On the Mend?

Well, we have about 25 hours to go before if is officially Eli's birthday. Yesterday, after 31/2 days of fevers, coughing and other yucky things, I took him to our wonderful pediatrician. She checked him over very thoroughly and said he had an ear infection, but his lungs sounded clear. He seems to have some upper respiratory problems. She started him on 2 IM doses of antibiotics and sent him home with the 10 day supply of "oral" meds. I am not usually thrilled about antibiotics, but he was so sick I just "knew" pneumonia was next. Today was still a very long day. He is still coughing a lot and still has a mild fever. This evening he is finally sleeping and I have been able to get him to keep stuff in his tummy. However he started a bad case of diarrhea and he is now on probiotics to counteract the antibiotics. I gave him a nebulizer treatment this morning and he smiled when he felt the cool air on his face. He even reached out with both hands and grabs the mouthpiece and pulled it closer to his face. He looked so adorable, but no pictures because Jeromy had the camera with him in Portland. Oh well, I guess it is a great opportunity to use your imagination.

So here I am late at night giving Eli his meds. I draw up the syringes and proceed to push them through his feeding tube only to realize they were coming out on the chair. PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME YOU HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE . I do have an explaination. He was finally sound asleep cuddled up on the big chair covered with a blanket. I had him set up on his continuous feed earlier, but I forgot I unplugged it during his last choking episode. I didn't want to disturb him by messing with his tube so I slid the medication Y from the blanket and began pushing the meds. it was then I realized his tube was not hooked to him. Yah, my nursing instructors would give me a big "F". Oh well after two years of tube feeding that is my first one of that particular oops. So, I drew up the meds I had dumped, but 2 of them look very similar and have similar doses. After checking the dose and taste-testing I opted to dump the look a like and start over. I didn't want to risk any more oopses. I have overdosed him on Cyproheptadine before and I will not make that mistake again, I hope. I know I never stand to get a real nursing job ever again after this confession but oh well. I love my kids and "my job" and I don't want another job anyway.

Yah and Jeromy is home from Portland. Yeah for a safe trip, I am glad he is home.