Goodness. So all of last week Derrick did not feel well. His head hurt but there was not any vomiting or nasal congestion, just a headache and he felt feverish. Wednesday night we decided that if he was not feeling better by Thursday afternoon then we would schedule him an appointment to see the doctor. He was still feeling horrible on Thursday so I called our doc and scheduled an appointment for 5:30 that evening.
Rad had T-Ball at 5:30 that evening and it was his last game. So we were hoping to hustle through the doc appointment and get Rad to his game before it was over. The appointment went rather quick. The doc did a quick exam and told us to go to the ER. What?
We took Rad to the ball field, let him play his last 2 innings. Derrick sat in the car, windows up basking in the heat. It was so hot outside, I thought he was crazy.
Rad finished his game and we let him stay with some friends of ours for the end of season BBQ.
Cade and I took Derrick to the ER. My coworkers really must think that we are some kind of problem. With Cade's trip to Sacred Heart, Rad's concussion earlier in the year, my surgery leg and now Derrick. Nice.
They took a look at Derrick and took us right back to an exam room. He only had a fever of 100.5 but his headached was through the roof and he couldn't move his neck. Let me just say that a few weeks ago Derrick got his hand stuck in the weed eater. He went in the house, doused the hand in rubbing alcohol and went back outside to finish the job. He is no pansy. So for him to rate his headache at a 9 on the 1-10 pain scale was a big deal.
The next time they took his temp it was 103.5. He could not stand the pain. They hooked him up to an IV and gave him Morphine which made his head hurt worse. He said it's the worst head rush ever. Then they drew some blood for lab and did a spinal tap. Yup. The doc stuck a needle in his spine and sucked out fluid. They were wondering if he had meningitis. Those tests came back negative, his blood work looked fine, but he did not. So they admitted him into the hospital for an observation patient.
The same friends who kept Rad for us came to the hospital and picked up Cade (prior to the spinal) and the boys had a sleep over there so that I could stay with Derrick.
The next morning he was still sick, sick, sick. So a couple of fantastic doctors consulted and decided to send Derrick to Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur D' Alene for more treatment and a MRI. We get to KMC, they check us in quick, he still had his IV in and was doing okay. With all of the treatment at the Bonners Ferry hospital, his symptoms were not so bad as long as he was laying down.
They took him in for a CT of the brain and that was normal. So around 2:30pm the doc at KMC told us that Derrick was most likely dehydrated, they gave him 2 litres of saline and sent us home.
Ouch. Derrick was in the car for like 5 minutes and the pain was intense again. I stopped at Target to get Tylenol for the fever that was coming back and head for home. We picked up the boys, got home and Derrick suffered through the night. I knew that he needed treatment, something was not right. So I called the BF hospital. They said that the Sandpoint hospital was the closest with an MRI scanner. So I called the Sandpoint hospital and they confirmed that they do have a scanner and that the have technicians on call when needed. So we headed there.
We stopped by Auto Haus where Derrick received a blessing from Bob and Alex and some friends of ours met up with us there to snag the boys from us.
We get to the hospital and we wait, and wait, and wait. They called somebody else back and they asked the nurse to take Derrick back first because he was in obvious pain. The nurse said nope, first come first serve. So we wait. When we finally get called back Derrick is painful to even look at. I'm close to tears. They take his vitals, his fever wasn't too bad. So we wait some more. They were busy in the ER, I get it. But seriously, call in the on call doc for goodness sakes!
When the doctor finally comes in to see Derrick he mentions how we have been to every hospital in the area and has the nerve to say "What do you want me to do? If you're expecting and MRI you are not getting one." "Tests have been done, you are not dying today and there is nothing I can do for you, this is and ER." I lost it, I started crying and said that we didn't know what to do either. I said, "My husband is in pain, I don't know how to help him, we don't know what to do, we don't know where to go. Tell me and we will go there. Please." He said, "What? So you want me to admit you?" UGH! He said that he would give Derrick some fluids and some medicine and that we could then go home and wait until Monday to see our normal doc who would refer us to a specialist.
Derrick decided that he was going to leave. He was going to have me drive him to Sacred Heart in Spokane. So I tell the nurse. They ask us to stay for at least one more blood draw. So we did. In the mean time a friend of ours came to visit and let them have it. She threatened to sue and everything else. She through the book at them and helped me figure out what to do next. I asked if they would please at least take his temperature again... 102.7. Hot.
So I went outside and called our primary doctor. We ended up getting the oncall doctor. I explained everything to him... sobbing of course. I can handle a lot, really, but I was melting down quick. I asked the doc if he could refer us to Sacred Heart so that Derrick could get help. He said that we didn't need to go to Sacred Heart, we didn't need and MRI but we certainly needed care. So he said that he was going to call the ER doc and take over. I hesitated, because the 4th ambulance had just pulled up and I knew the ER doc was busy. The primary doc said, "This is his job, it's what he gets paid to do, if he can't handle it...." Something along those lines. So he called the ER doc. We were admitted and Derrick was made comforatable.
The doc that admitted Derrick was the same doc that delivered him... and Uncle Alan.... and all of my step siblings. He is also Bob's doctor, My mom in laws doctor and my pa in laws doctor.
We stayed until Sunday evening and headed home where we are now. The doc is driving to BF to see us on Thursday to see where Derrick is at in the process of his fevers and pain.
How does this all have anything to do with our Oregon trip? Well. Evidently Derrick was bit by a mosquito carrying a nasty virus while we were in Oregon. We are waiting for the West Nile Results to come in. He is still just as sick, but at least we have the right meds now to make him half comfortable while we wait for the virus to pass.
We are so thankful to the staff at BF hospital. They genuinely cared. In fact, I had the doc from there and the doc from KMC call me on my cell phone after we had left just to check in on Derrick and I.
The doc that admitted Derrick in Sandpoint was/is so great and the nurses there were/are so appreciated.
The Tadlocks and the Tills were lifesavers when it came to thy boys and Jared and Amy were such a blessing to me just knowing that they were there close. The Hammack's for keeping me together and for my Mom, Bob and Alex for their ears and blessings and too all of the prayers offered in our behalf.
♥
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