Intussuception, or intuss for short according to the nurses, is considered a serious side effect of the Rotavirus vaccine. Intuss is a condition in which the small bowel folds back inside another part of the intestine, causing a bowel obstruction.
Matt and I decided to not have Jackson receive all of his vaccines at one time. Instead, Jackson got his DTAP shot and then we waited a week for him to get the next one of two shots. Since Jackson got his casts back on, he wasn't able to get the next shot when we went back to the pediatrician, but we did decide for him to go ahead and get the Rotavirus vaccine. He received this vaccine on Wednesday.
Jackson was fine all day following the vaccine, but then he became very congested later that night. It was so bad that I ended up sleeping on the couch so that he could be elevated some in his rock n' play while sleeping. His congestion didn't improve throughout the night so I was planning on going to get him some nose drops to try and help. Right as I was getting ready so we could leave, Jackson got a funny look on his face and then threw up more than I knew was possible for someone so small.
While I was cleaning up the first mess, he got sick again. I called his pediatrician to find out what could be done. While on the phone with nurse, Jackson ended up gagging pretty badly. The nurse heard him and said for him to come in to get checked out.
I explained to the doctor what had been going on and she decided to test his stool. She came back in and said that there was a trace amount of blood in his stool and explained that he could have a virus, but needed to rule out a condition called intussuception.
The doctor explained that she wanted to rule out intuss because with Jackson's medical history and him throwing up like he was, she didn't want to risk it. I went from "Are you kidding me" to "This has to be a joke" to finally "Oh my gosh, please be ok."
The doctor sent us to Vandy to have an x-ray and ultrasound done of Jackson's stomach and intestines. He did a great during the x-ray, but became very fussy during the ultrasound which ended up taking longer than it should have due to him squirming so much. He was so hungry, but couldn't keep anything down. Every time he ate, he would just throw it back it. It broke my heart.
Shortly after getting back to our room, Matt arrived. After a little bit of time, the doctor came in with the results of the x-ray and ultrasound. There was no sign of intussuception - Whew! While his stomach and intestines looked fine, the doctor was concerned with the fact that Jackson wasn't keeping food down. Because of that, Jackson was admitted for overnight observation.
So sleepy!
Since he was just being observed, the nurse didn't come in very much through the night. The care partner came in every couple of hours to check his vitals, but that was pretty much it. We continued our every 3 hour feedings, diaper changes, and snuggles while he digested his food just like we were at home. Jackson kept down every meal and didn't have any issues throughout the night. The doctor that admitted him the night prior came to visit and check on him the next morning. As far as she was concerned, we could go home. However, Jackson had to be seen by the attending doctor before we could be discharged. We ended up sitting around the room until 2:00! After getting the OK from the attending doctor, we got our discharge paperwork and went home.
Ready to go!
Crystal
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