A smile for Daddy!

We love and miss you Daddy!!!
CHEESE! (If you look closely, you can even see her 2 top teeth!)

Hannah with her new friend Sofie!

Joe's in Tokyo this week so it's just banan and me. We're getting along O.K. (which is easy to do when you have such a happy baby), but it's time for him to come home!!!

LIfe back to Normal

Who me??

Apparently, they had the same idea??

The Road to Recovery

A bit more drama, a near meltdown on my part, but Hannah is definitely on the road to recovery. Yesterday was a bit difficult as Hannah is starting to feel better and wanting to stand up but can't as she still had her IV in her left foot (with a large splint somewhat holding it in place). She was very cranky since she couldn't do it. We had an hr or so left before we had to leave for the appt. so I just put her in her crib to get some rest (OK, maybe it was more for me than her). At the same time, I had just finished eating lunch (leftover tandoori chicken tikka). When I got back downstairs and Charlie starts gagging a bit, I looked down to realize he had eaten a chicken leg. He stopped gagging but I immediately called Joe and just lost it (aren't chicken bones bad for dogs?). I had finally had enough (not to mention it was pouring rain and Hannah and I were going to have to walk to the tram stop as Joe needed the car that day). Joe came to the rescue and took the afternoon off from work...Near meltdown averted.

Hannah had her last IV antibiotic treatment yesterday and we also met with her nephrologist to go over the results of the nuclear scan. She has some damage to her kidneys but if it is from this infection, it should repair itself. Because she is adopted and we don't have much in the way of a medical history, the doctor isn't entirely sure the damage isn't from a previous infection (Joe and I doubt it as this was not disclosed to us during the adoption). Either way, the course of treatment doesn't change. She is now on another oral antibiotic for a week and then goes onto a prophylactic dose for the next month. That should wipe out any remaining bacteria and prevent it from causing another infection.

Her hand is also doing much better and there shouldn't be any long term effects of the "accident." It will discolored for quite some time and it will take a while for her collateral arteries to grow and get more blood flow to her hand so it is still a bit colder than the other, but overall she is using it much more.

And really, we now have our happy little girl back. She is completely herself again and we are so happy to have her back! : )

The saga continues...

But first, a cute picture of our girl in the hospital...

As if a kidney infection for an 11 month old isn't bad enough....we now have to deal with a clot in the artery of her arm. Turns out, the IV (short for Intra Venous - note the "venous" for vein part) was actually in an artery since Monday. She "tolerated" her treatments on Monday and Tuesday well but yesterday during her outpatient infusion screamed the entire time. I noticed during the infusion that her arm was purplish and looked odd but the nurse said it was probably because the tape (holding the splint to her arm) was tight. I should also mention that she doesn't just scream to scream while at the doctors...After the infusion while trying to flush the "vein" they noted her arm turning white around the needle...hmmm...not a good sign. They were conversing in Dutch and I only was catching glimpses of it. Finally, I asked "will you take it out?" A simple question, but apparently they need the doctors approval. Ten minutes later...Hannah screaming the whole time...The doctor looked at it and said they should take it out...she can get a new one put in tomorrow.

We get home, Hannah naps, some friends come over, and we notice she has no function of her right hand. It was cold to the touch, discolored, and she couldn't move her fingers (although it didn't really stop her from doing anything). I called the hospital and they told me to run warm water over it to increase circulation. She seemed to get a slight grip back after that and a little exercise of her fingers to pump the blood. This morning, again no grip. When we got to the clinic for her new IV, we asked about her arm. She needed another doctor to look at it. Six doctors and an ultrasound later, I am told it the needle was in an artery and there now seems to be a clot. The ultrasound showed no blood flow going to her hand, but clinically they could tell she was improving and the blood was getting there, just not terribly fast. Because her arteries are so small and she is improving, they won't do exploratory surgery but rather just wait and see. She goes back in a few weeks time for another ultrasound (requested by the pediatrician) and then again in 3 months (requested by the pediatric surgeon).

In the meantime, she had her second to last infusion of anitbiotic today and a nuclear scan to see the infection in her kidneys. We find out the results of her scan tomorrow from her nephrologist. "Auntie" Meghan was with us today to help out and was amazed at how many doctors/nurses knew Hannah and came up to her as we were standing in the hall. She's a popular girl and now has a small army on her side.

Although it all sounds terrible and painful, she is actually doing remarkably well (considering) and still has tons of smiles (which is why I think all of the nurses like her).

Home from the Hospital

OK, so most people probably didn't realize we were in the hospital....

Hannah had been sick with a high fever for the last 2 weeks without other symptoms (unless sleepiness and crankiness count). After a trip to the doctor on call, a course of antibiotics, and many trips to the huisarts ("house doctor" - family physician), we were finally referred to a pediatrician. We went last Thursday and of course her fever dropped so no tests were done. Friday, her temp. was only slightly elevated but she was so unhappy that I took her back in for tests. We got home at about 430p and by 530p, the doctor called with the results...pyelonephritis (kidney infection). Back to the hospital for treatment. She was admitted Friday night and started a 7 day treatment of IV antibiotic.
To make matters worse, the Netherlands is one of the only countries to not have a specific bacteria present in their hospitals (due to my lack of knowledge of specific bacterias and trying to understand a Dutch accent, I won't even begin to guess how to spell it). Anyway, because of that, we were in "strict isolation". Hannah could not leave the room (not even for other testing) and if Joe and I left the room, we had to leave the hospital. The note on the door let everyone know (and the anteroom was for the drs/nurses to put on a gown, mask, and gloves before entering).

We were in isolation all weekend. Terribly boring! The good part was that we got a private suite with a bed for me and our own bathroom/shower. Also, when she woke up in the morning, I just had to ring a bell and the night nurse would bring her bottle and a pot of coffee for me. That's service! Monday morning...the lab screwed up the test to see if she had the bacteria so they had to re-do it. More isolation. By the afternoon we were out of isolation. YEAH but we found out that we would have to stay another night because they still had to do an ultrasound the next day. : ( Also, Monday morning they had to take Hannah's IV out as it was leaking. To put it back in, it took 2 drs., 45 minutes, and 6 tries (while 2 nurses and I were holding her down) to get the IV back in. To say the least, Hannah was not happy. I heard a new level of screaming that I've never heard before. Through all of that though, I slowly saw my happy daughter emerging. By Tuesday, she was almost completely back to her old self. During her ultrasound, she and I were playing with a stuffed animal and she was the angel patient that the doctors/nurses keep praising. Aside from the IV thing, she really is the best patient. I think she is so in awe of the doctors/nurses and curious as to what they are doing. She just stares and watches them while they are in the room.

At about noon yesterday, we were finally given permission to leave! So HAPPY, you can't believe! Following a crawling baby around the corridors of a hospital with an IV pole is not the most exciting thing. We have 3 more days of IV antibiotics (the IV is still in her arm and her arm bandaged up but that doesn't stop her from doing anything) and then onto another few weeks of oral antibiotics with a final check up/follow up on 21st of August. So much for going to Stockholm this weekend....