Acute gastroenteritis with dehydration

Last Wednesday, Baby vomited in her sleep at 3.30 am.  Was told my by dad that she didn't have appetite the earlier the day and didn't eat much and was a little lethargic and all that.  I managed to feed her some pasta for dinner and went to bed.  Then she vomited few hours later and that was the start of a new experience for me.

I was amazed by my motherly instincts.  In the dark, I heard weird gagging sound and immediately held Baby in my arms and sat upright, while still closing my eyes.  Immediately smelled a very bad odour and told husband to put on the lights as Baby has vomited.  Husband jumped out of bed and put on the lights.  Baby was still having her eyes close and found the vomit was all over the bed, her pillow, husband's arm, my clothes and all over her.  It was 3.30 am in the morning.  Husband quickly clean Baby up while I cleaned myself up and bath.  Then quickly changed the bed sheet and went back to sleep.  

I have heard of very strong motherly instincts and in this case I totally believed it now.  All of us were deep in sleep and who would have thought Baby would vomit so early in the morning (3.30 am) and while in her sleep?  And I woke up to the weird gagging sound, like someone choking and immediately held her upright, without even thinking of anything.  If leave it to my husband, he would have continued to sleep, although he touched something liquid and he thought it was her saliva or her sweat.  Sigh.  The smell would have ticked me off as well but that came later.  So, now I truly believe the bond between a mother and a child is so strong that it is so amazing and miraculous.  Imagine if I didn't notice, Baby would have choked.  It happened in her sleep.  She can't even get up.  So thankful for this instinct.

Back to the story.  When we woke up properly in the morning, found baby to have diarrhoea as well.  Hmm....perhaps it's food poisoning?  Anyway, I took EL that day to look after her and brought her to see her paeditrician.  Was given some medication to stop the diarrhoea but not vomiting as he feels the virus is in the guts.  Unfortunately, the medicine which was in powder form was so yucky (I tasted it too), that Baby vomited each time I fed her.  She refused to eat, kept on having diarrhoea and vomiting and doesn't want to drink as well, except direct latch.  Refused bottle too.

Come Thursday, I went back to work and left Baby in my parent's good hands and my husband's.  Unfortunately was informed that she refused to eat or drink and was feeling weaker and weaker and kept on having diarrhoea and vomiting.  I was told to bring her back to the hospital and get her admitted.  Immediately took half day off and came home and found baby very passive, doesn't want to move, just lying down, feeling very weak and lethargic.  So off we went to the hospital.

Paeditrician suggested to get her admitted and long story short, she contracted Acute gastroenteritis and was having mild dehydration.  She needed to be on the drip.  I choked to tears unexpectedly after I saw the paeditrician put the needle in her little hands for the drip.  When I was heading to the admission counter, while carrying her, suddenly found myself letting out a big choke and was getting teary.  I don't know why I was like this.  Immediately held myself together and just don't want to think of the worse.

Husband was upset with the whole situation and was wondering why this happened, etc.  I told him there must be a first in everything, feeling optimistic.  I have to be strong and be optimistic.  Otherwise, I cannot look after Baby.  I would have broken down myself.  I have to stay strong, I told myself.

What I don't understand was while waiting to be admitted, we have a long wait, about 2 hours before we got a room.  We were told that we need to be isolated and my insurance claim is only for 2 bedded rooms.  But unfortunately, the 2 bedded rooms for isolation was fully occupied and the patient was supposed to leave, but was still there, waiting for insurance clearance for discharge.  After waited for some time, and Baby was feeling weaker and weaker, I decided to tell admission to just admit us to any room.  Baby needs to be on a drip, though the dehydration was mild.  I decided to take the single bedded room for isolation and will top-up the differences.  Which is more important came to my head.  My Baby's life or my money?  I am lucky that I can still afford to pay the differences.  But I pitied those who can't and have to wait forever for a room or to be treated, while waiting for the insurance clearance.  It's just so crazy.  These insurance company are taking forever.  People can say that civil servants worked ever so slowly but I can tell you the insurance companies, worked even slower.  To them, your life is not important.  To them, money is everything.

Anyway, we were warded and I accompanied her for 3 nights.  I got the nurse to force feed the medicine which she vomited every single time.  Since we got a single bedded room, husband can accompany us as well.  I was also getting some rest time but not entirely as later that Friday, on my birthday actually, I also contracted the same virus.  I was down with fever and diarrhoea.  And had to go to the Emergency to get medicines.

Baby got better slowly but still rejected solid food.  Survived entirely on breast milk alone.  As the virus ran its course, she became better and better.  Paed said luckily it is not rotavirus.  But I am wondering myself, what if it is rotavirus?  Are the symptoms worse?  Coz this itself is bad.

Anyway, her appetite is slowly coming back.  She lost a significant amount of weight.  Still clingy to me.  Still not 100%.  The road to recovery is very slow.

What I find is difficult in this new experience was to get Baby, who doesn't know how to speak yet, to eat properly so that she can be discharge ASAP.  She doesn't understand what is discharge.  She doesn't understand why she is in the hospital.  As long as mommy is there, she was fine.  Many times I threatened to walk out of the room and leave her alone as she refused to eat or drink or medicine.  It was getting frustrating.

Anyway, we are back home and I am back to work.  Some mothers commented that sometimes I can prevent this from worsening and no need to be hospitalised.  I replied, easy for someone who is a stay-at-home-mom to do this but not a full-time-working-mom.  If I was at home with her the whole time, I would have tried my best to do whatever I can.  Unfortunately I have to depend on my parents for that.  Anyway, after what I went through, I kinda understand now.  It is so easy to judge someone when you are not even in my shoes.  Don't say you understand, when you don't.  Just like I don't understand a stay-at-home-mom.  And those who don't have a kid (not yet perhaps), don't even tell me what to do.  Sorry for this but you really need to be in my shoes to be empathetic.

Like the Mindful Course that I attended recently, to be empathetic, is to lent a ear to listen to the problem.  Not giving any solutions based on your own experience, instead ask questions to the one who is telling you the problem and let that person come up with a solution him/herself.

OK enough said.