I have been meaning to update but I don't have many chances to get to the computer. Kayla was admitted last Thursday for severe dehydration. She was so dehydrated that she wasn't able to talk.
My mom and I took her to the ER to be checked out and she was transferred down to this hospital. Along with her dehydration she has C-diff. Clostridium difficile, often called C. difficile or "C. diff," is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. She had terrible diarrhea, going about 30 times a day. I had to put her in diapers because she was making such a mess in her underwear and pants. I just threw them away because the smell is 100 times worse than normal poop. She hasn't eaten much since last Monday, and if she does eat it is almost always vomited up. She is on three different anti-nausea medications and still has almost no appetite.
She is getting nutrients through her IV because she has lost 5 pounds. That may not seem like a lot but when you are only 3 feet tall it is a lot. She is down to 37 pounds, she was 42. Slowly but surely she is warming up to food, I think that she is just afraid to eat because she knows that it is going to come right back up.
I have been here with her the whole time. My philosophy is this: If I was her, I would want my mom. period. So I am here for her. I am exhausted and hungry but I am here. The reason that I am hungry is because I can't bring food into the room, it makes her nauseous to smell it.
My parents visited on Saturday and brought James. I took him out to get pizza but he was more interested in the arcade games than spending time with me. My Aunt also visited yesterday and played card games with Kayla. My Grandma visited today and brought me a bunch of snacks. It's nice to have your own food because eating at the hospital can get expensive.
They are testing her for the swine flu, it takes a week to get the results back because they have to be sent to the CDC. So in a few days we should know. I will be glad when I don't have to wear a gown and mask all the time. It is so uncomfortable.
She had to get a chest x-ray today because there was blood in her vomit this morning.
I will update when we get results back.
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2 comments:
So sorry to hear about Kayla's hospital stay and her experience with C. diff, Sandra! I'm not sure what you know about C. diff besides from what Kayla's doctor told you, but one of the most troublesome aspects of the disease (in addition to the constant diarrhea) is its high rate of recurrence. One in four C. diff patients will experience a C. diff recurrence, but many people find relief in a probiotic supplement called Florastor or Florastor Kids. It contains a beneficial yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii, which has been clinically proven to help prevent and manage C. diff recurrence. You may want to ask Kayla's doctor about Florastor Kids. You can find studies on its use in C. diff recurrence here: http://www.sboulardii.com/article0b3e.html?id=1539#cdiff. Florastor Kids comes in a powder form that can be mixed into soft foods or Kayla's juice. For more info, visit www.florastor.com. I hope this information helps and that Kayla gets well soon.
Thinking of you.
I would agree, i would want my mommy too. Or my daddy. As I type this, my little cancerkid sits next to me to look at the pictures. She had a UTI, so I understand about the "extra' stuff that these kids deal with.
Good luck to you.
love and light
P.
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