Maaaajor Update

Ok, friends. I owe you a huuge update. Sorry for the lack of blogging, but I have had no time or energy to ready any blogs in the last couple weeks, let alone write one. But, tonight is the night. I'm forcing myself to stay up past 9:00 (this is a big deal!) to get this done. Plus, I don't think I have any pictures for this post. Eeek!

I just wrote about Bryson's Baby Dedication and our Labor Day weekend if you want to see pictures. :)

Now, for the update on Bryson. As you know, he's been sick for quite a while. 3 weeks to be exact. When it first started, I chalked all the symptoms (grumpiness, low grade temp, diarrhea) up to just starting day care and to teething. Then he started throwing up. I got really worried about it and after a week of this, we went to the doctor.

He wasn't too concerned and said it would work it's way out. Well, it did't. A couple days later, Bryson stopped eating and drinking and was still having all of his other symptoms. I called the On Call doctor and she said to make sure he had a wet diaper every 6-8 hours or it could mean he was dehydrated. Since he was still throwing up and having diarrhea, she was pretty concerced about it. He woke up at 11:30 that night and still had not gone potty, which at this point was ELEVEN hours without a wet diaper. I freaked out and called my dad. He really urged me to take him to the ER. So I did. With tears streaming down and hands shaking uncontrollably, I took Bryson to the ER. By myself. Of all the luck, Michael was spending the night in Dallas that night because he had a big siminar the next morning. So it was just me. (Yes, he owes me for the rest of our lives for that one.) Anyway, we stayed there for several hours trying to get something into B. We tried milk, water, applejuice, Pedialyte, ice chips and even popcicles. He wouldn't take a thing. They were debating about giving him an IV, but fortunately, he had a wet diaper in the middle of the conversation, so we skipped the IV, thank goodness. I don't think I could have handled seeing him with an IV. I'm pretty sure I would have just collapsed right then and there. We both went back home, got 2.5 hours of sleep and went to work/daycare the next day. Exhausting!!

He started eating and drinking again the next day, but everything else has continued. He has even started waking up during the night because of gas. It's just so exhusting. Physically and Emotionally. I can't handle 4-5 hours of sleep every night and then teaching the next day. I can't handle seeing my baby so sick every day. I try so hard to be strong and calm, but on the inside I'm more stressed out than anyone could possible imagine and on the verge of bursting into tears at any given moment.

We went to a Pediatric GI doctor this morning and it was very comforting to talk to him. He seems to have a few different options to explore once cultures come back. While I'm praying for Bryson, I am also playing for this new doctor and for him to be able to find out what is making our sweet boy sick. We'll be going back to see him once the results from the stool samples are back.

During the last 3 weeks, Bryson has gone to the ER, seen the doctor 4 times, and had to stay home from daycare because of a temperature. Michael has been absolutely amazing and helped so much with Bryson. I'm also fairly completely certain we would not have been able to make it these 3 weeks without my mom. She has been our life saver. She's taken Bryson to doctor appointments when I couldn't leave my kids, she's picked him up from day care when he was throwing up, she has canceled all of her plans at the drop of a hat to watch Bryson when he couldn't go back to day care, she cooked us several meals and even stocked the pantry with dairy-free groceries. She has helped us out more than she could ever know and we are so blessed for her. I told her today that if she hadn't been here, I would have probably had to quit teaching by now because of all the appointments and times that Bryson had to stay home. Mom, we love you and can't even begin to tell you how grateful we are for you!!