ER

Mathew had his first ER experience Wednesday night.

It started Wednesday morning, when my caller ID indicated that it was time for me to have the "uh-oh what's wrong" feeling. The teacher explained to me that Mathew threw up and is not feeling well. I figured it was something he ate and he should be fine by afternoon. We went home and the vomiting never stopped. It carried on through to the middle of the night. It was 10:30 when I decided to take him to the ER. He threw up his last 2 times on the way to the hospital. The wait was not too long considering it was busy. When we were finally given a bed, Mathew and I met the doctor and the nurses who were going to try to figure out what was wrong.

They gave him an IV to inject fluids, a drug to stop the vomiting, and a 24 hour antibiotic for the mysterious infection. How sad is the image of my boy's tiny hand wrapped in tape with a spider-like glove and a plastic tube running through to a machine as he sits in my arms on the hospital bed.

They ran all sorts of tests; blood work, urine sample (via catheter), ultrasound, and culture samples of his throat. The worst part of the experience was the catheter. My poor baby! I literally felt his pain and swelled up in tears. Through it all, he was such a good boy and handled it better than me. My rock! We slept together on a single cot, watched TV, hugged a lot, and stayed by each others side.

At one point, I had to ask a nurse to stay with Mathew just to use the restroom. I heard him crying the whole time. I never even got to get all the pee out of me. At another point, I cried while Mathew was sleeping in my arms. I cried for many more reasons than just the actual visit. Being there alone, reminded me of the life I have. The life of a single mom. The life I never dreamed of and never imagined I would be in. During this brief, yet very sad lapse of emotional wreckage, I told myself: "Get a grip, Nancy! This life, while you may have not asked for it, is yours and yours to take. My life is great and I could not ask for anything more! Stop feeling sorry for yourself!" I wiped the tears and remained strong and proud with my son by my side. It is experiences like this that although may bring back some hurtful and sad experiences, also strengthens my resolve and gives me more courage for the next. I'm moving forward better and stronger.

Six hours later, the end result: all tests were negative and it was undetermined what kind of infection Mathew had. It was most likely a 24-hour viral infection. We're glad that the experience is over and that he is healthy and happy again. This was our first trip to the ER and I am sure it won't be our last. But let's hope they all end happily like this one did.

Before I go, let me leave you with this:
I got my passport yesterday! Yes, that was FAST (and expensive). It is now official, I am 100% without a doubt going to Spain, of course God willing.