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....