It's That Time Of YEAR

Start out this post all I can say is OH MY HELL... Sorry if anyone is offended by that, but that is my favorite saying, WE ALL have those throw your hands up in the air can't believe it's happening OH MY HELL moments....

It's that time of year again.... It all seems to start the month of June. The last two now three Father's day have been not what you would think, in our family it's turning out that around Father's day is a CURSE for the Olsen family...

It all started June of 2006 the week of TJ's birthday- which is today. Brock had been sick for a few days and had a high fever, finally after 2 yes 2 visits to the ER they finally admitted Brock on the third ER visit- oh the ER visits all happened within a day and half of each other. SO YOU WOULD think that when a 1 1/2 year old has such a high fever and is so dehydrated and keeps throwing up that something is wrong. Finally Brock was admitted,Brock spent 5 days at ORH and Doc said that it was the flue BUT never did anything to back it up, never took blood or nothing, so then sent us home with Brock having a fever of 103-104.
After Brock spent the next 2 days so sick that he couldn't hold his head up and was turning a purple blue color we finally went to get a second opinion. The doctor at the other clinic didn't even look at his file, but sent us straight to Primary Children's. Walking into the hospital was the worst thing we went through. What we told is something you never can forget as a parent - for all of you that has lost a child or come close we understand what a horrible feeling it is. Brock was so sick and in such pain the nurse had to sedate him as soon as we entered the ER. Finally after what seemed like a million and one doctors coming in looking at Brock and all the whispers, they pulled in TJ and I, my parents and his parents and sat us down, that's when you know that it's bad REALLY BAD.
Kinda joking someone said OK doc just give it to us is Brock going to DIE. When the doctor answered YES and couldn't believe that Brock's heart hadn't given out on the drive to PH I lost it. The exact words from the doctor were I can't promise you'll leave this hospital with your child alive. It was the worst moment in our lives and yes time does seem to just stop, and so much goes through your mind, such horrible thoughts. Finally at 5:00 a.m the next morning after many tests they finally admitted us to medical floor because they weren't sure what was wrong.

TJ and I were so tired but were afraid to sleep in fear that we would lose Brock. The nurses brought in a adult size bed so that we could take turns holding Brock in the bed, we didn't want to let go.
Doctors ran every test they could think of. At one point they thought they were going to find some new disease they had never heard of, or find some massive bone tumor on his body, they just had no clue. One of the head doctors even sat in on a body scan which they don't do, but sat in because he was so sure they were going to find a massive tumor or something else and if so wanted to be able to catch it ASAP. There was one disease they thought it could be, that was Kawasaki's Disease, which only finding have only been in Asain children, and only a few cases in the US. Brock had A and C symptoms but not ABC so nothing added up or made sense to the doctors.
If you don't treat KSD in 10-14 days it becomes damaging and deadly, and will start to shut down your heart. The doctors finally decided that it was KSD even though Brock only had 75% of the symptoms they were feared that if in fact it was KSD that he had it for going on the 14Th day and that the 15Th day could be deadly. For a time they thought that maybe Brock wouldn't be able to even walk again, but to us it didn't matter, if he was alive that's all that matter.
When we finally left PH Brock at a 1 1/2 years old, only weighed 17 pounds. He had to learn how to feed himself again, to walk again, we started all over. It's been 2 years now and Brock is doing good, he goes back in 2 years to have another echo make sure there is no damage to his heart.

Brock at ORH-June of 2006



Then last June I was at such high risk being pregnant with Zachary and seeing my doctor 2-3 times a week. Finally decided to deliver Zachary 6 weeks early. Zachary was only an hour old when I noticed that he was crying funny, and from having a preemie baby before the way they cry is something you watch for to make sure they are breathing correctly when they cry. The nurses from the NICU came in, sure enough Zachary couldn't breath, so off he went for 8 days to the NICU.

This picture was when I was sick last summer and stayed at ORH for 25 days
Zachary only minutes old

The latest thing to happen is Brock is highly allergic to mosquito's, you can see how allergic he is. Thursday night TJ got home early so him and our neighbor Rich worked on their cars together while the boys sat in the stroller and watched. Brock was covered, but the mosquitoes I guess still found a way. Friday morning Brock woke up with one eye kinda swollen, but then later that day when he woke up from his hour and half nap THIS IS WHAT I SAW.

You can see that from the marks on his eye that was the doctors way of making sure it didn't grow anymore. So Friday night I called the doctor and thought it was bad enough we should head straight to the ER, because it was so bad that it could cause damage to his eye.... OH MY HELL is what I thought, and here we go again.

Last minute we didn't head to the ER but I did spend until 1:45 a.m at the doctors office. Today Brock's eye is still swollen but he is able to actually open it. Yesterday Brock kept telling everyone that he's a pirate, and that his eye wont open.

The last two birthdays and Father's Day Travis has spent in a hospital. Hopefully next year will be much better. Let me just say that even though this time of year REALLY seems to SUCK for our family, what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.