Just wanted to let you know what's happening with us.
Sunday (22nd) afternoon around 1.40pm, Mathena woke up with a seizure due to a high temperature (Febrile convulsion) see:
http://www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/febrilej.htm
and
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/febrileconvulsion.htm
and was rushed off to hospital. We were quite scared by the event and called for an ambulance. The Drs carried out various tests on her (blood, CT scan, and even a lumbar puncture). We were in hospital till 10pm when it all finished.
Little Mathena is such a strong little fighter that doing the tests proved to be quite a challenge. Even a couple of doses of sedatives plus the most experience of Drs couldn't subdue her. The most difficult of all was the lumbar puncture - 2 different Drs had a total of 4 failed attempts because Mathena was such a "(strong) wriggly worm". The purpose of the test was to rule out the possibility of meningitis (About Meningitis). However, we found out that due to the bruising caused by the struggles, the sample contained some blood and could not be used.
Having said that, the head pediatrician was quite confident that the risks of Mathena having meningitis were very, very low. She woke up Monday morning happy as Larry and showed no signs of being "sicker". Apart from that all other tests came back favourable.
By late Sunday night and after all the ordeal of tests and pain and tears, we were admitted into the children's ward at 10.30pm and I was offered a recliner chair by Mathena's cot. As you can imagine, not much sleep was possible for sensitive grown-ups but exhausted Mathena fell asleep from about 10pm onwards and did not wake till 6am the next day with a gentle and soft "ma-ma". She did stirred several times during the night and climbed to look for me then stumble back to her sleep position with all the wires and drips tangling. I was up every hour to check on her drip, her temperature as well as the "strings attached".
She looked pretty "heartbreaking"...as her little body was put through some painful and rigorous necessary tests. She had to be sedated for a CT scan yet she played and moved about drowsily for her brain scan. She had not eaten since 12 noon that day. Having her right arm all bandaged/braced up in preparation for more blood test/medications made her very irritated with it and of course looked quite pitiful.
Mathena is a strong and gutsy little kid. I do have to admit I fell to smitherins the entire process and could not hold my composure even with Alex there. Even subconsciously, she was happy just for me to hold her and her crying/whimpering will stop. She was not well...had took a little too long to recover from her seizure after all the "jerky movements" stopped, her own system did not kick into action till about two hours later. Hence the Drs took NO RISK and did all they could to make sure that there were no further damage.
Since then, we are safely back at home and Mathena is mostly back to her normal self. We had the OK to go home (Monday 5.30pm) by the Drs after a day of observation at the hospital. Mathena was pretty much her cheeky self.
We found nice and excellent staff during the entire A & E/Pediatric hospital process and even met a few asian Doctors. We needed help(neighbours to babysit Letitia) and support(people who offered a shoulder and a warm meal) and they all came at the right time etc.
All the test returned well...M is now safely asleep on her own bed after a whole day of struggling (will not be left in the hospital cot on her own and wanted to be carried), I am happy that she was more than willing to quickly settle into her cot! My back would not have lasted another night.
Thanks for all your prayers and kindness and support and offers...for those who knew. For those who didn't we are sorry that we could not contact you as we've been flat out juggling the kids, waiting for test results and procedures...on top of the ban of using mobile phones in hospitals etc.
Keep praying for us, M is to be kept in close observation...I will have to monitor her and her temperature very closely. The next is an EEG to check the electronic pulses are doing well in her brains in a couple of weeks. But we hold strong and loves M to bits. I have never been soooo blessed to have Mathena in my arms. I thank GOD for helping us through all this...
May Ai/ Sarah
Again, we have a few appointments to hold to, and we want to get the 2 girls back to normality at home...so, please refrain from calling as it'll mean that I have have to put aside Mathena (she's prone to be extra clingy). Feel free to email and especially to pray for us. Life is very precious,....we've learnt it especially NOW!
I just hope for an easier week minus the sagas (eg. racial crank calls, sick kids, make up classes for sick kids, hospital emergency etc)
Sunday (22nd) afternoon around 1.40pm, Mathena woke up with a seizure due to a high temperature (Febrile convulsion) see:
http://www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/febrilej.htm
and
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/febrileconvulsion.htm
and was rushed off to hospital. We were quite scared by the event and called for an ambulance. The Drs carried out various tests on her (blood, CT scan, and even a lumbar puncture). We were in hospital till 10pm when it all finished.
Little Mathena is such a strong little fighter that doing the tests proved to be quite a challenge. Even a couple of doses of sedatives plus the most experience of Drs couldn't subdue her. The most difficult of all was the lumbar puncture - 2 different Drs had a total of 4 failed attempts because Mathena was such a "(strong) wriggly worm". The purpose of the test was to rule out the possibility of meningitis (About Meningitis). However, we found out that due to the bruising caused by the struggles, the sample contained some blood and could not be used.
Having said that, the head pediatrician was quite confident that the risks of Mathena having meningitis were very, very low. She woke up Monday morning happy as Larry and showed no signs of being "sicker". Apart from that all other tests came back favourable.
By late Sunday night and after all the ordeal of tests and pain and tears, we were admitted into the children's ward at 10.30pm and I was offered a recliner chair by Mathena's cot. As you can imagine, not much sleep was possible for sensitive grown-ups but exhausted Mathena fell asleep from about 10pm onwards and did not wake till 6am the next day with a gentle and soft "ma-ma". She did stirred several times during the night and climbed to look for me then stumble back to her sleep position with all the wires and drips tangling. I was up every hour to check on her drip, her temperature as well as the "strings attached".
She looked pretty "heartbreaking"...as her little body was put through some painful and rigorous necessary tests. She had to be sedated for a CT scan yet she played and moved about drowsily for her brain scan. She had not eaten since 12 noon that day. Having her right arm all bandaged/braced up in preparation for more blood test/medications made her very irritated with it and of course looked quite pitiful.
Mathena is a strong and gutsy little kid. I do have to admit I fell to smitherins the entire process and could not hold my composure even with Alex there. Even subconsciously, she was happy just for me to hold her and her crying/whimpering will stop. She was not well...had took a little too long to recover from her seizure after all the "jerky movements" stopped, her own system did not kick into action till about two hours later. Hence the Drs took NO RISK and did all they could to make sure that there were no further damage.
Since then, we are safely back at home and Mathena is mostly back to her normal self. We had the OK to go home (Monday 5.30pm) by the Drs after a day of observation at the hospital. Mathena was pretty much her cheeky self.
We found nice and excellent staff during the entire A & E/Pediatric hospital process and even met a few asian Doctors. We needed help(neighbours to babysit Letitia) and support(people who offered a shoulder and a warm meal) and they all came at the right time etc.
All the test returned well...M is now safely asleep on her own bed after a whole day of struggling (will not be left in the hospital cot on her own and wanted to be carried), I am happy that she was more than willing to quickly settle into her cot! My back would not have lasted another night.
Thanks for all your prayers and kindness and support and offers...for those who knew. For those who didn't we are sorry that we could not contact you as we've been flat out juggling the kids, waiting for test results and procedures...on top of the ban of using mobile phones in hospitals etc.
Keep praying for us, M is to be kept in close observation...I will have to monitor her and her temperature very closely. The next is an EEG to check the electronic pulses are doing well in her brains in a couple of weeks. But we hold strong and loves M to bits. I have never been soooo blessed to have Mathena in my arms. I thank GOD for helping us through all this...
May Ai/ Sarah
Again, we have a few appointments to hold to, and we want to get the 2 girls back to normality at home...so, please refrain from calling as it'll mean that I have have to put aside Mathena (she's prone to be extra clingy). Feel free to email and especially to pray for us. Life is very precious,....we've learnt it especially NOW!
I just hope for an easier week minus the sagas (eg. racial crank calls, sick kids, make up classes for sick kids, hospital emergency etc)
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