Admission: May 4-5

After we caught our breath from the scary time in the ER, we were admitted to the Oncology ward. One of our nurses from our first admission came to the ER to take us upstairs. It was a long tiring night with hardly any sleep. Jax was monitored very closely, vitals taken every hour. He was hooked onto a machine to monitor his heart rate, saturation, and respirations. His respiration levels dropped frequently, which was concerning because it meant he was not breathing deeply. Our clever nurse, Gino (The Filipino) figured out that it was because Jax had to pee that he was taking shallow breaths. Once he agreed to try peeing, his respirations improved. All night, Gino came in every hour (or more frequently) to check his vitals, including neurological tests. I don't remember what the reason for the neuro tests was (checking pupil dilation, following basic instructions, answering basic questions) ... something about his kidneys or pancreas or liver being in a bit of a shock, which can lead to seizures and other issues in the brain.


Here's the update I posted on FB tonight ...

We've had a quiet day, but also a bit of excitement. Our Drs. are a bit puzzled by how Jax is feeling (very sleepy), and what the numbers on his blood work say is going on inside. Ultrasound and x-rays show some irritation to a portion of his bowel, one kidney and ureter. They are not sure if these were caused by his severe dehydration, or if there is something underlying that caused those irritations, which started the trend toward dehydration. If he has an underlying infection, his gut could have "gone on strike" to allow the body to focus on the greater issue. All his other major organs look well and are doing what they should. There is the possibility of a urinary tract infection (already being treated with antibiotics as a precaution) or a kidney stone. A stone was not seen on the u/s, but could still be there. We are in a bit of a "wait-and-see" situation. We expect to have lab results tomorrow from blood and urine cultures that were taken this time last night. Our Dr. is curious (maybe a bit cautious, not yet fully concerned) about what might be causing declines in certain parts of his blood and electrolyte levels. He is being watched carefully. After a tense day, we are looking forward to a restful night sleep and hopefully more clarity tomorrow as to what is going on. He is still not allowed any food or drink but is handling that remarkably well. He was allowed some ice chips with his evening meds. The IV fluids help to keep his thirst quenched. Dr assured us that he is in a much better condition today that what he was in when we brought him here yesterday.

He is sleeping soundly now. I had been snuggling with him so he could play with my hair but I got up to get a few things settled. In the time I was up, he took over my pillow that I left on his bed. He looks pretty darn cozy.