Rough Day

Today was the big day! We headed to the clinic before 8:00 am this morning to do Bennett's growth hormone testing. I was not nervous nor worried--whatever happens in this situation will be fine. If we have to give shots for the next 16 years, so be it. He is a healthy, happy boy and this is not a life threatening situation--just an inconvenience.

Unfortunately, he was having a hard time understanding why he couldn't have breakfast this morning. When we got to the clinic, the first thing the nurse did was wrap his arms in warm towels to prepare his veins for the IV. As you can see, he was not liking that at all and it wasn't long before both towels came off! The look on his face was just the beginning of our rough morning!

Good call Daddy! Before the nurse could even turn around, Bennett had ripped part of the IV off. So, we had to take drastic measures and tape up his entire hand. He was then givent he medication to lower his blood pressure which started to make him sleepy. Daddy and Bennett are relaxing with Teddy watching Cars.

Thinking things were going well and he was doing fine, I ran up to the OB department to have my back/hip checked out. Last night, I started having horrible, unbearable pain. It was what I had anticipated--the baby was sitting on my sciatic nerve. Hmmm . . . that explains the pain running down my leg and my inability to even bend over. I head to PT tomorrow, hoping for some relief!

When I returned, Bennett was peaceful and asleep on Daddy's shoulder. Apparently, I missed the fun--the screaming and crying. But I got back just in time for the first blood draw. The nurse said most kids sleep right through it. Not my little guy. They were struggling to get blood out of the IV (which I'm guessing was because he ripped part of it out). It took a very long time and several different viles, lots of tears, and loud screams to get the blood they needed. The IV was taken out. Needless to say, the screaming never stopped after that. With the lowering of his blood pressure, Bennett seemed very out of it and not aware at all of what he was doing. In an attempt to calm him down, we walked out to the windows where we had the entire waiting area staring at us and our irrate child and lots of clinic staff coming to see what was the matter. I could have cared less--my only concern was trying to get my son calmed down and feeling better. No such luck.

We headed back to our room for our second blood draw. Since the IV was taken out, the lab tech was forced to stick Bennett with another needle. She kept telling us that him being so upset was going to skew the results--not really the time or the place for that comment. We were doing the best we could and he was completely inconsolable. But thanks for sharing!

In order to take him home, we needed his blood pressure to go back up and for him to start eating and drinking. He refused to eat and only took a few sips of juice. But the nurse and the doctor agreed it was time to head home. Finally, at about 12:15 we got in the car, breathed a sigh of relief that it was over, and headed home. He was out like a light before we got on the interstate. He slept for a while and then got up and was ready to eat. It didn't take long before he was asleep again.

This was the norm for the rest of the day--off and on napping. By supper, he was finally starting to get back to his usual self. We should have results in about a week.

These are the moments that it stinks to be a parent. As I'm watching all this unfold, I kept asking myself if we were doing the right thing and was this really necessary. The poor thing didn't understand that what we were doing was meant to help him. He just knew that he didn't feel right and was in pain. There were a few moments that I just wanted to cry myself because it is so hard to see your child upset. But the day is almost over and I'm hoping tomorrow will be a better day for all of us.