Health update on Seth

I am posting an update on Seth because I know a lot of our friends and family were aware that he was taken to Children's hospital yesterday and I don't want people to be worrying about him. For those of you who did know that he was in bad shape yesterday and have been praying for him, we sincerely appreciate your prayers and words of encouragement and support. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the lowdown. =) Seth woke up screaming in pain yesterday morning at 6am and we found that his pain was loacted in his left hip. He could not move his leg or bend his hip at all and upon examination, Josh discoverd some swollen lymph nodes in his groin area. We decided immediately to take him to Children's, but could not even get him into a car seat because he could not bend. I have never seen a child in so much pain. We had to transport him in an ambulance so that he could lay flat. To complicate matters, Josh was on call all weekend and Vicki was working. But Vicki was able to sit at the house with Lilah and Isaac until my friend, Liz, could get here. I definitely pulled the "friend" card when I called Liz at 6am out of a dead sleep on Valentine's Day to ask her to come babysit for the day while I went to the hospital. Liz was awesome and rushed from 45 minutes away to help with the kids and then she even unloaded my dishwasher, took out the trash, folded laundry, and packed Lilah for a week in Tulsa and Isaac for 5 days with my parents. Seriously, THANK GOD for amazing friends like this!

So, we arrived at the hospital where they immediately started an IV, took blood for a CBC and other signs of infection. They took x-rays of the hip and did an ultrasound as well. All of Seth's blood work came back normal and his x-rays were normal (for the most part). The ultrasound showed fluid on the hip and there was some speculation that his hip joint looked "rough" like there might be a lack of blood flow causing vascular necrosis. So they admitted Seth and kept us overnight to make sure that his joint was not becoming septic and to make sure that nothing progressed. They also kept us to manage his pain because he had to be on morphine just to lay comfortably and even then he was spasming. I am usually pretty relaxed about things when the kids get hurt and don't stress too much. But I have to admit that my stomach was in a knot until we got normal blood work back. Seth's symptoms could have been indicative of something pathologic (primarily cancer) and possibly a septic hip, which can also be life-threatening. That moment we found lymph nodes on Seth's hip brought Josh and me to our knees. I have never been that scared in my life.

We ended up with a VERY good report when we got a diagnosis of toxic synovitus. Toxic synovitus can occur in children when they have recently fought off a viral infection. Their immune system attacks the virus and then overreacts and causes inflammation in the inner lining of the hip joint. The only real treatment is anti-inflammatory medication to reduce inflammation and then rest so that the joint is not exacerbated. It can take about 1-3 weeks to completely recover. So, Seth is at home now and is resting and doing much much better. We are praising God for a healthy little boy and a good report (and for good insurance to cover all the tests and an overnight hospital stay)! =) We are also so thankful for family and friends who rushed in to help us out. It was kind of a rough Valentine's Day for everyone involved... but another great reminder to cherish the ones you love so dearly and that friends and family who are there for you in your most stessful moments are truly precious. We love you all! Happy belated Valentine's Day!