Full Blast

TeamHernandez was looking forward to another long weekend this July because it meant longer bonding time with our little bedspace-invader, Baby Charley. However, when I came home Wednesday afternoon, my roommate (my husband, btw) had this worried look in his face, and I could feel it: something was wrong with Charley. She had been pooping lots, as in lots, so we immediately informed her pedia, Dra Pam Caedo of Makati Medical, who advised us to give Erceflora (good bacteria) and Pedialyte so that she wouldn't be dehydrated.

her meds in full blast 

Wednesday night was a terrible night for Baby Charley since she had been tossing and turning (and pooping) every 30 minutes. On that night alone, she had 15+ poops! *faints* It was also terrible for Boss Ayat and me since we couldn't sleep well, and we needed to make sure that we clean her well after every episode. She would wake up and poop and cry because she knew it would be wash time again. Because of her severe diarrhea (thank heavens she was not vomiting!) she developed a full blast diaper rash. It pained us to hear her cry and look at her, but we couldn't do anything but to soothe her and pray that she would get well.

while waiting for our lab results 

Early Thursday morning, we rushed to Makati Medical Center because Charley needed immediate medical attention. We showed Dra Caedo a list of her episodes, temperature, and actions we took (yes, you could say I'm a pretty OC on all things). After requesting for a stool analysis, she gave us medicine requests in full blast (yup, exact words of Dra Caedo ^_^) since Baby Charley's temperature was 38.1 C. Good thing Baby Charley was still properly dehydrated after all those poops. The scary part of that day was that if Baby Charley's condition wouldn't improve soon, Dra Caedo would require her to be admitted at MMC already. *double faint* She would then see us Friday, despite it being a holiday (Thank you, Dra Caedo!) to check for any improvement.

That was a terrible, terrible news for us. We couldn't bear to look at Charley pooping and crying all the time, and it would be worse to see her on IV plus Makati Med is super pang-maharlika.  I was pretty sure I would take it worse. We then bought all the required medicines at the pharmacy at the ground floor. Thanks to their new online system, we didn't have to line up, and we also get discount. Ask your doctor's secretary about it.

Medicines and prayers were on full blast that Thursday night because Baby Charley had to take antibiotics twice and E-Zinc drops, Erceflora, Hidrasec, and Tempra (when her temperature rose) once daily; and we had to give all of these that very same night. Thankfully, Baby Charley took them all with less fights and still drank her milk regularly. For the mean time, though, she needed to drink NAN AL 110 Lactose free for easy digestion. We were also prescribed with Zinc Oxide + Calamine Ointment for her diaper rash, and it did help a lot.

sorry baby, no milk shake for you

When Baby Charley fell asleep at her usual 6pm schedule, my roommate and I fell asleep, too. We were all tired from everything. It was a long day for us (since I also went to see a doctor myself), and all of our energies were drained. Thankfully, Baby Charley only woke up and pooped once at 4:45am (Friday), but since her temperature was 37.9C, we gave her Tempra and Koolfever right away, and immediately her temperature lowered.

There were fewer people in Makati Med today since this Friday was declared a non-working holiday to celebrate a Muslim feast. Dra Caedo was only one the very few doctors whose clinics were open at least until 12 noon. It was then a moment of truth for us since we would know whether Baby Charley would be admitted or not. Again, prayers were in full blast and so was Baby Charley's energy; she was Kapitana mode, a term we have given her when she's being Ms Congeniality and noisy talkative self).

Baby Charley had normal temperature, didn't show signs of dehydration, and had only pooped twice before our visit to the clinic. Moreover, her stool analysis didn't show any traces of amoeba, so she wouldn't be confined anymore! Yay! It was really such a relief for all of us (Dra Caedo, secretary, and us included) because we really wanted to bring her home with us after the check-up. Baby Charley, though, still needed to finish all of her prescribed medicines plus her usual vitamins. But she's going home and that's such a wonderful news!

When we got home (super happy really!), we were hoping Baby Charley would rest and make bawi all of her used energies, but no. She went crawling and climbing, and pushing the chair, and squealing, and tapping on the walls and tables, and playing with the baby from the other unit. She would still fight with us during medicine time and roll over during nappy changing time, but this time, my roommate and I were feeling much better.

sick baby no more

It was such long two days for our household, and we have never felt so blessed. We were blessed with wonderful loving family and friends who prayed with us and helped us go through this ordeal especially Dra Caedo who answered our texts late at night and accommodated us even during a holiday. We were also blessed with random strangers and MMC guards who gave us priority in the Taxi Lane so we could go home already, with patient crew in Pancake House and Bacolod Chicken Inasal who were patient with our screaming baby, with the cleaning staff of MMC who allowed us to the CR together as we changed Baby Charley's diaper, with the MMC nurses and staff who were very patient with us and Baby Charley, and with strangers who also tried to soothe Baby Charley when she was crying because of the pain. Really,we have never been so blessed, and that was our realization today:when bad things went full blast, so would God's blessings. Amen. 


Our prayers for Baby Charley's full recovery are still in full blast and so is the gratefulness in our hearts for God's abundant blessings He bestows to our family.ü

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Check for signs of baby dehydration here.

Here are the medicines prescribed to Baby Charley and the prices for your reference:

• Triocef (Cefixime Trihydrate) - Antibacterial; antibiotics; 2x daily at 1.6ml for 7 days; you can ask the pharmacist to prepare the suspension for you -->; 449
• e-Zinc (Zinc Sulfate) - 1 ml once daily -->; 77.75 
• Hidrasec (Racecadotril) - antidiarrheal; to be mixed with 5ml of water; once daily -->; 38.75/sachet 
• Erceflora (Bacillus clausii) - antidiarrheal of microbial origin - one vial daily for 10 days -->; 33.00/vial 
• Calmoseptine (Zinc oxide + Calamine) - for diaper rash and other forms of skin irritations -->; 36.00/sachet 
• koolfever for babies - for fever -->; 51.00/
• Nan AL 110 - lactose-free; temporary milk -->; 483.00 
• Stool Analysis @ Makati Med --> 275.00

Charley vs The Floor (and the wall, occasionally)

cuteness overload! nomnomnom!

I'm not gonna lie; I was one with the thousands of students (and some teachers) who rejoiced when classes were suspended in Makati - for three (oh my goodness!!) consecutive days. I even downloaded twitter and created an account so that I could follow Makati and await any suspension announcements. Yes, I was that desperate.

In fact, the day before classes were suspended, I was already looking forward to spending the glorious long weekend with my roommate (my husband, btw) and Baby Charley, who's not so baby anymore. *sniff* *sniff*

During the three days I was at home (I have a day time work as a teacher and as a tutor), I saw how Baby Charley has grown and battled the floor and the wall several times. You see, she has recently learnt to crawl, and it amazes her that she could go from point A to point B without her mommy and daddy. She could crawl safely on the bed, but she has just discovered that crawling on the floor is far more brilliant. And painful, too.

One thing my roommate and I have agreed on (he's still working hard on it) is not to shelter Charley from possible bukols and bruises. We DO keep an eagle eye on her, but as she crawls, we let her crawl and let her discover on her own that the floor won't take any prisoners and shall never be easy on her.

She did learn this the hard way.

Our little crawler, at least what seems like her

On the first day of suspension of classes and on my watch, she was peacefully crawling her way around the unit when BOOM! She hit her head on the floor. Hard. Pretending not to notice her, my roommate and I continued with our phones and coffee, and Charley, being totally "ignored", continued to crawl. Moments later, we casually picked her up to check on any damages and breathed a sigh of relief when there's none.

Later that day, after her afternoon nap, she was on a climbing spree. No pile of pillows was too high or too perilous for her. Climb she wanted, climb she went. Suddenly we heard a loud thud on the bed. Charley just hit the wall. Harder this time. I was expecting blood on her forehead and bills from Makati Med, but good Lord there's none again, and climb she went again.

The love-hate relationship between Baby Charley and the floor/wall is costing us our sanity and peace of mind. We're suddenly so praning that she might hit the wall or the floor or something else again that we wanted to confine her in her crib. However, that's not being fair to Charley who's so curious in discovering life (and the pain) and her childhood.

I'm pretty sure there'll be more near-heart attack situations for us as Charley grows. There'll be real bruises and bukols and blood *faints* and wounds and more fun and giggles and gigils and laughter and joy of childhood like what we had when we were younger.

My roommate and I promise ourselves that we're gonna let Charley have, not the best childhood ever, but the childhood she will be proud of.

But note to the wall, please be easy on her next time.

And to Charley, for crying out loud, you will never win against the wall and the floor. Ever.

As of this writing, Floor/Wall 5; Charley infinite fun time.

Curious little kitten