This morning I got a call from the on-call pediatrician and Jude's blood culture came back positive. We had to go immediately back up to the hospital to have his blood redrawn to see if it was possibly contamination of the needle they drew his blood with. If not, he has bacteria in his blood which will be more serious to take care of. This was a rude awakening to the day and has us pretty scared.
So we went to the hospital to redo his labs. I already wasn't too thrilled because I hate for him to have to go through another blood draw but the possibility that it might have been contamination kinda sorta irritated me. The phlebotomist, bless her heart, stuck him and then lost the vein. So she tried again on the other side and got it. All of our ear drums are busted out from Jude's screaming.
Then we went straight up to the grocery store to pick up his prescription...which we had to wait one hour for...while Jude cried the whole time because he is sick, feels crummy, and was tired and hungry.
As I was finally pulling out of the parking lot I didn't wait my turn in the line and got called the b-word by a little old lady in her big Cadillac. Not s'much the day to call me a b. Not that it hasn't happened before, it just wasn't the day for it. So I pulled around and parked beside her. I got out of my car and patiently stood by her door and waited for her to step out of her car and sweetly asked her if there was something she wanted to say to my face. She did indeed. Two more times in fact. And Granny stood a good 6 inches shorter than me so I wasn't real scared. Shocked mainly. Add to the fact that the little firecracker was still in her church clothes and pearls. I waited for her to finish spewing expletives at me and then quietly and calmly opened Jude's car door so she could see him and explained to her that this is my son that has cancer. He also has strep at the moment, and that I had gotten a call this morning that he has bacteria in his blood and could possibly have to be hospitalized. And that after spending the morning at the hospital and then an hour waiting for his antibiotics, I was just in a hurry to get home and get him taken care of and comfortable. And so I was sorry for pulling out in front of her. She softened and said she was sorry for calling me a b. Then she asked me some questions about Jude and patted his foot, hugged me, told me she would be praying for us, and waved as we drove away. (Gotta love a good ole southern granny who will cuss you out and then be praying for you two seconds later.) So...the lesson in all of this that I learned...and I believe that the Lord intended this lesson JUST for me...is that you never know what someone else is going through. I easily get irritated with people in traffic or in the store that are taking too long or at the hospital who have screwed up my son's blood draw...but you just never know what they are dealing with. It isn't all about me. It isn't even all about Jude. There are other people who have their own problems...maybe a sick baby, maybe cancer, maybe a lost loved one, maybe a lost job, maybe marriage problems, money problems...you never know. How many times have I been the one to act ugly and send someone off in the wake of my hatefulness feeling worse because I didn't restrain myself? More often than not, probably.
I got home from that adventure completely shaken and disturbed. Then Dr. Honey called to let me know that Jude's WBC and ANC were good. We will know about the blood cultures tomorrow and Tuesday but she feels confident that is was just contamination. That is what we are praying. He has continued to be fussy and run a little bit of fever tonight but we will see how he is in the morning and go from there.
Sweet little Judie Bug has been put through the ringer this weekend. He was so tired tonight he feel asleep in my arms...which almost never happens.
I just want him to be 100% well and healthy. I hate that he doesn't feel well. I hate that we have to worry about every germ he comes into contact with...if this is going to be the time he has to go back to the hospital.
Tonight at dinner James provided some comic relief as always. He says things that we just don't know where they came from. Tonight he asked me what was in his chicken nuggets. I said, "chicken" and he said, "It's not chicken! It's booble ding ding". Brad and I looked at each other wondering what booble ding ding is. Chicken I guess. I need to start a dictionary of all of the words James makes up. He is starting his own language. There is never a dull moment with that boy. I love it!
So we went to the hospital to redo his labs. I already wasn't too thrilled because I hate for him to have to go through another blood draw but the possibility that it might have been contamination kinda sorta irritated me. The phlebotomist, bless her heart, stuck him and then lost the vein. So she tried again on the other side and got it. All of our ear drums are busted out from Jude's screaming.
Then we went straight up to the grocery store to pick up his prescription...which we had to wait one hour for...while Jude cried the whole time because he is sick, feels crummy, and was tired and hungry.
As I was finally pulling out of the parking lot I didn't wait my turn in the line and got called the b-word by a little old lady in her big Cadillac. Not s'much the day to call me a b. Not that it hasn't happened before, it just wasn't the day for it. So I pulled around and parked beside her. I got out of my car and patiently stood by her door and waited for her to step out of her car and sweetly asked her if there was something she wanted to say to my face. She did indeed. Two more times in fact. And Granny stood a good 6 inches shorter than me so I wasn't real scared. Shocked mainly. Add to the fact that the little firecracker was still in her church clothes and pearls. I waited for her to finish spewing expletives at me and then quietly and calmly opened Jude's car door so she could see him and explained to her that this is my son that has cancer. He also has strep at the moment, and that I had gotten a call this morning that he has bacteria in his blood and could possibly have to be hospitalized. And that after spending the morning at the hospital and then an hour waiting for his antibiotics, I was just in a hurry to get home and get him taken care of and comfortable. And so I was sorry for pulling out in front of her. She softened and said she was sorry for calling me a b. Then she asked me some questions about Jude and patted his foot, hugged me, told me she would be praying for us, and waved as we drove away. (Gotta love a good ole southern granny who will cuss you out and then be praying for you two seconds later.) So...the lesson in all of this that I learned...and I believe that the Lord intended this lesson JUST for me...is that you never know what someone else is going through. I easily get irritated with people in traffic or in the store that are taking too long or at the hospital who have screwed up my son's blood draw...but you just never know what they are dealing with. It isn't all about me. It isn't even all about Jude. There are other people who have their own problems...maybe a sick baby, maybe cancer, maybe a lost loved one, maybe a lost job, maybe marriage problems, money problems...you never know. How many times have I been the one to act ugly and send someone off in the wake of my hatefulness feeling worse because I didn't restrain myself? More often than not, probably.
I got home from that adventure completely shaken and disturbed. Then Dr. Honey called to let me know that Jude's WBC and ANC were good. We will know about the blood cultures tomorrow and Tuesday but she feels confident that is was just contamination. That is what we are praying. He has continued to be fussy and run a little bit of fever tonight but we will see how he is in the morning and go from there.
Sweet little Judie Bug has been put through the ringer this weekend. He was so tired tonight he feel asleep in my arms...which almost never happens.
Tonight at dinner James provided some comic relief as always. He says things that we just don't know where they came from. Tonight he asked me what was in his chicken nuggets. I said, "chicken" and he said, "It's not chicken! It's booble ding ding". Brad and I looked at each other wondering what booble ding ding is. Chicken I guess. I need to start a dictionary of all of the words James makes up. He is starting his own language. There is never a dull moment with that boy. I love it!
Proverbs 16:1-3- To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.
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