Tomorrow I'm going to be having surgery to take my gall bladder out. Allan is going to the dentist, then is supposed to be going to work. The problem is that Maribeth seems to be sick or in some sort of pain. She has been fussy all day and getting worse hourly; to the point of screaming for hours and hours this evening. I laid her down in her crib and she fell asleep exhausted, but she still keeps waking up crying every little bit. We have tried all the usual things like Baby Tylenol, rocking her, and Zantac (in case it's her reflux acting up again) but so far nothing really seems to help much.
It is a hard call sometimes. How sick is sick enough to take a child in for medical attention. It's embarrassing to take a fussy baby in and be told they have a "case of teething". At the same time you don't want to run the risk of there really being something wrong and not going in. This isn't to "ER" proportions QUITE yet.
Without clear medical indications (like vomiting to the point of dehydration), I'm reluctant to take a crying baby/toddler into an ER. I made that mistake once with Melissa years ago. She had cried all day, all evening, for hours in the waiting room, and in the ER exam room. "Inconsolable crying", as they put it. She had no vomiting, no fever, and as it turned out no ear infection. They did X-rays and an MRI, all the while sending social worker types to question me away from the baby in closed rooms about if I had shook her at ALL. I hadn't. The next day we took her to our family doctor and found out she had hand-foot-mouth disease. The ER had missed the sores on her hands, feet, and mouth completely! So you can see why I'm in no hurry to go in again for "inconsolable crying".
My sister is here to watch the kids, but she can't take Maribeth in as she is not a parent. (Add to this the fact that she won't have transportation, as Allan will have the van to drive me to the hospital.) This is simply (yet another) case where family may have to come before work. So if she NEEDS to go in earlier, then Allan is going to have to do that because I have to get my surgery done. I suppose I could no-show the surgery but I've been having quite a lot of pain so this really needs to be done.
We would appreciate prayers that whatever is wrong with Maribeth is over by morning; prayers too that the kids will be cheerful and co-operative (and not sick!) for Auntie Bethie tomorrow and Friday. Because if she can't handle all 5 kids - Allan is going to have to come home and care for them. It's one thing to have me as a parent dealing with kids that have me at the end of my rope. Asking someone else who is volunteering to do that isn't terribly realistic. So also pray Allan doesn't have to skip work and of course that my surgery is complication free and that I can recover quickly.
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With five kids I understand the conflicting feelings that come from trying to decide whether to "go or not go" to the Drs. office. ("I don't think there is really anything major wrong....but what if...") We very rarely, much to my in-laws chagrin, take ours to seek medical treatment, and everyone is still alive.
I'll be praying for wisdom for all of you...including Auntie Bethie, that whatever is causing Maribeth pain will cease and that she will be able to rest comfortably. Praying the surgery goes well and that the Dentist trip is quick! =o)
(If you press on the middle of her stomach does she seem like she is in intense pain? My father is always worried about appendicitis with mine.)
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