Bad Day....

This has been a bad day. End of story. Where do I even begin...

Last night Ben became inconsolable. It happened out of the blue...he just couldn't settle. I have noticed that his pin site has been getting progressively more red. However no doctor seemed to be too bothered by it. I got the "It looks fine" and "It's normal for there to be redness when there is external hardware" that kind of crap. Yesterday the discharge continued but was mixed with blood. I cleaned the sites with sterile water and that helped a bit I think. However last night I noticed a lump. A very small but definite lump by his right external pin. Over the morning it got bigger. It was warm. By noon you could see a faint yellow collection beneath the skin. I managed to talk the pediatricians office into seeing us. Problem was it was at the same time as Victoria's dentist appointment.

I made arrangements to drop Mom off at the dentist with Victoria and Harrison. I hadn't had my Iphone on me but when I got back to it I had a message that my husbands step mom had passed away. While she had been sick quite a while and we knew it was coming, it was still hard to hear.

I dropped Mom, Harrison, and Victoria at the dentist. I carried on to the pediatricians office. Honestly I was there less than 10 minutes. She did not like the look of it. She called the local hospital. She did NOT like what they said so she made arrangements for Ben to be seen by the IWK.

I doubled back and picked everyone else up from the dentist. I noticed what looked like a river running from the back of the van. Since it was fairly warm today and we had so much snow the last couple days I didn't give it much thought....BIG MISTAKE.

Victoria made out well at the dentist. No cavities and she doesn't need to be seen again for a year!! (The only YAY moment of the day!!)

I took the crew back to my parents and headed into the city. I hit Halifax just before rush hour...not fun...especially in a HUGE van from the late 90's.

Poor Ben was beside himself by the time we got there. He was in so much pain and had a mild temperature. He was screaming blue murder.

Over the next 5 hours we saw 4 ENTs (residents and the on call guy), 4 Plastic surgeons (again residents and the on call guy), The ER doctor, loads of nurses, someone from pain services, a radiologist and a lab tech since the nurses were having trouble getting blood work done on Ben. Ben also had to have a mild sedative so one of the surgeons could drain the collection next to his pin. After that Ben was taken for a CT. Then the waiting began.

To cut a long story very short the decision was made we could go home BUT Ben would be given two high dose of IV antibiotics, IV pain medications and some Tylenol for his fever. I was given a script for more oral antibiotics to be started overnight as well as prescription strength pain killers. Also I was to bring him back if he hadn't improved in the next two days. Like wise if he gets worse I am to go straight back in. Should he stop eating well or develops diarrhea from the medication he needs to go back for admission. We are to be reassessed by his surgeons on Monday. We will make a game plan then. Hopefully we can avoid readmission and more surgery. Should all go well we will be seen again in the clinic the end of the week.

When we finally were allowed to leave with our high dose antibiotics on hand, I paid my 9 bucks to get out of the parking garage and noticed a large pool around the van. I wrongfully ignored it. Turns out the brake line my husband had fixed has completely gone again. Wonderful. Something else to be fixed.

To top it off the weather driving home was horrid. Snow, rain, freezing rain and ice pellets depending on where you were from Halifax to here.

The boys are both asleep now and so is Victoria. We are staying at my parents for tonight in case I need to get Ben seen again through the night. I physically, emotionally and psychologically hurt. I think I will get some tea and head to bed. Hopefully some sleep will help me get over this horrid day.