67 long minutes .... wait in all it was longer than that

My sweet Bellies....I felt so helpless. Today I took her in to the doctors to get her ears and lungs checked out. She has been miserable (I know...AGAIN) for the past 3 days and running a temperature. So I took her in and her ears are still red and infected, she has crackling in her lungs and just cried pretty much the whole time. Her oxygen was okay but there was enough concern to have us drive down to the other military hospital to have lab work and a chest x-ray done. Luckily the Doc called down and told the doctor on call what was going on so I wouldn't have to check into the ER and wait FOREVER to hear her results.

So I dropped off the older girls, woke up Dan and left them and Isabella and I headed on down. We got right in and I thought we better knock out the x-ray first. I was a little concerned since we got there 10 til 4 and things closed at 4:30. So we get in and Isabella has so sit in this thing that looks like a bicycle seat and then the worst part, the plastic casing that goes around her with her hands up to keep her from moving. She was not at all happy and I just looked at her and told her I was sorry and that hopefully it would get done quickly. 5 long minutes passed, the x-rays were good and so she was able to be unrestrained from that contraption. Life was a little better....though we were headed for the worst bit....

Blood work! Oh my gosh I hope I never have to do that again with an infant! We get in, I have Bellies in my lap on the special blood drawing chair and they lower the little front part and that was the end. She cried and was not liking that bit. So we have three different techs see if they find a vein in her little chubby arms....no luck. So they call another guy, no luck. So they call another guy. He feels one, thinks he can get it, stabs and no luck. My poor baby has been crying for about 25 minutes already straight. Meanwhile everyone is being so nice and trying to get her to smile and distract her. She's not at the age where you can tell her we will get this done and then it's ice cream time or something. So then he has to do it on the hand....and he gets it...but it's just enough blood to fill the tube. Yeah...and we need 2 tests done and so he goes and sees if it will be enough, luckily it is but it still means we need more blood. By this time we have about 8 people in the tiny little room. Then the Air Force Major comes in, she feels the vein but passes it on since she doesn't want to poke the already crying baby. Then in walks the Lieutenant Colonel, he gets her to smile for a split second and then she cries instantly again when she sees the man who drew blood from her walk his way through the crowd of people. He draws from the other hand, barley gets enough for the other test that needs to get done. I have a baby who is now falling asleep from crying so much since we've been in there for over an hour. (They were all so very nice I can't complain. They were trying their hardest not to make it more painful and just jab her.) We then were done and had a room full of people clapping. It was so stressful. I can't believe I didn't cry. I have never had to hear my child cry that long....so heartbreaking. And so I went to the ER, asked them to tell the doc on call I had finished taking her to get the tests done, he came out right away, told me that out of the test results he saw that she just has a viral case of bronchitis...docs wanted to make sure it wasn't bacterial. So we packed up and headed out to the car and that's when I broke down and cried. Not that she's sick....just it was so sad hearing her cry for so long and not being able to do anything. I wanted them to just prick me and take the blood....it was horrible seeing her have to go through it and not understanding what in the world was going on but just that it hurt.

And so now we just wait and see if her blood is bacteria free. They are concerned since she's been on and off sick for a long period of time. Her chances are lower though, especially since her lungs were free of it so we will see. Still she's on antibiotics for the ears again and now we just need to be hermits once again until this viral thing goes away. Hopefully soon, she's not my Bellies with it and I miss my happy, giggly, curious little monkey girl.