Monday, August 10, 2009

Hello, ER

This blog post was supposed to be all about the 10k that we ran on Saturday (yay!) My parents came down to watch the kids during the race, and we celebrated Nina's second birthday. I was hoping that this visit would help pull me out of the sadness and despair that I just can't quite shake.

Today Niko was standing on the bathroom counter, and he fell off backward. I heard him hit the linoleum floor, and I just flipped out. I thought I'd see him with pieces of his skull missing or his limbs all bent backward. I still haven't gotten over seeing his broken leg last year. Thankfully, he seemed all right, but his bones are brittle from the hypercalcemia, and I couldn't ask him about a headache. So Dad and I rushed him to the ER, which required sedation. He pulled his IV out. He threw himself around. It was a nightmare, but the CT scan said that everything was all right. He's been throwing up all night due to the anesthesthesia, but he's in good spirits.

Seriously, it's one thing after another after another after another. When did life become such a test of endurance? On the other hand, we've always come out of everything okay. We're really very lucky. :)

Oh yeah, and the race was fantastic! Luke and my brother ran it, too, and we all really had a great time.

3 comments:

Freiers said...

I noticed... finally - another parent with a child with hypercalcaemia experience (associated with Williams of course). No one believed my Sadie had it (but me) til it landed her in the hospital for a week @ toxic levels. Ultimately, the drug they gave her has "cured" her of her hypercalcaemia completely. Just wanted to make sure you've heard about this treatment (of course just forgot the name of the drug).

Mercedes said...

Hi, Freiers. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Are you talking about pamidronate? Niko ended up getting it via IV a few times, and it brought his levels right down. That and the Calci-lo and obsessive dietary monitoring. "Why are ALL of these foods calcium fortified?!" Niko outgrew the hypercalcemia when he was about three years old, and it's not even a concern now. I never thought this day would come.

The doctors hadn't heard of it, either. I was actually sitting next to a nutrition student at a ball game, and she said, "He's scratching himself a lot. Does he have hypercalcemia? It leaves calcium deposits under the skin and makes them itch. I read about it in my text book last night." Really?! Otherwise we might never have known.

Doctors seem to think that we NEVER know what we're talking about.

Freiers said...

Yes-Pamidronate. Trying not to be frustrated that she may have avoided the hospital stay and associated trauma if I'd forced them to listen earlier. Ah well, lesson learned about being the expert when it comes to your own child. I'm new at this... Our hospital (one of the 9 WS Clinics) had given Pamidronate once -ever- for this same circumstance, which is why I zeroed in on your post. Glad to hear it's not an issue for him anymore. (Dig the music-2nd excuse to stop @your page from time2time.)