I’ll try to keep this “mini”: Fuck 2020.
About two weeks ago, took my son to the walk-in clinic, head cold, sinus congestion, no problem, give it time it’ll go away. About 10 days ago, daughter didn’t feel well, came home from school early even (yes, we are back to in-person schooling in Trumpistan) which is very, very abnormal for her. Figured she got the same bug as brother, just hit her harder. She ended up missing the next four days of school, again, very much a sign she wasn’t feeling well, because I could have sworn she’d still go to school if her arm fell off. Finally, though, she did say she was feeling a bit better on Wednesday…
Then I heard her throwing up around midnight, and come 9:00 Thursday morning, said things were way worse and it was time to go see the doctor. No argument from me, get dressed, let’s go!
We went to the walk-in clinic, and during triage check-in, they said… You look awful, and this is probably more serious than we are equipped for, and moved us to the ER, where, during ER check-in, I notice she is turning distinctly yellow. Move to room, blood tests, CT, x-ray…
Her appendix had burst, at some point. Blood tests show definite sepsis. Abnormally high bilirubin, obviously, but no associated abscess around appendix or on liver to explain the bilirubin counts. Local hospital has no liver specialist, we need to get somewhere that does… In the middle of a near-blizzard.
Flight crews available, weather allows only one clear path, northwest to Billings, Montana. Off we go on an airplane, me just barely dressed enough to qualify for an emergency run to the doctor originally. Arrive in Billings at 3:30 pm, more blood tests, history for new team, decision made to do targeted contrast MRI to figure out the liver issue. MRI finds complete thrombosis/clot in the vein that drains the large intestine, and another thrombosis in the portal vein of the liver. Too many worries about complications, so the decision is made to get us somewhere else, and the weather has cleared enough to go south, so Denver it is! By 2:30 am, we are in the air again, landing in Denver around 4, and then an ambulance ride to Children’s Hospital. And here I have been, ever since.
Progress has been made, sepsis agent identified (e. coli), clots have not changed at all. Enough secondary flow around them that we are just going with medical management. At first IV heparin, but they were unable to reach therapeutic levels, so now lovenox. Hasn’t shifted yet, but her infection is responding well to IV antibiotics, and it is now waiting for everything to finally tip the right way. I’m exhausted, she’s exhausted, but things are at least slowly improving.
I may need to have my clothes surgically removed by the time it’s all said and done though…