Isaak Sick with Meningitis

• Isaak was only 2 months when he got Meningitis.
• He had a slight fever all evening long, that just got worse as the night progressed. He woke up in the middle of the night with a temp of 103! He was fussy, and hot. Daddy called the doctor's office to talk to a nurse. She told us to go to the ER.
• The first thing they did almost immediately was take blood from him, then they did a lumbar puncture, inserting a needle in his spinal canal to extract fluid. They sent me out of the room for that. I was in tears and leaking milk because I could hear him crying.
• Just like with Mica Isaak had a high temp, high white blood cell count, and couldn't move his neck very well because he was in pain.
• He was admitted, put on antibiotics right away. They didn't know if it was bacterial or viral. They basically had to wait to see if his fluid would grow to indicate if it was bacterial. All of his numbers pointed towards bacterial. He had to get an EEG to test his brain for seizures, but we found that he was just getting startled and would throw his arms up in the air.
• No bacteria ever grew, which stumped even the Infectious Disease doctor.
• Grandma Spiehs was sick with a cold all through this. She couldn't come up to the hospital. I was terrified because that evening before Isaak had a fever I went to a group called Baby and Me. Lots of babies and moms. I was so scared someone else's baby might get what Isaak had. No one did.
• My Aunt Sam stopped up a lot! She told me not to rub Isaak's head because it hurt him. I'm glad she told me that because I didn't even think about that. His head had so much pressure that he barely had a soft spot.
• The antibiotics helped, this made the doctors think it was viral after all, but all the numbers pointed to bacterial. Bacterial is much more serious.
• After 3 days of being really sick, he was starting to kick more. I actually had Travis bring in the vibrating chair for Isaak to enjoy.
• We could go home if they could get a Pick Line IV in. This is hard to get in because their veins are so small. They couldn't get one in Mica. With Isaak they couldn't get it in his arm, but instead got it in his foot. This is not something they'd do normally (put an IV in a foot, but with a baby they don't walk anyhow).
• He had to get a scan to see if it was placed right. All was good. We went home for more IV antibiotics.
• The first time I gave Isaak the antibiotics I remember I did something wrong. I was lacking in some major sleep. I was supposed to pump something in slow, and I did it fast. The nurse that was assisting us said that it was ok, and just to do it right next time. It's nerve racking giving a baby home IV antibiotics the first few times. After that it's fine.
• Pour Mica asked me, "When are you going back to your hospital home?"
• Daddy and him stayed at home most of the time, so that I could be with Isaak. I nursed him, so it was pretty important that I be there for him.
• All was good with Isaak after the antibiotics. He was on the mend when they sent him home. We did have follow up visits. The Infectious Disease doctor was surprised I kept a tally of sleep, diaper changes and feeding times. I had to with Mica, so I did with Isaak as well.
• Isaak had a few hearing tests, one before we left the hospital and one a few months later. He past both of them.