Charlotte had a really bad UTI back in February. She had a fever of 104 w/ vomiting and extreme fatigue. This all happened while we were driving back from Texas after Spring Break. I was pretty scared, we had never seen her that out of it before. Plus, trying to treat it on the road was complicated, we were trying to keep her comfortable and control her fever while driving cross country. Several times I wondered whether we would just have to stop and take her to whatever ER we could find along the way. We did make it home and I was shocked to hear the diagnosis the next day that all of that could be caused by a UTI.
She had another UTI a few weeks ago and her doctor wanted to make sure that everything was ok. (Make sure there was no kidney damage and that everything was flowing the right way). So she had to go go the hospital to have a VCUG and a kidney ultrasound. (This is our 3rd hospital trip this year. Once with Emma, twice with Charlotte. You'd think it'd be our rough and tumble little boy Gavin... nope! lol!)
In the waiting room at the ER they had a huge fish tank which was a godsend! No, literally I thanked God for that fish tank and vowed to send the people who donated it to the hospital a thank you card.
It kept Charlotte entertained while we waited and it kept her calm. That was my biggest fear, that she would freak out and then it would be all over. I knew my stubborn little strawberry blonde would never let them do the tests if she didn't want to.
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| Here she is excitedly telling me about all the fish. She even named them all... Mango, Juicy Pop, Rio, Skinny fish, Leah! |
and that ones' name is... skinny fish.
I think Mango and juicy pop were these orangish ones...
She loved taking pics of the fish which helped to occupy her too. Notice how there is one on the bottom middle (pic below) hiding in the rocks. The volunteer (who helps with letting the patients know when it is their turn and supervises the desk in the ER) is getting a kick out of Charlotte. She comes over and tells Charlotte that there is a clown fish in there but he must be hiding. (I think that volunteer was smoking crack cuz we stood there for over 30 minutes and we didn't see no clown fish.)
Charlotte's response, "Maybe it's scared... of people... that look at fish."
I was rolling on the floor, that's exactly how she said it. Very disjointed with the pauses and everything.
Waiting for the tests. Someone told me to have her bring a lovey.
Whoever told me that is a genius. I wish I could remember who it was!
The nurses asked me if I wanted them to show Charlotte how it was all going to work before the doctor came in. "No!" I said, probably a little too forcefully. (I didn't want them to tell her and freak her out before the doctor even came in!) The nurse understood once I explained, but at first, she did look at me like I was a little nuts!
Charlotte wasn't worried at all, she even called the catheter a straw, and said the x-ray machine was like a car wash. (The doctor and nurses got a kick out of her too!)
Charlotte was a trooper about the whole thing, even when they had to put the catheter in. She didn't even cry, (she later told me that she had just held her breath). They said she was the best patient they had ever had! She got a sticker (well actually she talked them into 4!) and they gave her a coupon for ice cream.
The tests came back normal and we're glad she's healthy. We're hoping we can avoid anymore trips to the hospital this year...
