Learning from our Lotte

Sam, Lotte and Caroline Parenting is a messy adventure – it tests our patience, our will and our energy, but never our concern, love or passion for our children. With three kids under 10, my wife, Caroline, and I have managed broken noses, split lips, cuts and bruises too numerous to count … even Lyme disease, skin disorders, and serious fevers – most seem to come with the territory. But there have been rare moments when one of our kids was sick and we didn’t know what was wrong or how to ease the pain, and in those moments, we felt pretty desperate. One of those times was when our 4-year-old daughter Charlotte or “Lotte” came down with a high fever when she was 10 months old. While this was not a new experience for us, the part that made us nervous was that the fever, despite Children’s Tylenol and Motrin, would not break. Over the course of several days, Lotte became a bit listless, lethargic and clearly out of sorts. She didn’t have an appetite, and we quickly felt that guttural queasiness of not knowing what to do. We did what most parents do and brought her to our pediatrician, who ordered some blood tests and sent us home. We were still worried. We knew something was wrong. The pediatrician called to say the blood tests could suggest meningitis and urged us to take Lotte to the nearest hospital ASAP. Caroline did just that while I stayed home to find a sitter for Sammy and Ellie. While the staff in our local hospital were friendly and accommodating, they...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Richard Yu vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) Source Type: news