My daughter is in the hospital - Page 2

MrFun · May 9, 2002, 14:06

I wish the best for you and your daughter.

Julia · May 9, 2002, 14:51

Hope everything will be alright!

Good luck!

Darsnan · May 9, 2002, 14:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Tiamat
Good idea about our doctor's.....symptoms: high fever 103 that it takes about 3 hours to break and stays broken for about an hour and then shoots back up, back and leg aches, horrible sweeling in throat, puss all over the back of the throat, can't swallow, can't keep anything down, lymph nodes swollen horribly, lots of pain.

My wife, who is a nurse in our local emergency room, immediately said meningitis, based on the symptoms above. Our thoughts are with you and your family at this time!

D

- Groucho - · May 9, 2002, 15:05

Good luck, Tia.

Wernazuma III · May 9, 2002, 15:12

Just adding myself to the list of people who wishes you and your family well. Keep us informed and be brave.

TCO · May 9, 2002, 15:38

menegitis was my immediate take also. When you first listed symptoms. I'm not a doc tho...

Ramo · May 9, 2002, 16:09

Hope she gets better, Tia.

SuperSneak · May 9, 2002, 17:48

Bring a strong, positive book to read to her...maybe something she loved as a child...I read over my father's hospital bed for weeks (Marcus Aurelius) and it seemed to work.
Best wishes from mine to yours.

Dr Strangelove · May 9, 2002, 17:58

When you say they've done every test possible, does that include a spinal tap? That's the definitive test for most types of meningitis. If that's negative you can exclude the more virulent bacterial meningitidies, unless she's been partially treated with antibiotics for a period of time. Viral illnesses are another possibility. The prognosis for viral meningitis is usually better.

Ooops, didn't see the part about the spinal tap. If she's in and out of conciousness or depressed, then she's not able to give informed consent and the procedure may be done with your permission as next of kin. Sorry to lay this on you, but if there is a possibility of bacterial meningitis treatment has to begin now.

Pekka · May 9, 2002, 17:59

Strength to you and your daughter and wisdom to doctors treating her.

TCO · May 9, 2002, 18:16

good luck Tia.

CapTVK · May 9, 2002, 18:47

Hope things turn out okay,

Best of luck

Hobbes · May 9, 2002, 19:44

Hope, luck and love to you and your family, Tia.

Starchild · May 9, 2002, 22:39

I know that if she's anything like her mama, she'll be well enough to play "hide the thermometer" with the male nurses by the next morning.

Give her my best luv, hope and love and chocolate to both of you.

The Mad Monk · May 10, 2002, 01:35

Any news? You are all in our thoughts.

Tiamat · May 10, 2002, 01:50

Thanks to all for your thoughts. We are now going into day two with this. My first thought was for the menegitis as well except for the fact that last year she was vacinated for it as a child in her school came down with it.

Still have not been able to get the fever down past 101 but at least we're not at 103.8 anymore. The first set of blood cultures came back netgative and this afternoon the Dr. said if the temp went over 101.5 she would order another set. It did and so they have done another round. The infectious disease doctor came by tonight and is doing some other test. They feel that they can rule out the menegitis though.....and please pardon my ignorance if I get it wrong but they said usually people with that will have stiffness in the neck and other areas. They did a lateral neck scan and said the neck is fine except for the huge lymph nodes.

He seems to think it's systemic, something in the blood or a viral thingy.....to which I wanted to go DOH! Naaaa ya' think?

I'm on about 3 hours of sleep in the last three days and am about to go back to hospital. Hopefully we can find some answers tomorrow or at least soon.

Thanks for the chocolate Star and thanks to everyone for your support. My thoughts that we are in some sense a family or community get reinforced when something like this happens and everyone pulls together. It's makes a difference to have somewhere to go. Thank you.

Alright.......I'm tired and I get sappy so **shakes of sappiness** **back to full dragon mode**

Keep thinking good thoughts.

Alex · May 10, 2002, 13:12

We all will, Tia.

And keep us informed if you can.

Could it be mumps?

Blackwidow24 · May 10, 2002, 13:15

OHHH DAMN, i just checked my messages. i c n't call right now darling I will call you as soon as I can. I was wondering why i hadn't heard from you. She will be okay Tia....Tell her she better get well or BW is gonna kick her butt

!!!! I will talk to you soonXOXOXOX

SpencerH · May 10, 2002, 13:23

There's been a very nasty chronic sinusitis travelling around the south (at least). Sinus infections sound trivial, but they're not. Antibiotics dont easily diffuse into the sinuses so infections can take a long time to treat. Unfortunately, I havent been following it closely so I'm not sure of the infectious agent(s) involved.

Sirotnikov · May 10, 2002, 13:33

wow

it's very hard to see your loved ones suffering, especially kids.

keep strong.

i wish you luck and fast healing

refua shlema.

Tiamat · May 10, 2002, 18:46

She's knocked out on demerol right now. It's a beautiful thing...she sleeps I get to come home and take a shower

**smells arm pits** Yes, well it's about time.

One part of the puzzel down. One culture finally grew Strep G. Which they think is attributing to the lymph node swelling and sore throat. She's been given liquid lidocane to make her throat numb so she can try to swallow. Still are waiting out the other results and trying to figure out what's causing the viurs. Her fever still hasn't gone below 100 and went back up to 101 this afternoon. She will be in over the weekend and probably most of next week so we've got a long haul. Selfbiased has been wonderful and very supportive. He's lost about as much sleep as I have and stays with us even when he has to go to work.

Supersneak ~ thank you so much for your suggestion about the book. She loves Patricia Cromwell so I got one of her books. It was amazing how much it helped. At first I didn't think it would work but as the pain meds wore off and she got aggitated I began to read and ask her questions about the people in the book and it took her mind off. Good thing to, they've done so many blood draws and cultures that her veins are blowing and the IV had to be moved. Poor thing had to get stuck three times for an IV try, but I just kept reading. Thank you so much Sneak.

That's it for a while until later tonight or in the morning. This is my refuge. I come here to get a few momens of sanity to keep going. Boy what does that say about me?!?

Like this place could ever provide sanity!!

Thank you everyone again for your thoughts.....keep 'em coming. It's begining to work I feel that the tide is shifitng and we may be at the tip of the downhill slope.

Tiamat · May 10, 2002, 18:53

I almost forgot. She was feeling a bit depressed and like no one cared about her.....as one tends to do in the hospital. I told her about this thread and that she had people all over the world keeping good thoughts for her. She didn't believe me at first, actually I don't think she could comprehend that people she'd never met would take and interest, but I assured her she had good vibes coming to her from all over the world so how could she not get better. First smile I got out of her in about 4 days. And for that I thank everyone. I'll take a smile any day of the week.

Now I'm off.....well that's not something that's ever been in dispute!!

Chowlett · May 10, 2002, 18:56

Good to hear they're getting some positive ideas on what it might be - and good to hear she's keeping her spirits up somewhat. Hang in there.

TCO · May 11, 2002, 00:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Tiamat
She's knocked out on demerol right now. It's a beautiful thing...she sleeps I get to come home and take a shower

**smells arm pits** Yes, well it's about time.

One part of the puzzel down. One culture finally grew Strep G. Which they think is attributing to the lymph node swelling and sore throat. She's been given liquid lidocane to make her throat numb so she can try to swallow. Still are waiting out the other results and trying to figure out what's causing the viurs. Her fever still hasn't gone below 100 and went back up to 101 this afternoon. She will be in over the weekend and probably most of next week so we've got a long haul. Selfbiased has been wonderful and very supportive. He's lost about as much sleep as I have and stays with us even when he has to go to work.

Supersneak ~ thank you so much for your suggestion about the book. She loves Patricia Cromwell so I got one of her books. It was amazing how much it helped. At first I didn't think it would work but as the pain meds wore off and she got aggitated I began to read and ask her questions about the people in the book and it took her mind off. Good thing to, they've done so many blood draws and cultures that her veins are blowing and the IV had to be moved. Poor thing had to get stuck three times for an IV try, but I just kept reading. Thank you so much Sneak.

That's it for a while until later tonight or in the morning. This is my refuge. I come here to get a few momens of sanity to keep going. Boy what does that say about me?!?

Like this place could ever provide sanity!!

Thank you everyone again for your thoughts.....keep 'em coming. It's begining to work I feel that the tide is shifitng and we may be at the tip of the downhill slope.

Tia girl,

wisjh I had something psychic to send like Self and Super. But you know you all are in my prayers.

p.s. DF go do something...

Zkribbler · May 11, 2002, 00:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Tiamat
She didn't believe me at first, actually I don't think she could comprehend that people she'd never met would take and interest,

You know that you can right-click on the thread & print it out.

Dr Strangelove · May 11, 2002, 00:51

An extremely stiff neck is usually a cardinal sign of meningitis. The meninges are a connective tissue envelope protecting the brain and spinal cord. Inside the meninges is a thin layer of fluid, the cerebrospinal fluid. The brain and spinal cord are literally suspended in this fluid, which also acts like a shock absorber. Bacterial infections carried to the central nervous system by blood often do not penetrate the tightly packed tissue of the brain itself, but instead multiply in the cerebrospinal fluid. There are pain nerve fibers in the outer meninges. An infection in the meninges irritates those fibers which causes a reflex contraction of the paravertebral muscles which stretch vertically along both sides of the vertebral column. This contraction is noticed as severe muscle tension, most prominent in the neck. The pain fibers of the meninges also are very sensitive to stretch when the meninges are infected, such that stretching the meninges by lifting the head of a prone patient off the bed causes extreme pain and a reflex bending of the knees in an attempt by the patient to reduce the stretch on the meninges by shifting the lumbar back.

TCO · May 11, 2002, 00:56

keep the good thoinking coming, doc.

Tia, did we do a spinal? Why not? nay (real hard core) effects/dangers of a spinal? (Why the dispute?)

Dr Strangelove · May 11, 2002, 01:00

There are a number of viruses that can cause a Mono-like syndrome. Furthermore tonsils or lymph nodes swollen in response to a viral infection can become secondarily infected by oral bacteria, which might explain the blood culture and persistent fever.

Did this really come on so suddenly, or had she had some degree of sore throat or neck swelling in the preceeding days? Has she had problems with her teeth recently?

chequita guevara · May 11, 2002, 07:19

Tia, why don't you print out the forum for her to see.

Triped · May 11, 2002, 07:22

WHy do you alwys make peoples names bold? And yes, printing out this foruwm can make someones day, from experience.

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