A Trip to the ER After All

Apart from the arm band, does this climber look like she belongs in the ER waiting area???

Calliope seemed better this morning; her temperature was only 100.2, technically not a fever.

But then she went down for her nap after less than an hour of being awake (and that was spent mostly lolling in bed with me)... but couldn't fall asleep. Her diaper was the issue, but she seemed to be shivering a bit as well, so I re-checked her temperature... 102.2. I gave her some Motrin and put her down to nap again.

So I texted the doctor and she texted back to bring Calliope to the ER.

Sigh.

We finally left the house, and she immediately perked up, thrilled to be riding the subway and waving to lots of new people, even if they were looking the other way and oblivious to her friendly gestures.

The emergency room waiting area was a similarly thrilling, to her, place to be. After a long and dull wait, during which I am ashamed to admit I aimed her stroller at the TV so she could watch a talk show, I tied her into the K'Tan baby carrier and swayed her to sleep for a half an hour.

Finally they called us into the pediatric ER area -- the change of scenery woke Calliope up again. The attending doctor briefly examined her smiling, clapping patient, and said, "She looks fine to me. It's a virus. She doesn't need a urine culture."

During the interminable wait for discharge paperwork, I texted the pediatrician, "Dr. George is declining to do a urine culture. She feels it's viral."

We were still waiting when the phone rang and I could overhear the attending arguing the case with what could only be my doctor. She passed me the phone briefly, then took it back and argued some more, and hung up abruptly. We were getting the urine culture after all. (My only opinion was that I did not want to come back to the ER and do this all over again if her fever continued... so if there was any chance of that, I wanted the culture done now.)

The catheter was no fun and Calliope screamed a scream like I have never heard from her before. The resident wasn't able to get it in, and mercifully the nurse didn't let her try for too long. Then the attending came and did it.

We waited another long while to get the urineanalysis results. I put Calliope into the crib they assigned to us so she could play. It was funny to watch various medical staff walk by and do a double take at the sign of a baby cruising and trilling happily behind industrial steel bars.

The UA was negative for any signs of UTI, though positive for red blood cells (from the trauma of the catheter) and for ketones (because she hasn't been eating). I stole the opportunity to weigh her -- she was down six ounces since three days ago, to 16 pound 14 ounces.

With that, they [finally] sent us on our merry way. I'm very grateful to be finished with having to track her fever so carefully.

Of course, it's only fitting that the fever does seem to be gone now! This is the first time she hasn't needed Motrin in six hours or less since four days ago.

Now if the fever stays away overnight and Sensible Car Rental has some availability and if I can get organized in time... we will head to MA tomorrow for a few days with family before... it looks like... a real estate closing!