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 Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 9:37 pm
Treatment for mild to moderate diagnoses here
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 2:28 pm
Dr Thomas took the twins back into a treatment room with two beds and helped each of them to lay down. She attached pulse ox monitors to their pointer fingers, and frowned when as expected, the numbers were low. She switched on the oxygen flow from a switch next to each bed, and slipped oxygen masks over their faces, relaxing slightly as their breathing improved, even though it only improved a little.
"Alright, from the information I have so far, your names are Alex, and Chris, correct? Well, its very nice to meet you, though I wish you weren't feeling so awful." She turned to the grandmother then. "I'll need to do a blood test and possibly a chest xray before I can make a formal diagnosis, but that cough is pretty distinctive, and its a good chance they both have whooping cough"
Her eyes were kind, though they showed definite concern, and she tried her best not to frighten or startle the twins. That would only make their breathing worse, if they started to panic
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 2:49 pm
The Twins
Both twins looked very frightened as they were led into one of the treatment rooms. Neither one of them were very happy about being put in seperate beds. They both liked to be close to one another. Alex and Chris both didn't care for the thing that Dr. Thomas had attached to their fingers. But when they tried pulling them off, their grandmother got onto them both. The twins squirmed a bit when a mask was slipped over their faces. Though they stopped when they noted that whatever it was it was helping them breath better.
Chris turned on his side so that he could see Alex, and was happy his twin had done the same. Both looked at Dr. Thomas hearing her speak. They were in agreement with her words. Alex wished the both of them were feeling a whole lot better. The grandmother looked at Dr. Thomas, feeling her shoulders slumping at the doctor's words. "Whooping cough? I thought they had already had the vaccine for it." She said while glancing at the twins. Alex and Chris looked at one another with unhappy looks on their faces at the mention of shots. Those were not very fun to get at all in their opinion.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 3:14 pm
"Unfortunately, some children don't respond as well as we would like to vaccines." She began getting out materials for a blood test as she spoke. "I'd also like to start IVs on both of them, since they have been vomiting. They are already so sick that if we can avoid dehydration I'd prefer it."
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 3:33 pm
The Twins
The twins' grandmother gave a soft sigh at the doctor's words. She knew that the twins both had had their vaccines, because she has been the one making sure they got them. Their mother always seemed to busy to do it herself. "I see." She said softly while moving to sit on Alex's bed as the doctor was getting out the material she needed. "Okay then, I understand." The grandmother said to Dr. Thomas. She was well aware that the twins were not going to like any of this. Alex and Chris both had worried expressions on their faces as they listened to the doctor and their grandmother speaking to one another. Not really understanding everything that was being said.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 4:51 pm
With practiced speed she drew blood from both twins, smiling as she used a j-tip, which was a small canister of numbing spray, on each of them. With this, they didn't feel either needle that Dr. Thomas placed. Once each IV was placed she taped it securely and started running in a liter of cool saline that would both rehydrate them, and the cool liquid would also bring down the fever. "All set. I'll run these to the lab, and once I know more we'll see what we need to do. I'm very proud of you. You're both very brave"
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 5:32 pm
The Twins
Alex and Chris were a little confused when the doctor sprayed something on their arms. However neither had liked it when Dr. Thomas poked them in the arm with a needle, though they didn't feel it, and blood was drawn. Neither of them felt the needle placed into each of their arms for the IV. The grandmother was thankful for that. She looked at Dr. Thomas with a small smile while patting Alex's leg. She moved over to Chris' bed to do the same. "Yes, you two were very brave." She said while sitting on Chris' bed. The twins both smiled. "Can, can we go home now?" Alex asked, pausing to take a breath. His eyes darted over to Chris when his twin suddenly started coughing again. Their grandmother lightly rubbed his back hoping that his fit would pass over quickly this time. It did and Chris didn't even need to throw up either. He drew in a shaky breath letting it out slowly before smiling at Alex.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 7:58 pm
Dr Thomas set the vials down when the coughing started, slipping off Christopher's oxygen mask and letting him spit the thick mucous into an emesis basin that she held for him. It was green, a clear sign of infection, and tinged with blood, because Chris' throat was so sore and raw. She placed a clean emesis basin in front of each boy, and disposed of the old one as she made her way down to the lab.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 8:25 pm
The Twins
Chris coughed into the basin that Dr. Thomas held out in front of him. What he coughed up made him cringe. It was green and bloody. And his throat felt so sore from coughing so much. He knew that Alex's had to be the same way as well. After the fit was over he laid back with an exhausted look on his face. Alex looked over at his twin knowing that he probably looked just as bad. He felt Dr. Thomas putting something beside him and looked down to see it was a clean basin. Chris also had one. The grandmother watched the doctor walk out of the room before settling a chair between them. "How about a story, hm?" The twins both nodded their heads. "Okay then. Once upon a time in a faraway land. . ." Their grandmother started and the twins snuggled down to listen.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 9:40 pm
Dr. Thomas made her way back to the treatment room containing the twins after about an hour down in the lab. She leaned against the door frame for a moment, listening, before knocking softly to announce her presence and coming in to stand at the foot of the twins' beds.
"Well, they do in fact have a severe case of whooping cough, so I want to admit them to the Pediatric ICU. I'm only going to keep them in ICU until the antibiotics take hold, and then they will be moved to the regular floor until they are completely infection free. Once we move them upstairs, I want to do a chest xray so I can decide on what would be the best medication to use for them"
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 9:52 pm
The Twins
"The dragon, defeated, flew from the town. And the brave knight was thanked by the townspeople for his noble deed. He also married the lady whom he had saved from the dragon. They lived happily ever after, the end." The grandmother smiled as she finished the story to see that her grandsons were actually dozing off. Hearing the knock on the door frame she looked up in surprise to see Dr. Thomas standing there. Though her surprise turned into sadness when the doctor informed her that Alex and Chris had a severe case of whooping cough.
She nodded her head as she listened to the doctor's words. "Alright. But how long do you think before it clears up?" The grandmother asked as she stood up out of the chair. The twin's both stirred feeling their grandmother moving her warm hands from their own. The twins looked at one another before looking at the doctor again. "Are we going home now?" Chris asked hoarsely as he rubbed at his eyes. The grandmother shook her head at him while patting his back. "No, I'm afraid not." She informed them both with a smile.
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Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 7:08 pm
"Alex and Chris will be here for at least six weeks, but probably more like twelve. Whooping cough is highly dangerous and contagious, particularly for children, and also for you ma'am, because of your age" She went on to outline a plan for treatment, that included steroids and antibiotics to help the body fight the pertussis and clear the mucous from the twins' lungs, as well as albuterol treatments to keep their airways open. As she spoke, she gave a dose of Motrin to both boys in the hopes that it would bring their fever down.
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Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 7:15 pm
The Twins
The twins looked rather unhappy about the news that they would be staying her for six weeks. Maybe even twelve. "We want to go home." Alex stated in a hoarse voice while Chris nodded along with his twin's words. Their grandmother patted their heads, with a assuring smile on her face before looking back up at the doctor. "I will still be able to see them right?" She asked Dr. Thomas. She knew that in her old age that whooping cough would probably do her a lot of harm. But she couldn't abandon her grandsons when they were sick.
She listened as Dr. Thomas went on to outline the plan for Alex's and Chris' treatment to get them better. She only asked one or two questions in the process. The twins looked at the medicine that the doctor had given them before looking at one another then both swallowed it with grimaces on their faces.
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Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 8:07 pm
"Yes, you can see them. But since they will be in ICU and you are in danger of exposure, I'd like it to be for only short periods at a time." She turned to the twins, smiling as she noticed the twin expressions of disgust as they swallowed the Motrin.
"I know it tastes yucky boys, but hopefully it will help you get some sleep tonight."
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Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 8:17 pm
The Twins
Their grandmother nodded her head at Dr. Thomas' words. "Alright." She would have wanted to stay with her grandsons while they were sick, but knew that she wasn't able to. And didn't think their mother was going to be able to either. The twins were getting a little more worried as they listened to the adults talking. They didn't know what ICU was but it scared them. Just as Dr. Thomas started talking Alex started into a coughing fit, that made his chest ache and caused his throat to burn. His face turned red as he coughed into the basin while his grandmother rubbed his back gently. When it was over Alex couldn't help but cry. Chris followed soon after. They were tired, didn't feel good, and everything from their stomach up seemed to hurt.
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