The
Sunday after Christmas Katie starting complaining of stomach pain. The
pain was still there Monday morning so I took her to the doctor asking
if it was an appendicitis. The doctor completely dismissed us saying
she was just suffering from constipation.
We
went home. Tuesday morning, Katie woke up and the pain had subsisted
some. Katie spent all week walking around slumped over. I was a
terrible mom, telling her to stand up straight, go run around outside,
etc. Finally, on Friday, Katie was walking really hunched. After
asking her why, she said she was in pain. I started feeling her stomach
and she jerked away when I touch her lower right side. It was New
Years Day and the doctor was closed, so I called the emergency number.
The doctor I talked to told me to have Katie jump, she did, to which the
doctor said it was not an appendicitis. She told me to watch for other
signs and to bring her in in the morning. After a day of not being
hungry (including a family lunch at Five Guys), Katie finally developed a
low fever. I called the doctor again, she told me that if it were her
child she would probably take her to the ER but I could just take her to
a clinic. Feeling very confused about what to do, I called a a friend
who is a doctor. She recommended we go straight to the ER. She even
called and registered us and ordered all the necessary test. So
grateful for Darlene!
We
got to the ER, and the admitting doctor said just looking at Katie and
it was most likely an appendicitis. The blood test said the same thing.
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| For someone who wants to be a doctor she was a little apprehensive about the blood drawing process |
After an unltrasound, the
surgeons were positive enough to prep for surgery. I knew we were
staying before we came in and had packed a bag for the night and full of
things to do. Katie and I played Five Crowns during the time we were
waiting.
Katie
was upbeat and positive the whole time. She kept telling everyone who
asked her if she was in pain; "a tiny bit". I told her to stop saying
that because that response is what kept her home all week.
I
was amazingly calm during the surgery. I should have been freaking
out, but I didn't know that until after. My friend Jordan and her
husband came to sit at our house while Mark came to wait with me for
Katie to get out of surgery. The surgery took a lot longer then we were
told. When the surgeon finally came to talk to us, she said Katie was
fine, but it had been a mess. The appendix was ruptured (probably since
Tues) and had caked around itself, which protected Katie's life, but
made it really hard to clean out. She had to take out the very bottom
part of the colon where it was infected. She said Katie would be in the
hospital for 7-10 days while they watched for infection and the
development of an abscess.
Mark
stayed until Katie woke and they were ready to move us into a room. I
spent the night with Katie. Sat morning we had a babysitter come site
with Jax and Zane while Mark brought Addy and Marcus up to visit. Katie
was pretty out of it. Katie's friend Lily also came to visit. After
the babysitter left, Mark and I spend the day switching places; one of
us at home and the other at the hospital. Mark spent that night and the
rest of the nights at the hospital (YES, husband of the year!)
The
major kicker of all of this is that Katie gave up her birthday party
over the summer because I was too stressed trying to get everything
together to bring Zane home. We had planned a half birthday party for
her on Jan 2nd, instead she spent the day in a hospital bed.
On
Sunday Katie was a little more alert. I took the kids to church and
left Zane, Marcus and Addy there during Sunday School while Jax and I
went to visit Katie.
After
church a friend came up and gave Katie a blessing with Mark. Marcus
and Addy came after church as well as Katie's friends Jasmine and Lulu.
Mark
stayed around Monday and Tuesday and worked from the hospital. We
didn't want to take Zane to the hospital so I had a friend come stay
with him for a couple hours so I could relieve Mark in the morning on
both Mon and Tues, Mark and I spend the rest of the time switching back
and forth between home and the hospital (it is really convenient that we
live about 1/2 mile from the hospital). Katie started being more alert
on Monday, and seemed to enjoy her visitors after that.
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| A picture we sent to Katie to show her how Jax had taken over her feeding duties--Zane really missed her. |
Katie had such a hard time not seeing Zane for a whole week. I brought a picture of him for her and she just started crying.
The
first time I saw Katie act like herself was when Jax walked into the
room, sat in the visiter chair and said; "so Katie, how did you sleep
last night?"
Another
time I brought Jax in before bedtime to hang out with Katie, she had a
little dinner left, Jax proceeded to clean her tray. He kept mumbling;
"thanks for the cheese cake, Katie" as he stuffed his face.
One
morning I brought Jax with me before preschool. I ordered Katie and I
breakfast, Jax would not let me touch the food, it was his second
breakfast and I wasn't allowed to have anything. That boy and food!
Katie
had so many visitors and got enough gifts that M&A were starting to
think it might be worth it to have surgery. We had so many friends
help us out with childcare and meals. I am still so humbled by the help
that we received from everyone.
I
scheduled our babysitter followed by a friend, followed by another
friend to take shifts at our house with Zane for the rest of the week. I
spent the day getting the kids off to school, getting Jax to preschool,
hanging with Katie, picking M&A up from school and bringing
everyone to visit Katie, feeding kids and back to the hospital while
Mark put everyone to bed. I was so stressed out not knowing what was
going on with Zane (I might be a control freak). The silver lining is
that Katie and I had a lot of fun together. We played games, talked and
read Heidi. It was great getting so much alone time with her.
Finally
on Thursday, after 6 LONG days in the hospital, the doctor said that
Katie could come home! I have never been so excited to have all my kids
in one place.
Thursday
night a bunch of Katie's friends came over to visit. The sister
missionaries came to hang with her the days that she was home but not
able to go to school. Friends continued to feed us for the next week.
We were so grateful for all the help.
You
would think that the story ends here...but it doesn't. Katie was
healing well her first week home. But the next week, she came home from
school on Tues in extreme pain. I called her doctor and she said that
her pain was normal. But all week I noticed Katie regressing. Finally,
on Friday, I called her doctor to try to schedule an appointment. She
was in surgery all day and unable to call me back. Around 4pm on
Friday, I decided to take Katie to the ER. My friend Darlene came to
the rescue as I was walking out the door. She said she would come
examine Katie. After checking Katie's abdomen, she said we didn't need
to go to the ER unless Katie developed a fever or started vomiting
since Katie had a doctor's appointment the following Monday. Mark had
come home early so that he could sit with kids while I was at the
hospital. We had a great night family night and then put the kids to
bed. Around 10pm, Katie came downstairs to tell us she had just thrown
up. Once she started, she did not stop. After a called to Darlene,
Katie and I headed the ER. We were in the ER until 5am. It was
terrible, I never want to do that again. Because they could not stop
the vomiting, Katie had to have a GI tube inserted, the first one was
too small to work, so they did it again. I won't rehash anymore of it
because the night was terrible for Katie.
Finally,
at 5am (after Darlene had called to check in and talked to all the
doctors involved) they moved us to the Peds unit and scheduled a CAT
Scan. Results-partial intestinal block. The GI tube had to stay until
it cleared. It was a painful 3 days for Katie. She did not talk
because it hurt her throat; we played some games, finished Heidi, she
read and watched a lot of TV. (I also introduced her to Dr Quinn
Medicine Women on Tuesday when I was too sick to do anything but sit
with her.)
To
add insult to injury, CT got its first snow of the year. We were so
excited to get snowed in and spend the weekend eating and sledding.
Instead, I got snowed in the hospital on Sat night and all the kids at
home, including little Zane, got sick. It was a rough weekend for the
Sanofsky family.
On
Sunday the roads were clear, and I was able to switch places with
Mark. Mark stayed home Monday. Katie finally got the tube out mid
day. Monday afternoon, I took Jax up to visit Katie. We had a great
time exploring the children's floor. Jax, as always, was
entertaining.
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| Jax trying to decide which lollipop to give to Katie, it only took 5 full mins |
Marcus
and Addy spent their time at the hospital being hyper, asking for soda
and oreos and talking the nurses into letting them choose a toy from the
toy closet. So grateful for the distraction they were to Katie.
Tues
I had my babysitter and then a friend watching Zane until 5pm. After
school Jax and Addy came to the hospital with me to play with Katie. At
4:30pm the doctor said that Katie could go home!
We packed it up and ran out off there! Here's to hoping we never see the hospital again!
Again,
my friends jumped in to help out with meals and childcare. For
being in a state with no family, we survived almost 2 total weeks in the
hospital. So thankful for the support group we have here. (Also
grateful for the moral support of our family, and all the gifts, phone
calls and Facetime that lifted Katie's spirits.)
