Akhiat The Daddy: A joyous weekend turned into an Emergency

We went to Malaysia over the weekend to celebrate Christmas with Felin's family. It is our yearly affair where we will prepare nice food, games and writing our Christmas wishing card for everyone. It was a joyous occasion and its Josiah and Joshua first time celebrating Christmas. We dressed them up nicely into Santa's red and white attire and they are certainly adorable on it. The party was held in our place over the past 6 years and this year was in Felin's sister new house in Mount Austin.

During the weekend, we realised that both boys were able to climb stairs very well and could coordinate their walking movement when we hold them to walk. In Singapore, they don't have chance to climb stairs.

Joshua came back to in-law's house with a fever of 39.2 Degree and we initially though its probably due to teething issue and did not pay too much attention on it as he was still very active. MIL insisted that Joshua go to see the doctor and the doctor's diagnosis is throat infection and was given paracetamol and antibiotics. The next day, we still go ahead with going back Singapore as his fever seems to subside in the morning.

While crossing the causeway, my helper who was sitting behind kept telling me that Joshua was cold and hence I told her to cover him with more clothings and I lowered my car's air-con. It was a sunny afternoon and I was wondering why he was feeling cold. Out of a sudden, Joshua went into an uncontrolled shiver and Ann was shouting at us from behind asking us what to do. She kept shouting "Joshua Joshua..." and it was panic in the car as it seems like a "Live and Death" situation. I wasn't too sure what to do as my car was still moving in a slow causeway traffic. Felin immediately went down the car and ran up to the customs to ask if we can have priority clearance. I was monitoring Joshua by asking Ann lots of questions. She told me that Joshua eyes remains opened and can still react to her and I was relieved to hear that. A few custom officers rushed down after 10 minutes and asked if we need an ambulance. We rejected the Ambulance and asked them to clear the way for us and they tried to do so for us. Thank God that the causeway traffic wasn't too bad on a Monday afternoon.

After the custom's clearance, we immediately rushed to NUH. I thought that NUH is nearer than KK and KTPH is probably not too good for Children A&E. I was kan Chiong and forgotten my way to NUH and made a wrong turn which resulted in a longer journey. Felin kept telling me to drive faster as Joshua seems very sick and Josiah, seems to know that situation and was crying behind non stop.

Joshua was eventually warded and I sent Ann and Josiah back and activated my parent's help. I was later told that he was diagnosed to have Herpangina and was transferred to the Isolation Ward.

He was warded because doctors suspected that he had a seizure while in the car and they were considering to do further test on him. Luckily we need not go through all those Neuro tests. We spent a good 5 days in hospitals with first 2 nights sponging him for high fever which peaked at 40.5 on day 1 and 40.0 on Day 2. There was quite a bit of vomitting over that 2 days and the vomit was really "HOT". He was shacked out over that 2 days already and he was getting bored in the hospital isolated ward.

The fever came down on Day 3 and we were given a choice to discharge him but I decided that we stayed another day to observe. The decision turned out well because the virus attacked his gastro intestinal on day 3 and he started to poo watery stool every 20 to 30 minutes. He vomitted everything he ate and drank and rejected all food and medication subsequently. He was observed and see whether IV drip was necessary. Due to the number of poo he made, his rectum started to turn raw and skin around became red. He was in pain whenever we washed him and we decided not to let him wear diaper and let natural air heal him. This was tough as we had to put a sheet over the bed and occasionally the urine or stool seep through to the bed and bedsheet had to be changed. We also can't remember how many set of clothes we had to change due to his vomit. He kept curling and turning on the bed over that 2 days and was standing on the tip of his toes whenever we washed his buttock. We never see him in such pain before and it certainly pains our heart.

Glad that he got better on evening of Day 4 and we were determined for him to be discharged for Christmas. We were really very tired and sad that our Christmas were spent in such a fashion.
Felin and I also had a bad night of vomitting on the 4th night as we were infected by Joshua. Felin recovered fast but I was down until 27th December where I vomitted, felt lethargic, no appetite for 2+ days.

On our last day when our mood were better, we did not forget to have some fun and took lots of wefies in the isolation ward. Hope we will not be back again and Josiah stay healthy with no similar virus on him...