Mia's First Hospitalization

Before I delve into why I've not written and updated as often as I should, let me just mark the day Mia had been admitted to PMC for a couple of nights for Herpangitis!!

For the whole week of last week both Daddy and I had been off from work to look after the little one. This was how it started, 2 Fridays ago, we rushed her to the Emergency unit because she was coughing and through her phlegm there were fine traces of blood. I freaked out, yelled for Daddy to come have a look and he literally scooped her up and off we go to the hospital. Thank goodness the doc said a blood vessel or a tear might have occurred when she had coughed or sneezed too hard (she was starting to have a bit of cough then). She also sounds a bit "tight" in her chest and had a round of nebulizer. And another round for after dinner. So armed with few meds, off we went to work and sent her to school.

The week passed by and her cough has improved very slightly and for some reason, her appetite had also decreased. Now my little miss eat-a-lot is known for her good appetite so usually if she's having decreased appetite, it usually tells me she's unwell. Come Saturday we took her for her second movie experience - Lorax. Now unlike her first time at the movies - Puss in Boots, where she had sat through the entire movie - this time she had requested to go out of the cinema halfway through. Which was swell since Daddy has started snoring lightly, we don't want to embarrass ourselves when he starts to reaaalllyy snore! She was looking a bit under the weather so to cheer her up, we took her to the Barbie doll shop and she had one fingernail done (free!), picked a toddler-sized umbrella and we went home.

Sunday was one of the weekends I'd have to go to work to help out with some things. Seeing Daddy's down with a slight flu, and Mia looks unwell, I called work to say I won't be able to come. That afternoon I was glad to have made the decision. Darling hubby was down with flu and Mia had a temperature of 38.5C so we went to the Emergency again. This time the doc checked her tonsil and discovered that both her tonsils are red and swollen. It is tonsillitis. She had had tonsillitis before when she was very young. 10 months, maybe. It was horrid. So we went home with another batch of meds.

Monday, I had accompanied both my parents to Gleneagles to deciding what dialysis treatment for Papa. The doc was pleased I turned up at the appointment since both parents are not ready and unable to decide. I had made the decision and Papa had to be admitted straight away. His potassium level is too high and kidneys are also in bad shape. They need to insert a catheter into his abdomen immediately. All these time Mia was at home with Daddy but they came to visit later in the afternoon.

She didn't look so well so we didn't stay long. Tuesday, she still didn't look good. So both of us stayed home from work. Visited Papa in the afternoon when he was about to undergo his surgery. Mia has stopped eating, and speaking altogether.

Wednesday I had to turn up for work for a couple hours then we decided to visit the Emergency again. Previously I had spotted the ulcer on the side of her tongue. So I asked the doc to check it. We had to force her mouth open and that's when the doc saw multiple ulcers and swellings in her mouth. She had refused wearing socks or shoes, claiming "pain". I then recalled the few times she had shown me her hands and scratched them but there were no skin rash. Doc suspects it has something to do with Hands Foot and Mouth Disease but because she doesn't look dehydrated, they're no worried and did not admit her. Later that afternoon, her school manager called. A boy in her class had been admitted to a hospital yesterday for Herpangitis. His symptoms are similar of Mia's. I panicked. I called the unit, spoke to a male, left my number for the doc to call me back. He didn't. This day was also the day we found out my MIL is in ICU. She went into a coma and she's all the way in KB.

Thursday, Daddy decides to go back to KB and checks on his mother. Mia woke up with a bit of bleeding on her top lip. Immediately I carried her and we went to my panel doctor. The GP listened and said to me, "Why did you go to the Emergency? They are young junior doctors, you should have gone straight to the paeds!" I had wanted to smack myself! Paed! Then I remembered, it was a Sunday and her paeds was not open. So since we had started with the Emergency unit, we kept on going back there. I asked for a referral letter to one in PMC and he had gladly made an appointment for us. We met with a very gentle and soft spoken Dr Atikah Ng.

And because she heard my worry and built up stress, she admitted Mia straight away. At this point she was still not eating nor talking. Only sips of water or milk. Daddy couldn't leave his daughter, so he decided not to return. His sister updates him every now and then. Dinner time, she said "I'm hungry" so took a couple spoonfuls of rice porridge and few gulps of soy milk. That night, my cousin and brother came to visit. She was so excited upon seeing them. That night, she had trouble sleeping. Woke up a couple of times and whimpered during her sleep. Restless first night at the hospital. Thank goodness her paed decided she doesn't need a drip line else she'd be even more uncomfortable.

The next day she was recovering so well. She was eating all her meals slowly and painfully. And because she was eating, she doesn't need a drip line. She's let out a small cry when food goes into her mouth, then she'd try eating again. It was such an experience to watch. By Saturday morning MIL had woken up, and Mia can be discharged. Papa was discharged on Friday.

So yeah.
That week was hell for us. But we pulled through and everyone's okay now. Only I now have a terrible cough! Agh! Off to the docs for nebulizer and cough meds! :)