Finally home!

Well, we are back at home! What an adventure! Or atleast that is what I kept telling Hudson on the way to the ER - "We are going on an adventure - Aren't you excited?!" He kept saying "no." Yeah, well I wasn't really excited either!!!

Just to give you the fat of the skinny . . . . {tee hee - I had to say something different because I said "the long of the short" 2 posts ago!}

Tuesday evening I noticed Hudson's face swelling - especially his eyes. Looked like he had black eyes without the bruising. It was really freaky. But I was trying to give this funky mess he had 24 hours before I called the doctor. And since it wasn't very obvious he had something till late Monday afternoon, I thought Wednesday morning would be the best time to call.

So, I took him to the doctor on Wednesday before lunch. I really thought he had the flu! Let me also add this was after a 8 am therapy appointment for Carson and a 9:45 therapy appointment for Lawson! At the pediatrician's office, the flu was shot down quick as well as strep. But mono was what we thought he had. After 2 ginormous vials of blood, we were sent home and told to be expecting a call in an hour or so.

Well we got the call. But we were asked to come back - his numbers were all over the place and the doctor thought maybe they got a bad sample. That's right folks - we had to go back and give MORE freakin' blood! He said we could just stay at the office till the results came back. When I noticed a pause in the conversation, I thought it wise to ask "what is the worst it could be??" And I was told nephrotic syndrome.

Just to get to the point - the numbers came back all the same. Protein and sodium were extremely low. Face swollen. High fever. Lethargic. Dr. Big was pretty sure that is what we were looking at and said that Vanderbilt was waiting for us. I started crying immediately {because I was scared!} He assured me that this is what he did all through his residency and not to worry. Unlike some people, I'm very confident in our local hospital - after all, they did take care of Carson and Lawson in the NICU - sooo when I'm told I have to go to the BIG children's hospital in Nashville, I freaked out a little!

I'll preface by saying it wasn't a very positive experience. Hudson was poked and sampled from just too many freakin' times! And with this sensory issue we got - oh jeezzzz! Not funnnn at all. Thanks a bunch, Rachel, for coming to my rescue and getting us to the hospital! And thank you more for having my back!!!! Since I told a doctor to "SHUT-UP" and "get out of the room!!" I think I did say A cuss word - but only one! Very impressive! I normally start mouthing off words that I'm very embarrassed for later! But he was just some major tree-hugging idiot that said too many of the wrong things! I stand firm in how I felt and if I saw him today I would still tell him what he could suck on! Wanker!!! Anyone surprised?? Rachel, get off the phone next time so you can hear the WHOLE convo! hehe - you really missed the good part!

But after our 17 hour stay, we learned that Hudson did have nephrotic syndrome - which is an umbrella for alot of things that can go wrong with your kidneys. We are pretty sure he suffers from minimal change disease. Click on the link and you can get a good idea as to what we are dealing with. We don't know for a fact because there really is NO NEED to biopsy a kidney! Unfortunately, Hudson will be on steroids for many months. This might improve his appetite but it could also make him aggressive! Nice. Hopefully after a few months of steroids he will be in remission and we will NEVER EVER have to worry of it again!

Apparently, he did get a viral infection of some sort and his body went into this nephrotic syndrome as a defense {or something} - all that matters is that we are aware of it and now know the signs to watch for just in case it happens again.

Some things I now know from this experience . . .

Lonnie came home!!! Early!

My house got cleaned! Thanks Rachel and Lauren!!!

Got some great foody!!! Thanks to Heather and that wonderful Bible Study Group that I'm in!!!

I had a long heart-felt conversation with God. Tried to barter at first - but quickly realized that's not quite what he wanted!

Realized I can go 96 hours on about 4 hours of sleep and still function. Interesting!

Found out I would much rather deal with nice women doctors that talk sense - instead of scruffy-beard-growing-men doctors {that probably hug trees} that have no idea as to what is going on but felt the need to give opinions - is that discrimination??

Emsley is a great sleeper - until you go to a busy hospital {didn't go to sleep until after 11 pm only to wake up a few hours later to party?!}

The "mini-van" theory still holds true - blew past 2 troopers on the way to the hospital and never was glanced at! Have I told you guys the "mini-van" theory?? A post for a later date - I'm still testing it!

You can't take Hudson's blood pressure, temp or weigh him - even in a lethargic state.

And the most obvious one of the night - People in the medical field really have no idea what "sensory" means. When I say "my kid has sensory problems and is thrashing around, trying to pull off the velcro sleeve that is covering the iv-port with his teeth." Don't offer me a flippin' sock to put on top of it!!!!!! It sensory people - HE DOESN'T LIKE THINGS TOUCHING HIM THAT AREN'T SUPPOSE TOO!! Heaven forbid this to happen again, but if it does - I'm going to draw it out in pictures on his shirt!

That sums it up! I'm sooo behind! I'm not going to tell you that I plan to post tomorrow about the "Big Reveal" - everytime I do, something happens! Just check in tomorrow and see what is going on!

Thanks for all the prayers! We felt them.