First Setback

At about 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, December 20^th, my dad woke me up to let me know that Jayson seems to be a little warm.  So, I went to Jayson’s room and checked his temperature.  My dad was right.  Jayson had a mild fever of 100.5°.  Since a fever was the first sign of a possible infection, I called the NMCSD Pediatrics to tell them about Jayson’s fever and I was told to bring him in.  My dad took us and Jayson was again admitted to NMCSD at 3:30 a.m.

His vitals were quickly checked while I completed the admission paperwork.  Blood was then drawn to check his red and white blood counts and platelet levels. Blood cultures were made to check for growth of bacteria and a chest x-ray was done to make sure he didn’t have pneumonia.  Needless to say, Jayson and I didn’t get much sleep that morning.  Doctors and nurses were in and out of the room to check on him and to get more information.  I told them that prior to this mild fever, he didn’t have any other new symptoms.  They didn’t think he had an infection after the first day, but they needed to wait until the result of the blood cultures were in, which we expected to be on Thursday morning.

Each day when the doctors made their rounds, they updated me on Jayson’s white blood count, hemoglobin and platelets level.  Each of these had to be at a certain level before Jayson could be discharged.  So, while we waited for the results of the blood culture, we remained in the hospital.  I would just go home after lunch to shower and get items we needed for the following day.  

Jayson and I were able to catch up on our sleep Monday night.  So, on Tuesday morning he had more energy and a bigger appetite.  He’s kept himself busy during his stay here.  He’s been listening to music and playing games on his IPod.  He’s been keeping in contact with family and friends via Facebook.  He’s also watching TV and talking with his visitors.

Right now it’s past 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 22.  Jayson’s still sleeping.  He had a bloody nose around 4:30 a.m. this morning and a slight fever of 100.3°.   One of the resident doctors updated me on the result of Jayson’s latest blood work and all the numbers look good.  He also mentioned that the blood culture was negative of any bacteria. The doctors will be making their rounds between 9:00-10:00 a.m. and unless something comes up within the next 1-2 hours, I expect them to tell us that Jayson can go home today.

This mild setback just reminds me of how important it is for us to use proper hygiene when we’re around Jayson.  We need to make sure that everyone in our household and visitors are diligent about using hand sanitizers before making contact with him.  We hope there won’t be another unscheduled trip back to the hospital, especially during Christmas.

On behalf of our family, we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.  May we always remember that the reason for this season is Jesus Christ.  Let us celebrate his birth as we open gifts, share meals and enjoy the time with our family and friends.  Thank you once again for all your thoughts and prayers.  We will continue to keep you updated on Jayson’s progress.  God bless us all.