and step-MIL's cottage. We didn't want to disappoint them so we decided to go even though we weren't 100%. The Missus, husband and I all seemed to be doing better, but Love Bug didn't. He had a couple of days on the weekend where his fever was low, but for some reason, it seemed to come back on Monday and got really high.

Our visit to the cottage wasn't good. Love Bug was having trouble sleeping, wouldn't eat anything and seemed to be burning up (although we didn't bring our thermometer to tell for sure). And, he was so cranky. Unbelievably cranky and yelling constantly. It was very out of character for him.

We came home around lunch time on Friday and my hubby looked into Love Bug's ears (he told us his ear hurt). Sure enough he had an ear infection. So, we figured that was why his fever had come back. We got him antibiotics and waited for them to kick in. Nothing. We kept treating him with advil and tylenol but as soon as it was starting to leave his system his fever would rocket to over 40. Celsius...even reaching 40.5 sometimes.

After 2 days of antibiotics (the proper protocol for treating ear infections) with no results, we took him into Emerg. He had blood tests, urine tests, physical exam and a chest x-ray. None of these are fun with a screaming, feverish, very sick 3 year old. He ended up being admitted to the hospital with Kawasaki Disease. I had never heard of it before. Around 5:30pm I took the Missus home and got things organized while my hubby waited with Love Bug for him to be admitted to the Pediatric floor. Once my mom was able to come look after the Missus I went back to the hospital and spent the next 24 hours there. (I went home for the night and then was there again for the day).

The Love Bug was put on an IV and seemed a little better as soon as he had some fluid in. He has lost about 3 pounds, which is quite a bit for someone his size. They started him on IVIG/Gamma Globulin (which are antibodies made from blood products) and high doses of aspirin (4 pills, 4 times a day). He also got 2 rounds of IV antibiotics while we were there.

He was released from hospital on Wednesday afternoon and we just finished the high doses of aspirin yesterday. He will now need to take one a day for 4-6 weeks. He has an appointment with a pediatrician next week then we will be going to see a pediatric cardiologist in the next couple of weeks. His heart will need to be monitored over the next year to ensure that no long term damage was done from the Kawasaki.

I am so relieved that he is doing better. And really hope that we started the treatment in time (there is a 1- day window of opportunity to minimize long term effects). The fever is gone and he is eating a little bit better. He is still really tired and his mood swings are CRAZY. It apparently is a side effect of Kawaskai disease.

The whole experience has me a bit shocked and I felt like I was walking in a daze. I am being brave and positive though....willing my baby to be better.