The diagnosis

Although we have a family larger than most people are comfortable with...we thoroughly enjoy ourselves!! :-)  We enjoy spending lots of time together as a family!! We are always finding fun activities to do and try. :-)  Our latest fun, winter activity we enjoy is skiing.  Daddy used to work for a ski resort, and is an expert skier, and momma, well, let's just say momma is a novice and doesn't mind hanging out with the little one in the chalet. ;-)   As the ski season is wrapping up for this winter, we decided to go one last time, and it became a trip we will never forget.  We planned a trip to a nearby resort town and were ready for a weekend of fun...it started on the last Thursday in February...everyone was having a great time except for S...he didn't seem to be having as much fun this time around...he seemed tired and like he was coming down with some kind of sickness.  Now, as a mother of 6, who is also an ICU RN, you can imagine I have dealt with my fair share of illnesses...and I don't usually get too excited when the kids are sick...Although, that nurse thing...sometimes it's good, and sometimes it's bad...there are times when I'm like...nah, they are breathing, their temp isn't over 104, there isn't any signs of bleeding or immediate danger, so they must be FINE...and then, there are those times when you are like...I think my kid has meningitis, or maybe it's (insert any other crazy, completely unlikely, dramatic illness most parents have never heard of here) ;-p I think my nurse friends would understand my sentiments. ;-)  Anyway, S's symptoms were so nonspecific...tired, little bit of a sore throat, no appetite, no fever, malaise...the first thing that popped into my mind was like...I bet it's strep or mono...great, we are on vacation...I guess I'll be taking him to urgent care tomorrow...then, he started chugging water like crazy...then a crazy thought popped into my head...HE'S ACTING LIKE A DIABETIC...NOOOO...I'm just being a paranoid nurse-mom again...that isn't possible, we don't even  know anyone in our family that is diabetic...STOP BEING PARANOID...it's strep, it's gotta be, we will go to the doctor tomorrow...so, everyone went to bed for the big day of skiing, and an urgent care visit in a strange city.......but I guess God had other plans for us...through the night poor S got up a couple times and threw up, then snuggled into bed with momma...and momma knew for sure we HAD to visit urgent care in the morning...but...7:15am my sweet baby crawled into bed with me again...I took one look at him and was TERRIFIED...he was breathing very shallowly and very rapidly, he was clutching his right side of his belly saying it hurt sooooo bad, he was ashen, he looked like He was dying...DADDY, we have to go to the ER NOW!!!!  All the other kids were sleeping yet, and daddy knew where the hospital was and there was no time to lose...he had to get to the hospital NOW!!!!!  So, terrified momma had to stay behind with the other sleeping kiddos...I was shaking, I knew something was terribly wrong...was he septic?  Did his appendix rupture?  What is wrong with my poor baby?  What if he stops breathing in the car on the way there?  No, No, No...I will NOT entertain that thought..."What time I am afraid I will trust in thee..."  I prayed harder than I ever have before!!! And, with shaking hands, I asked everyone I knew via facebook, text and telephone to please pray for my baby!!!!  Then I realized daddy left his phone at the hotel...how would I know what was wrong or if they made it there???  I called the hospital and explained everything and asked them to please call me when he arrived...they assured me they would...then a few minutes later, thank you Lord, they made it there!!!  They took his vitals, daddy reported them to nurse-momma...WHAT??????  His temp was 95.4...oh my word...he is SEPTIC? And he is in SHOCK??  Nurse-momma hated herself for not just taking him in last night. :(  Then a call back from daddy..."Ummmm they think he has diabetes..."  Noooooooooo...it couldn't be...could it??????  Then, "He needs to go to ICU in Children's Hospital by ambulance..."  A sigh of relief...he is going to be okay though...but DIABETES????  REALLY?????  Daddy had to leave him briefly to come back to the hotel to get me and the other kids...finally I can hold my sick baby!!!!  I was so relieved when I saw him in the ER, he looked soooooo much better, although still very sick....I was going to ride with him and thanked God for saving my baby!!!!  Daddy said, the doctor knew almost immediately what was wrong with him..."it was like they were waiting for him..."  Thank you LORD!!!!!!  Then nurse-momma  wanted  to  know how bad it was..." What  were  his ABG's?  "Are you a nurse?   Well, they  were bad, real bad.  We couldn't believe he was awake and  talking to us... his pH 6.94, bicarb less than 3...."  I  had a  heart  attack  right  there!!!!!!!!!!!!  THANK YOU LORD FOR SAVING MY BABY!!!!!!!   If  you  don't  believe  in  miracles,  you  don't  know  how AWESOME  my  God is!!!!!