Getting what you ask for

I have been complaining really badly lately to anyone and everyone who will listen about just how BORED I am being stuck at home ALL the time. The past 24 hours I would have given anything to have been bored at home.

*warning: LONG, detailed post with lots of info about poo that may be TMI for some of you...*

So, it all started last night, although it feels like it was a week ago. Shane got home from work and went to change Lexi's diaper. I heard her screaming bloody murder and went to see what was going on. Her poo was black and sticky, like tar (and meconium). I didn't think anything of it, and told Shane we'll just let it run it's course and see how she's doing the next day. He started looking it up online and didn't see anything good that could cause it, and really pushed for me to take her to the doctor. I was shocked because normally he is SO anti-doctors. I called the after hours insta-care and asked the nurse what she thought. She told me that is bad and to bring Lexi and the diaper in a.s.a.p.

I took Lexi in and they tested the poop. It was positive for containing a whole lotta blood. They said that the darker the blood is, the higher up in you it comes from (as in, from her esophagus, stomach, or intestinal tract). They showed the poop to the pediatric specialist at Davis Hospital and she said we needed to take Lexi to Primary Children's ER immediately.

Great.

So, off I went to Salt Lake. It was about 8:30 by this time. We got there around 9:00 PM and can I just tell you how impressed I was with the admitting nurse? He was fantastic!! He went beyond just being nice and sweet with the kids, he was genuinely GOOD with kids. Lexi giggled and laughed the whole time he was taking all of her vitals.

They got us back to a room, and that's where the waiting started. We ended up spending a little more than five hours there. She ended up with 2 doctors and a specialist of some sort all looking after her. One doctor, Adam, was doing his residency and probably in his late 20's. Lexi ADORED him. She would blow him kisses anytime she saw him and share her toys whenever he came in the room. He kept saying how stinkin' CUTE she is and told her that she's lucky I love her so much or else he would take her home. :)

Throughout the course of the night, she had her vitals taken all the time, she got x-rays of her belly, and got lots of blood drawn. After the guy and nurse came to take her blood, they brought back a stuffed animal puppy for her for being so good. And, P.S., she held PERFECTLY still for her x-rays! The tech guy was shocked. I was so impressed with her.

Hours and hours later, after the blood test results came back, everything looked normal. Which is good, but, WEIRD. They checked her liver and platelet levels and a million other things that I can't remember. Dr. Adam was coming in all throughout the night keeping me updated on what was happening and what could be causing this. I appreciated not being left in the dark. Around 1:30 AM, the specialist came in and checked Lexi out. He looked in her nose (which neither of the other doctors had done) and asked when she had a bloody nose. I told him that she'd never had a bloody nose in her life. Just the normal runny noses. He told me that is odd because her left nostril looks like the after-effects of a burst blood vessel (a bloody nose). I told him I am with her ALL the time and I've never, ever seen blood on her.

He thought about it and said that what could have happened is if she had a bloody nose at night while she was sleeping (and if she was sleeping on her back at the time), she would have just swallowed all the blood and that could be causing the bloody, black diapers. It would to have been quite the bloody nose, though, since she ended up having another black diaper while we were there. They checked to make sure she wasn't anemic (she wasn't). Another good thing.

They sent us home around 2:30 AM. They said that the problem should just fix itself by Thursday, but, if not, we would need to take her to see the GI (gastroenterology) specialist either Thursday night or Friday morning.

A waiting game.

Fun.

Lexi and I got home a little after 3:00 AM this morning. Shane got up and I updated him (I had been calling him the whole time, too). I finally got to bed around 3:45ish. Luckily, Shane was able to get the morning off of work so that I could sleep in.
And I did.
Until 11:00. :)
It was nice.
(Although is it REALLY sleeping in if you didn't go to bed until almost 4 AM??)

Lexi slept until almost 11:30. Anyway, Shane went to shower to get ready for work and I looked at our cell. We had messages so I decided to check them, even though I thought they were just me from last night. One of them was Dr. Adam. I guess he called twice this morning around 7 AM and Shane didn't hear the phone ring. Dr. Adam said that the head radiologist came in this morning and he (Dr. Adam) showed him the x-rays. The radiologist said that the x-rays concerned him because it looked like her intestines might be turned inside out, which would cause the bloody diapers. SO, we needed to bring her back in to the ER at Primary Children's to do an ultrasound as soon as humanly possible. I called them back and they repeated what Dr. Adam's message had said. I quickly hopped in the shower while Shane made arrangements for Kaden and called his work.

We dropped Kaden off and then headed, yet again, to Salt Lake. They got us all checked in and Lexi was such a pro with the whole process. :)

We only ended up spending three hours there today.
Ugh. I am so sick of hospitals.
Anyway, they did the ultrasound on Lexi (and, P.S., she once again was AWESOME and held completely still for it....it helped that they had a cool toy with flashing lights on it for her) and everything looked totally normal. There was another test they could do, but it's a little painful. BUT it sometimes gives a different answer than the ultrasound. So, the doctor had to decide what to do.

Lexi was poked and prodded some more by two more doctors. They decided not to do the other test since she wasn't in any pain at all. They were still betting on the bloody nose theory. I was fine with that. However, they told us to watch her for more black diapers. They said if it happens one more time, just call the GI docs right away.

We gave her TONS of apple juice...trying to make her poop. Her entire hospitalized future depended on that next diaper.

We got home around 8:30 this evening and, shortly after, Shane was holding Lexi and let me know he smelled something. I have never been so excited/impatient/nervous to see poop before.

Anyway, we just barely (as I was typing this) changed her diaper and, while there was still some residual black blood (which they said was to be expected), it was mostly BROWN!! YAY!

NO GI SPECIALIST!! WOO!!

I didn't have our cell phone last night (left it home with Shane), but here are some pictures from our visit today. It's pretty much the same as last night, except our room was twice as big last night. Again, sorry for the blurry, bad quality photos.

Lexi loved jumping on the bed.

Lexi was constantly playing with her I.D. bracelet. :)

I figured if she was going to learn to stop trying to put her fingers in every outlet she sees, what better place for her to learn than a hospital?!
(haha-totally kidding. We were yelling at her to stop as I was taking the picture.)

Lexi's favorite toy? A Styrofoam cup and plastic spoon. It's the little things, people.

Lexi's favorite pastime? Rolling on the floor with her teddy bear.

Lexi got a brand new sippy cup FULL of apple juice. It was a nice one, too. :) Totally worth the LONG drive and even LONGER wait.

I know some of you were aware of what was going on, and we're thankful for your support and prayers. THANKFULLY, it was nothing too serious and we can get back to our wonderfully boring life. :)