One year ago...

Wow, I just realized that it was one year ago today that Meenie was admitted to the hospital. SO one year ago, I had a very sick little girl, a girl who in a days time, lost all her motor skills. Who in the 24 hours before being admitted, spiked a high fever and appeared to be seizing whenever she laid down. A girl who had been vomiting for 24 hours. A girl who was able to walk unsteadily into the doctors but within the hour we were there, was quickly losing her ability to walk. A girl who all of a sudden startled at loud noises. One year ago right about now, she was undergoing a CAT scan and Lumbar Puncture.

Over the course of four days, she was on IV fluids and antibiotics. She underwent MRI's, EEG's and numerous blood tests. She had neurologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, hospitalists, residents, med. students and a host of other doctors and nurses. So many, I couldn't keep them all straight. Through it all, she was a trooper. She never once complained. I had always wondered how they were able to treat squirmy active kids in the hospital. And then I found out. Once they are sick enough to be admitted, they usually just respond to tests and treatments (sure she kept knocking her IV out, but it's hard to keep that arm straight!).

One year ago - she couldn't walk. She couldn't raise her arm a few inches up. Her face twitched. She had a hard time sitting up. In four days - she lost all the muscles she had. It didn't take long though, with physical therapy and being home for her to regain those abilities. At first she had to crawl to get around. We had to feed her. But within days she was walking with assistance. At the end of the month, she showed so much progress, she no longer needed visits from OT and PT. By the end of summer, she still walked with a little limp, but if you didn't know her, you wouldn't have noticed it.

It's amazing what difference a year makes. She is now running, leaping, twirling and swimming. I cannot keep up with her.

And still I worry. I always stay awake when she is sick now. When she spikes a fever, I think back to then. I sit by her side and pray that she will never be that sick again. Oddly it is just her I worry about like this and I think it's because she was the only one so sick.

I worry more about bugs - ticks and mosquitoes - because they can make her this sick again (even though they were not the cause last year). I never really worried before about Lyme Disease or West Nile. We always apply insect repellent when going on hikes now. I make sure they get checked daily for ticks (and if we find any, I use a sharpie to draw a picture around the spot so I know what to keep an eye on). One thing however, I don't let my fear of these disease ridden pests hinder our time outdoors. We still enjoy hikes, swimming, playing, soccer. We are just more aware of the little things in life.