The ER

After the test for the blood work came back, the doctor was not happy with the results and the fact that Riley's condition had not improved over the course of the day. He wanted us to take Riley to the ER. My husband took him there and when given some medicine promptly threw up for the nurse to see. By the time that I got there, they had concluded that it was not a bacterial infection, but wanted to do a CAT scan to see if he had a head injury. His dad remembered that Riley had gotten hit over the head with a metal pole by his sister sometime late last week. I went with Riley to do the CAT scan and by the time that we got back, he seemed a lot better. He was talking, playing, and walking around. He even became interested in coloring pictures and was sitting up. The CAT scan did not reveal anything, and they think that he may have had a stomach infection. We got sent home, yea!

Riley came home and ate some of his roll and the icing from his doughnut. When I asked him if he needed to puke, he said, "I already did that, I'm empty".

Over night he woke up twice, for thirst and a headache, but after an ice pack and some medicine, he slept through the rest of the night. He has not thrown up since he did with the nurse at the hospital.

Hopefully, today he will continue to get better....

Sudden Illness

Riley complains about having a headache often because it is a line that he learned from Arthur. Last night, when he started complaining of a headache, we were not too concerned at first. He asked to take some medicine and I gave him some. He said that he couldn't stop heaving so I settled down with him on the couch, and he threw up his whole dinner. I changed his clothes, calmed him down, and laid down with him. We gave him an ice pack for his headache and he slept in fits and starts. I gave him more medicine at 2am, but it did not seem to help the pain. He got up this morning and threw up again. I called the doctor.

We went to see the doctor, and he did the strep test and checked his ears and did not see anything wrong, but, like me, the doctor was concerned that he had this headache that woke him up in the night and that he was throwing up. The doctor ordered blood work done and off we went to the lab. Riley was a real trooper and did not cry or even really flinch when they drew the blood. We can only pray that the results of the blood test will reveal something that is conclusive.

Elmo Makes Music

Yesterday we went to see Elmo Makes Music. I believe that Riley really enjoyed the show, but he says that he did not like it. He really paid attention to the things that were going on, but I do not think that he is coordinated enough to sing and dance along with them. At home he likes to sing tv theme songs to his shows, but, like his mom, he is always a little off.

I encouraged Riley to take is binoculars with him to the show so that he would have something to play with and entertain himself with if he really did not like the show. He was looking through them backwards, with the big end up to his eyes instead of the correct way. I believe that looking through them the correct way provided too much sensory input and he was not able to handle it.

I was not sure that Riley would enjoy the show. I thought that it might be too loud and maybe even too bright for him. I remember taking him to the Playhouse Disney show at Disney MGM over spring break. While his sister danced, he laid down with his head in my lap. It was like he did not know how to act like the other kids, and he did not want to make a fool of himself.

Riley enjoyed the show; he is just too cool to admit it since Elmo is his sister's favorite character.