Princess Power

Madelynne applying her new sparkle powder

Perfect! A princess can never have too many sparkles.

Fast asleep with wand in hand

The "Fancy Nancy" Party

We thought we were on the mend. They have told us for 2 days that we were headed home. Things seem to go from bad to worse. Do you ever have those dreams where you are trying to get somewhere but it just keeps getting further and further away and the harder you try the harder it gets. That is how I feel right now.

Yesterday things seemed fairly good in the morning and even in the afternoon. We went down to the library and picked out movies and then visited the gift shop where Madelynne wanted to purchase $50 in treasures. I talked her into just $16 worth which was more than I wanted to spend but, well deserved. Then they came in to start some IV meds when they discovered that the IV in her foot had gone bad. Her entire leg was swollen and full of fluid from the IV. The vein was blown. Madelynne watched her movie and patted herself with her new sparkle powder puff that she had just gotten from the gift shop while they decided what to do with her IV. After 3 people came in and examined her leg, the nurse removed the IV. Madelynne took this opportunity to sparkle herself some more. When she felt that she was sufficiently glimmering, she started to sparkle the nurses arms and her one cheek that was accessible. The sparkly nurse left for a second to go get a band aid and when she returned Madelynne had sparkled both of her legs and all of her toes. She had so much sparkle powder on her that the band aid didn't even stick. They decided not to put a new IV in because the plan was to go home in the morning. When the nurse went to change her dressing on her stomach she noticed that her stomach was completely distended. I asked what do you do about that and she said she would chart it and let the doctor know. Madelynne seemed fine and even fell asleep playing happily in her bed, wand in hand.

This morning the doctor said that she needed to get a suppository to make her expel whatever was in her bowels and then she should be fine. With much defiance I gave her the suppository. We waited at least 5 hours with no results. Her appetite was gone and she said she felt like she was going to barf. Her stomach was cramping horribly and she kept doubling over in pain. She had been invited to a "Fancy Nancy" party at 2:30 but at 2:15 when the doctor came in she was fading fast. He said that she needed to get an IV in and start fluids asap. Also, no more food, clear liquids only. They put some numbing cream on her and gave her some pain medication and took her to the party for a few minutes. She was precious and as happy as she could be at the party but, asked to come back to her room because her tummy was hurting. The new IV was a doozy to say the least. She was absolutely hysterical and would not let them near her. She was shouting things like, "if you don't do what I say, I'm going to tell on you. I am the boss. This is my choice! If you don't listen to me, I'm not giving you a makeover!!" I was trying not to feel like a bad mother for letting them hurt her again but, on that last threat, I just couldn't help but laugh (as inconspicuously as possible of coarse). She got so defiant that she was kicking and screaming and hitting and spitting. They had to wrap her up in a sheet and get 6 people to hold her down to put the IV in. It absolutely broke my heart but, what could I do? They had to put those things on her arms so that she can't bend them because she kept trying to grab at the IV and rip it out. I can not even begin to explain how horrible I feel right now. Just when you think you see a light at the end of the tunnel, someone blows it out. They think that her stomach has not woken up from surgery and she is not digesting her food. They have drawn blood to make sure her CBC is ok and no infection has set in and they are giving her a blood treatment now. At this point I don't know that we will ever go home. So much for being home for Thanksgiving and her birthday. My poor baby girl!