Y's First Hospitalization, Lessons, and Realizations

Warning: This is a very very long post.
Scared the sh*t out of me.


We just got home from the hospital this morning. We stayed for 2.5 days. Y is sleeping now, and hopefully I'll get my rest later.


It's true when parents say that you don't know how it is hard to be a parent until you become one. Hard not necessarily limits to providing financially or guiding them to be the best person they can be. It's definitely harder when it's health related or the well-being of your child!


It's so hard to write about this so fresh in my memory but I have to let this out.


Y had fever last Wednesday (March 14). We thought it's because of teething because she's been biting anything she gets her hand to. When we got home, she was her normal makulit self. So we didn't worry much. Thursday around 3AM, her fever went up to 38.2 Celsius. I put ice pack on her head and forehead. By the time we woke up at 6:30AM (March 15), her fever was down. I was going to changed her nappy and clothes when she started crying. I thought it's because ayaw lang niya. I got to change her top, but her diaper was nakatiwangwang pa, I was carrying her when suddenly she began to shake and I saw her eyes na tumirik na! (I kept on having flashbacks of this!) Oh my God, I panicked, woke up my husband and everything was a blur. I remembered getting a blanket to cover Y's bottom, wore shoes, and started running down the stairs (our house is at the 4th floor) while carrying Y to the car. It's the first time I saw BOS really scared. Y was still seizing while inside the car, hindi ko alam anung gagawin ko! I don't remember if her eyes were closed or open. I was so afraid that Y will die. After a few seconds, she stopped seizing and she started to cry and I was sort of relieved.


When we got to the ER, Y was attended shortly. I laid her down on one of beds. She was crying nonstop and her eyes were closed. The nurses asked me Y's info and all that. They asked me who my pedia was, I gave her my pedia's name not Y's because she's not affiliated with the hospital we went to. The resident pedias gave her a look and waited for my pedia to come. While waiting, they put IV on Y but I was asked to stepped outside. They don't allow anyone when they do this. I don't know if it's like that in every hospital. I was outside and I heard Y's screams and cries. Heartbreaking!!! When I was allowed in, her eyes were open na but I think her brain was stressed out and couldn't make out of anything yet. Ang alam ko galit siya dun sa nurse na naglagay ng IV niya. She wouldn't look at me, she's just looking at her IV bag. When my pedia came, she advised to have Y admitted for observation, if she needs to be checked by a neurologist (my eyes went Katy Perry-big when I heard this). She also ordered for a CBC and urinalysis. Y was still crying, I was worried baka ma-paos siya or get dehydrated sa kakaiyak. So I carried her and that's when she stopped. 


When our room was ready, I was wheeled with Y to our room. Blur na ulit to. I told BOS and yaya to go home and ready Y's things to be brought to the hospital. Y was tired and slept agad in the room. When she woke up, she wasn't her usual self pa. She was very irritable and maybe she's feeling very uncomfortable, she keeps on crying pa din. She cries every time nurses or doctors come to the room. When a nurse came to take her blood, mega iyak nanaman. She had no appetite at all too. Then she slept again in the afternoon. I had no appetite to eat too. I forgot to eat breakfast which is bad because I'm pregnant. When she woke up from her nap, she started babbling na. She's slowly coming back. I was relieved!!! Well a little. Later that afternoon, amma and our helper went to visit us, brought food and played with Y a little. When it was time for them leave, Y would cry. They had to sneak out so she wouldn't notice. Every time the door opens, she would look and papabuhat agad regardless if it's the nurse, housekeeping, or doctors. That late afternoon, she was more of herself na, dancing and smiling already. Good thing she wasn't bothered by her IV. Poor baby talaga. She didn't eat much the first day. She slept early but kept on waking up because the nurses coming in our room. When she finally slept at 2AM, I saw blood naman with her IV so I have to call the nurse and have it changed, so nagising nanaman! Hindi kami nakatulog until 5AM the next morning! We were both so tired that knocked out si Y.

The next day, Friday (March 16), my pedia came early in the morning. Y was still sleeping. She told us that the CBC is normal, we need to collect urine for her to check too. We need to stay another day in the hospital to monitor Y's temp and they still need to test Y's urine. She didn't have any fever anymore unlike the first day where the fever comes and goes. She's much better that Friday! Whew! The BOS and I had to go to Philhealth to update my MDR because Y is not my dependent yet, forgot to do that! Then I dropped by my office to get other requirements for the Philhealth deduction on our bill. Thank God I have Philhealth because it really helped us alot and good thing I also signed up Y and BOS as my dependent on my company's HMO. When we got back to the hospital, Y was cheerful, she's friendly with some of the nurses but not doctors! Haha.. We still haven't collected Y's urine, it was a struggle to put the wee bag, I think she got scared too, because she won't lie down while we change her diaper, kelangan nakatayo siya. After 4 wee bags, we finally were able to collect. May trick pala dun. Results came out okay too, so when my pedia came to do her rounds late that afternoon, she told us we can go home the next day, Y's IV will be taken out once it's finished. The rest of that day was less stressful, she was already eating and drinking milk, she's dancing and playing na din. I really can't wait to go home! Around 10PM, the nurse came in to remove Y's IV, she was sleeping already. Good thing she didn't wake up while the nurse is removing the IV. I was relieved for her! She slept soundly and woke up late the next day!

The 2nd night, she slept soundly!

Come Saturday (March 17), while Y and BOS were still sleeping, I left them with yaya and ran down for coffee. I ran into my pedia on my way back, she said we're for discharge, walang bawal for Y and just go to her for check-up when we're free. When I came back to the room, Y was awake na, drank my coffee, woke the BOS and went down again to pay for our hospital bill. Again, Thank God I have Philhealth and HMO, our bill was covered. I only paid for 2 arm boards which was around 50 pesos. We went home happy and vowed not to come back to the hospital ever again!


We thought that was the end of it. But NO. No, Y didn't have a seizure again, she had sinat and she was so clingy and kept on crying for the next two days. We think she was still traumatized by the hospitalization. How could a toddler explain what she's feeling? We felt sorry for Y. No amount of TV or her toys would make her smile. Her appetite was affected, she would only drink milk. I was so tired that I had to hide from her for an hour or two so I could rest. :( My amma suggested to have Y hilot, baka daw may pilay. I told her to hold off another day because Y's still traumatized. And then came Sunday (March 18), Y developed coughs and colds. Oh my! Double whammy! BOS was worried that Y is so matamlay, you can see it in her eyes. Monday (March 19), we're supposed to go to Y's pedia to have her checked up but she was in a conference so I told my amma to call the lady who will hilot Y and it turns out, Y has pilay nga. But the good news was, Y was a bit cheerful na. That night when we were doing our grocery, I thought of buying Y a new toy to cheer her up, we brought a baby stroller!

She didn't like the Kool Fever... and the paracetamol, hence the face.

Tuesday (March 20), that morning we gave the stroller to Y! She was better and cheerful na! Almost back to her old self! Pushing her baby teddy in the stroller. We went to her pedia to have her checked up. I was surprised because she was being playful with our pedia, she was laughing and smiling and we were relieved talaga! She was noisy and makulit na ulit! But another ordeal was trying to get Y to nebulize! She would run away from us when she sees the mask or hears the nebulizer! Cute, funny but she needed to get well so we sorted to taking meds, we had no problems with that!

Writing about the whole experience took me two weeks. It was scary. It still haunts me. It makes us paranoid. That we bought an ear thermometer few days after so we could check Y's temp regularly and fast. I wish no mother to experience what I have experienced. Being in the hospital, seeing your child, helpless. My husband and I wished kami na lang ang may sakit. Lesson learned talaga. Now that we'll have two kids, doble na ang takot ko. Being a mom is not always about sunshine and rainbows! We're just happy that Y's fine!

Now, on to a happier thought, please?!