Ok....so I have been putting this off for a while. Mostly because our main computer was not working (it is back in business, baby!!), but also because I was not ready to write about the whole meningitis thing. But I want to write this while it is semi-fresh in my mind.
On August 16th, I took Jett into the doctor's office because over the weekend he developed a fever. I was in communication with my pediatrician (Dr H) via text & phone about Jett's situation. I know that fevers themselves are nothing to worry about, but I was really concern about why he was having them. With both Tylenol & Motrin in his system, Jett's fever's were still 103.8! That just did not seem normal to me! That Sunday night as I was nursing Jett I noticed that when I would switch sides, he would SCREAM in pain. It was the movement that made him go overboard. I was thinking that he must have a REALLY bad ear infection. So that Monday morning I called the ped office & told them I was coming in. I was like the first one there. As I was driving to their office, every tiny bump in the road I would hit would make Jett scream in pain.
I knew at that moment something was not right.
My ped was not in the office, but his nurse practitioner was in. She checked Jett over. I noticed her checking the movement of Jett's neck & checking his soft spot. Everything was normal. Then she checked his ears. One ear was a lil red. She wrote him an Rx for amoxiclin. While I was there, Jett was due for tylenol. Both the nurse & NP were in the room with me as I gave it to him. Jett was just screaming in pain. I remember crying, asking them if this was normal for an ear infection. They said it could.
As the hours went by, I saw no improvement in Jett. His fevers were still high. I sent a text to the nurse (how cool is it that she lets me txt her!!) saying I was worried about him. She told me I could bring Jett in, that Dr H was still there & even though they had closed, they would still be there if I wanted to bring him right in.
I am so glad I did.
Now prior to me bringing him in my BFF (who is a RN) had mentioned to me that she was concerned that Jett could have had meningitis, because of his symptoms (screaming in pain). I remember asking her what they would look for if they were concerned. She said they would check to see if he could move his neck. So when Dr H started moving his neck...spending a lot of time doing it, I asked him if he was checking for meningitis. He said he was.
"Do you think he had meningitis"?
"Yes...I think it is a possibility...I think it would be reasonable to have you go to Vanderbilt to get a spinal tap done."
I don't remember a lot after this moment. But I do remember being glad the nurse was holding Jett at the time. I remember bursting into tears, almost collapsing. Never have I ever been that afraid. I felt like my world was collapsing. The room was spinning & going in slow motion at the same time. I called Joe to tell him that we needed to take him in & what Dr H thought Jett had. Later, Joe told me that after he got off the phone with me, he went into his office, got on his knees and started crying. He was praying to God that He would heal Jett.
I called Missy (BFF) to meet me at the hospital. I knew that I could not do this without her there. Joe is my rock...but she is my other rock.
Next thing I know, Joe is at the office. I still have no idea how he made a 20 min drive in 5. It might have been 20 min...I have no idea. Like I said, I was not all there.
Before we left to head to the hospital, Joe said to me,
"Jen...this is where our faith meets the road. No matter what happens, no matter what the doctor's say, we have to stand upon God's word".
We prayed the entire drive to the hospital. I have NEVER prayed/cried/pleaded so hard in my life. I was crying outloud,
"God please....please save my baby. Please do not let him die, please God please"!!!!
When getting to the ER, everything went so fast. We were in the ER for 6 hours, but it felt like only 2. Missy showed up right away. I am so glad she was there to...just be there. When they had to give him the spinal tap, I was about to loose it. Joe stayed outside the room so that he could be there if they needed him.
I stepped out of the room. I could hear him screaming.
I went down the hall. I could hear him screaming.
I went down a different hallway. I could hear him screaming.
I felt that no matter where I went, I heard him screaming.
Missy was there...talking to me...trying to get my mind off the screaming.
After the spinal tap was done, they had to give Jett an IV. Then the screaming began again. Joe stayed with Jett, holding his hand, comforting him while they poked him 6 times...finally putting the IV in his head. Missy & I went to the remote hallway where his screams where drowned out. I wish I was strong enough to have been there holding his hands....but I wasn't.
Over the next few hours, we found out that Jett did have meningitis. We learned that since Jett had been on an antibiotic for the pertusis & ear infection, they were messing with his white blood cell count & they would not be able to get a true count to tell us if he had viral or bacterial meningitis. We heard different doctors telling us they thought he had viral, others saying he had bacterial. Either way, they were going to treat him as if he had bacterial.
The night we were admitted & in our "permanent" room, I tossed & turned all night. Thankfully Jett was not screaming anymore in pain. They say that when they do a spinal tap, it relieves the pressure. OK...so I should have explained this earlier. Meningitis is an infection in the spinal fluid & the lining of the brain. You can get it by either a virus or bacterium. Other than Jett's extreme pain, his soft spot was bulging. So, his brain was filling up with spinal fluid. This is what was causing the pain for him.
OK, so back to that first night. Joe & I had some worship music playing (in fact, worship music was playing our entire 10 days at the hospital, day & night). Joe, Jett & I were all cramped up on the lil bed/couch thing they had in his room. I held Jett all night. I would wake up thinking that this was just a bad dream. Then I would remember that it was all true. I would be in prayer, then I would fall asleep. One of the times I woke up I felt that God spoke to me clearly. I felt that He told me that Jett was healed & he would not have any effects from the meningitis.
So I stood upon those words.
No matter what anyone said. Jett was healed!
It has been over a week since we have been home. Jett is healed! He had no side effects from the meningitis. He is back to his normal smiley self.
I try to forget the moments that I have just typed. Right now they are all too fresh maybe. Thinking about them makes me weep just thinking about how afraid we were that Jett may die. That I would never see his beautiful smiling face again.
The doctors & nurses were/are great, but I know what I know. God healed my son.
I
