The Meningitis Scare

Well Thursday was quite the day. Tending my sisters kids while she was recovering from having a baby. To calling the doctor to get an appointment. Gracie is really unhappy lately and has had low grade fevers all week. Doctor found her was a little red in her ear and gave her some Amoxisilin. He told us that it was also a virus causing the fevers. He noticed that her soft spot had become a little swollen and mentioned Meningitis, but didn't seem that concerned. He told us that he didn't really know Gracie and told us to try to get a follow up appointment with Gracie's Pediatrician on Friday. This was about 8:30 pm. I went and picked up Gracie's medication and headed home. Gracie was crying the whole way home. I thought something has to be wrong. Gracie isn't a fussy baby and she sounded like something was wrong. I called my mom and discuss it with her. She said that she would see if she could find anything in the Infant illness book she had and call me back. We got home and I tried to feed Gracie. She only would eat 2 oz. out of 6. I became more concerned. I put Gracie to bed and called my mom again. She said that it probably wasn't anything serious because she was sleeping ok. After the call I went in to check on Gracie. She immediately started to fuss and cry again. Now I knew something was wrong. I called my mom again in a panic. She had liked up the swollen soft spot in the book and told me that it might be Meningitis. Very serious. I had never even heard of it. She told me it was bacteria on the brain that was infecting it and that it could be fatal. She told me to try two things on Gracie to see if it could be Meningitis.Her soft spot on her head was swollen. And she has had a low grade fever this whole week. Plus Fussiness. I got really worried when she was not sleeping. I called my mom and she read something about swollen soft spots in a Infant medical book. The book said to try putting her neck on her chest and see if her leg comes up. The other told to hold her leg at a 90 degree angle and see if that caused pain. Both she did. So My mom told me to take her straight to ER. This was at 11:30.

The ER started looking at her immediately. She was given an IV and some fluids. They did a lot of blood draws and a blood culture. They also checked her urine. Gracie screaming the whole time. The couldn't find anything. A doctor told us that he would like to do a spinal tap to make sure that it was not Meningitis. They gave Gracie a low dose sedation and the started the spinal tap.

After waiting until 5:30 am we finally got the results.No Meningitis. Hooray! Thank Heavens. I was a little disappointed though. I wanted to know what was causing the fever. Dr. said a Virus. Viruses suck. You can't cure them. You just have to stay there corse. Anyway I am so grateful that it was not Meningitis. Doc. said to continue giving her Tylenol every 4 hours for the fever. Very scary night and a very tiring one. I just hope that what ever Gracie has will go away soon. I hate to see my Goosie so sad.