Friday, November 23, 2007

A dark day in our life in the year 2006

Warning: This is a long health related post. Just wanted to share a chapter of my life with all of you.

Yes...The day after Thanks Giving when all the people are busy shopping and still enjoying the holidays we had a very dark day during our 2006 ThanksGiving. This is b'coz Kavin was diagonized with something called the KAWASAKI disease. Funny name uh? Yes, we thought so too when the ER doctor told us the name not knowing the seriousness behind it.

Inshort, this an acquired heart disease that affects young childeren who are less than 5 years of age and rarely above 5. You can read more about it
here and here.

Kavin's story goes like this. On 17th November 2006 he woke up normal just like any other day. He had his flu shot appointment and so we went to his pediatrician around 11 am. By 12pm we met 'B' in a restaurant and had lunch. Kavin dosen't eat anyway, so we kept him busy with some crayons. He was a little fussy though, so we packed our lunches half way through and I drove him back home.

Within minutes of reaching home, he threw up and started to shiver. I panicked. Then I gave him tylenol and put him to bed. I found that he developed fever. At that time, I thought it was a side effect of the flu shot. But as the clocked ticked away, his temperature kept on rising and rising. By 5pm he was burning and had a temperature of 104 degress. I didn't wanted to keep him in home any longer. So, we took him to the emergency by 6pm. All through the way he kept throwing up and his head was drooping down. Finally we got to see the doctor only by 10pm. (You know how the ER's function in US). They asked us to give him the same tylenol and motrin alternatively and sent us home.

The next day we met Kavin's pediatrician but he didn't find anything either. All through the day, his temperature would be 102 deg under the effect of motrin. When the medicine effect wares off ,it would go back to 104 . Back again in the evening his temperature shot up high and we rushed back to the ER.

After a long wait, we got to see that day's doctor. I was really not at all happy with the way he reacted to our concerns. He spent exactly a minute listening to our complaints, didn't examine Kavin (not even looked at him) and scoffed at me for telling my concerns as he thought I was exaggerating. Again we went home to continue the tylenol and Motrin.

Again we made a trip to the Pediatrician the next day. On this day, Kavin developed cracks on his lips and his toungue was coated with white substance and his eyes were blood-red. Still, his pediatrician said that it is a viral fever as his eyes were red. He also prescribed an eye drops and Nystatin for the toungue. Again we went home with no answers.

Fourth day also no improvements. Already, Kavin has feeding difficulties. He dosen't drink milk or juice also. It was so tough to watch him live with water alone. All long we knew something was wrong but we were helpless. My parents are doctors in India and my sis is doing her final year medicine. My dad became suspicious about Kavin's condition on this day. He prescribed some medicines too. But I was afraid to give it as I would have to answer Kavin's pediatrician if something went wrong.

Fifth day also continued with high fevers of 103. Kavin was humming weakly a lullaby that I used to sing to him daily. He tried to look into my eyes and said "boo boo". Oh My God! It was the worst moment. My hubby and me burst into tears and cried out aloud with Kavin in my lap. My Dad asked us to do a blood test. So, we went to the pediatrician to ask for it. He disagreed on that and he suggested to take a x-ray alone to check if it was Pnemonia. We went to the lab and got the result as negative. Again we went to see the doctor with the lab results. My hubby asked for the blood test again but the doctor said that he is very sure that it is a viral fever and that it takes 10 days to go away.

Day 6. A day before ThanksGiving. We cancelled our dinner program in our friends place and stayed home hoping to see some improvements today atleast. But nothing much changed. Back again we went to the ER and asked them to admit Kavin as we afraid to keep him home. But they didn't so as he was not dehydrated. I did tell them that he was drinking only water and very little pedialite (just 4 ounces a day). We had to give him through a medicine despenser as he dosen't like pedialite. Still, we were kiced like a ball back to our house.

Day7. It was Thanksgiving and while the world was happy celebrating it we were still in the dark not knowing what would happen next. My dad was angry with me as I did not follow his medicines. But he warned me that this was terribly wrong and a blood test was a must. He suggested to give a steroid that is banned in US but still used in India. I was scared to try it. Didn't want to complicate anything. So, I just told my dad that I gave the medicine but I didn't. No improvements. It's been 6 days since Kavin walked.

Day 8. We woke up after sleepless nights. Again my dad insisted on the blood tests and we talked to the Pediatrician and he basically washed off his hands. He said that he has done all that he knows and said that we could go to the ER again if we want and take a blood test for our satisfaction as our pediatrician's office was closed on that day. I was frustrated with the ER at this point. I didn't want to go there at all. But my hubby said that we go there again to do the blood tests atleast. Back again we went waited for 3 hours. The ER was packed with people as it was a holiday season.

In the waiting room, when my hubby took Kavin to the restroom he noticed that he was walking wobbly. He hardly took 2 steps then he sat down. B's eyes were watery. I consoled him and measured Kavin's temperature. This time the meter showed no reading. Just "HIGH". I was scared to death. I went to the reception and yelled at them for taking such a long time. Then the nurse came and checked Kavin. They took him in right away. Within half an hour we saw the doctor and told him the entire story. He was so patient and listened to us carefully. He then did a blood test and came back with the results that it could be "KAWASAKI".

After this the treatment started in a jet speed. kavin was admitted on the spot and was getting ready to be seen by the main doctor. 'B' rushed home to get a few things for our hospital stay. Kavin was given drips and had so many wires on his body. After 20 mins, his body started to shiver badly. I tried to hug him but his body was shaking so hard that his bed was also shaking. The nurse rushed in and changed the doses and he setteled down slowly. He was give IVIG (immunoglobin -an antibodies extract from human blood).

Day 9. Kavin woke up with no fever. His eyes came back to normal. He smiled and responded to us. He became aware that he was sick and that he was in the hospital to recover. We had a sigh of relief that didn't last for long. The doctor came in and gave us a sheet about this disease. We were shocked to read thru that. Then an echo was performed on Kavin and it was found that his coronary artery has enlarged and that he was in risk level 2. Phone calls were going back and forth to India and my dad was trying to find out the underlying complications and try to to do the best possible.

Day 10. We were released from the hospital and was asked to do a follow-up visit after a week with a cardiologist. Kavi was on baby aspirin for one full month. We met the cardiologist a week later and discussed the possible problems. He said that we have to wait for 1 full month to see how Kavin's body is recovering in the post kawasaki phase. His platelettes counts was more than double of what it had to be. The doctor also warned that if the platelet count continue to be this high ,he is in a risk for cancer.

This was too much for us. We walked in dark hoping to find some light at the end. This incident really changed us a lot. We started to appreciate Kavin more and his other difficulties did not matter anymore. We just wanted him to be alive atleast. In the end, after one full month of waiting time, the doctor did his echo and said that he has miraculously escaped and that his coronary artery has come back to normal and that he has crossed the danger line. Kavin is still kept on watch for the next 3 to 5 years . But we hope he will do fine in the coming years.

From my experiences, I strongly feel that our family would not have undergone this only if the doctors were more responsible in the first place. All that the ER doctors want us to do is spend some time in the patient’s room and hope that they can pass the patient off to the next doctor coming on shift or keep the patient alive for them to be seen by their regular doctor the next day. Anyway, it's we as parents who have to fight for our children. Always trust your gut feeling and struggle as much as you can.

Keep an eye for these Symptoms:

1. persistent fever that is higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius), and lasts for at least 5 days.
2.severe redness in the eyes
3.a rash on the child's stomach, chest, and genitals
4.red, dry, cracked lips
5.swollen tongue with a white coating and big red bumps
sore, irritated throat
6.swollen palms of the hands and soles of the feet with a purple-red color
7.swollen lymph nodes
8. Peeling of skin under the nails (For kavin it happened after his relase from the hospital

If you see any of these symptoms in your child, Please Please do not hesitate to do a blood test and check for Platelet count. Don't worry if the doctors turn deaf to your words. You got to be persistant. In our case, we could have escaped this if the kawasaki disease would have been detected atleast two days before.


I'm sorry for a long one. Hope I didn't bore you. This is just to keep you all aware about this killer disease. Coming to an end, he is a pic of my son taken recently. You can see what food blogging has done to him. He has seen me taking pics of food many times and one day I saw him doing this. So I grabbed my camera quick and took a shot. He even got a little tikes kitchen set for ThanksGiving!

This ThanksGiving was a good one. We went to a big church were our friends invited us for a lunch. There was a huge crowd from different countries. People from different places sang their National anthem on stage. And guess who sang our India's national anthem?

It was KAVIN. He sang the full song song so clearly and won a huge applause. Too bad that I didn't take a camera. My friend said that the church would have taken it and if he gets it he would send it to me. So, I'm still waiting for that. Anyhow, we were so proud of him. Exactly one year has made a huge difference in our lives.

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read this. I really appreciate it.

75 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Kiruba,
This is Geetha Here. I too lived in Atlanta(Dunwoody).I had recently find your blog. All the receipes are really good. I will try some of u r receipes soon. Today only i had read u r new post. Don't worry he will be alright in the following years.I too get the same kind of (Bad) Experiences from the hospital people here.My baby also having feeding issues(Still Having).We took him Almost everyday to hospital for his feeding issues and his other problems.
We hope everything will be solved soon.
One more question, Which part of Atlanta u r living now?
Thanks

FH said...

MY GOD Kribha! I read the whole post without even breathing. It's terrible for parents to go thru' that.When you said he was sick, I just thought he probably has severe cold, didn't know all this.
You are right! We have to trust our instinct! PLEASE change that idiot of a doctor you have. Even though they are not cardiologists, he still can order a blood test even though he doesn't know about Kawa Saki disease and do everything possible to ease the child's pain. Primary physicians are allowed to do that and the specialists take care of the rest. ER docs are always overworked, can't really blame them but they do their best.My son once had to go to ER for a stomach ache on a Sunday and we had to wait for 6hrs.By that time ,his ache was gone and but we had pay $1750 in bills for tests they did anyway!!
You are one heck of mom and a wife, hope your hubby recognizes that.
I am so glad to see that darling boy well and taking a photo!! Yeah, blogging does that to all of us!:))
Take care of him and you too.Hopefully, he will recover completely and be a healthy child,hugs to you.
Glad you let us know about Kawa saki, will read about it for sure.You can reproduce this post at Desi Mom's club, will help other moms too.

indosungod said...

Kribha, first of all so glad to hear Kavi is doing fine now, you and B too. Sorry for what you had to go through. Visiting the ERs here is a nightmare. Hugs to Kavin and you too.

Laavanya said...

Hi Kribha, I did leave a comment earlier but don't think it got posted...
This post brought tears to my eyes.. that really must've been a horrendous 2 weeks for you guys and being shuttled back and forth would've been so frustrating and worrisome. I'm so glad to hear that he recovered fully and I've no doubt that he'll be perfectly fine.. don't worry.
He's so adorable and that pic. of him taking a snap is awfully cute.

Seema said...

Hi Kribha, Read every single word & was shocked! Never heard of this disease.. will read more, most definetly on the link u have.. its scary when we here things like these! ER.. i know how they can be... i have been there 2 times with my older one, but thankfully both times she was right in...once cut her eye lid after falling on stairs - That was REAl scary & second eyes got swollen to golf ball size in seconds - Shes highly allergic to Pollen, so we have toughtime in spring & fall.. I am sure Kavin will be fine & God will shower all his blessing on him.

He looks so cute with that camera... Kids - what all goes through that mind, its amazing :-)

Anonymous said...

May God bless Kavin with good health...:) Have never heard abt this disease...Hospitals are much much better in India as compared to the developed countries...

Kribha said...

Hi Geetha,
Thanks dear for dropping by and leaving those kind words. I'm sorry to hear that your baby has feeding issues too. Kavin is also having feeding difficulties along with some other problems. We are seeking help right now and we hope that it will all come to an end soon.
I live in the suwanee area. Previously I was in Duluth when my hubby was working in dunwoody.
Do contact me by mail if you need to discuss any health related stuff. I'll be glad to share my experiences.

Hi Asha,
Thanks dear for your support. Yes, it was so painful. Regarding the pediatrician...you will be surprised. I'm still having the same. I felt sorry for him when he apologised. Anyway, I'll be changing him this year as he has moved to a different location.
I agree about the ER doctors. But I said thiose words in frustration. At the same time, I'm grateful to them as thsy diagonized it atlast and did fast treatment.
I hope Kavin will overcome all his health barriers with blessings from nice people like you.
About the Desi mom's club, I was planning on joining it long back. Will do it soon. And Thanks once again Asha for your loving words.

Hi ISG,
Thanks dear for taking the time to read it and to drop those kind words. You are right about the ER's. I know why they work this way in such a country.

Rachel said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Lakshmi said...

Hi Kribha, Your post really moved me. Things are not very different in Singapore also. I really appreciate the medical care and attention that we get in India. My son fell down on his stomach and because weak body structure developed hernia. And we had to go thro almost similar situation as u have undergone. But after 4 days I got fed up and took a next available flight to Bangalore and the porblem got solved with surgical intervention in two days. But I am happy that your boy recovered well. Thanks for the information that you have shared about Kawasaki disease. Have a good day ahead.

Raks said...

Kribha..I am feeling so sad after reading your post about kawasaki disease in kavin..My heart is heavy and I can understand how it would have been felt by you all..Don't worry ...even kavin experienced this much in his small age, now I think is clever and smart kid... As doctor said ,that kavin have miraculously escaped, I feel god have given his own hand to cure kavin and for your good heart,nothing will happen to him any more..
I will surely pray for you all ..Atleast I can do this for you

Ravi said...

Hi Kribha, I can understand what you would've gone through to recollect and type the whole event again. But thanks for doing that because it really helped people like me to know about Kawasaki and what to do. Though your narration started on a very serious note, it finished on a happy node. Glad to know that Kavin is doing fine. All your good deeds and prayers have come to his rescue. Take care...

Anonymous said...

Kavin will be blessed with good healt.

I can very well relte to this post because I have been in such a situation as well..where the docs just did not want to take any heed to wht we were trying to convey!! The attitude was we know better, we are the docs and not you!!! Finally found a doc who was so patient enough to listen to what we had to say..and had diagonised what was wrong with the child!!

-Rachel

Finla said...

Hi Kribha
After reading the post i am crying here. I am so sorry about what happened to Kavin. Was happy to see the last pic of him.
Keep us posted about him.
Reading yourpost i am glad i am not living in US and living here in Belgium.
You are indeed a very strong women.
Take care

Kribha said...

Hi Isg,
Sorry. I meant to say...I don't know why the ER works this way. Missed the "don't" part.

Hi Laavanya,
Thankyou so much for taking the time to read and post your comments twice. Actually, I didn't get the first one. I wonder what happened to that.
Anyway, thanks again for all your support and for understanding our situation.Hugs to you dear.:-)

Hi Seema,
Thankyou so much for dropping by. I was shocked to read that your daughter fell down and cut her eye lids off. OMG! It must have been very very scary.
About the eyes puffing up like a golf ball...I've had the same experience too with Kavin. He is allergic to pollen and one day after playing outside he started with an itch in the eye when soon became big and big. I haven't seen anything like it before.
Gosh! Raising kids is so difficult. Really, I'm running out of patience. I wonder how the others do it.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and blessings. I hope Kavin will overcome everything and be a healthy boy soon.

Hi Anonymous,
I really appreciate for taking the time to drop a few words. I agree with you. The medical attention in India is fast, cheaper and good. Here everything goes by a procedure which is too long to wait in some cases.

Hi Lakshmi,
So sorry to hear that about your son but I'm glad that he has overcome it. I guess everyone has faced a struggle with the ER atleast once.
You are so right about the medical attention we get in India. My Dad is always unhappy that my son is getting delayed attention here. He prescribes antibiotics over the phone ,but I'm scared to do it b'coz the doctors here might become very unhappy about it.

Hi Raji,
Thanks dear for taking the time and reading everything. How is Ajay now? Has he come out of the flu? Hope he is feeling better. Sorry that I did not mail you after that. Got a little busy.
I agree with you that a miracle happened. After this, his speech drastically improved and his sensory issues also subsided to some extent. Till date I do not understand the connection between it but I know that it was the work of God although I hated him and said that I would not pray anymore.
Anyway, we are glad that it is all over and hope that we don't have to face situations like this in future.

Hi Ravi,
I'm so glad to have you here and to see your thoughts. Initially I was a little hesitant about posting this but then I thought it might help someone in some way. I had no clue about this disease earlier. The more and more I read about it I became scared. The key thing here is ...If it is detected early it can be cured fast. Every second counts. Otherwise it is so fatal. When I read the stories of other families who have lost their beloved ones to this disease ,I was moved to tears. Anyway, I felt so blessed that Kavin managed to survive it.
I just visited your blog and liked your free-lance writing very much. Will be in touch. Take Care.

Hi Rachel,
Thanks dear for stopping by and dropping a few words. I did delete a portion of your comment as you requested and have posted the rest.
Will surely look for that book soon. I did not have that opinion before about US doctors. It was surprising to read that they are also like that.

Suma Gandlur said...

Kribha,
I am sorry to hear that your son had to go through all this. Happy to learn that your little hero is now doing good.
He is sooooo cute in that pic where is trying to take a pic of his drink.
God bless him.

remya said...

kribha,
i'm really moved after reading this.i feel sorry that kevin had to go through all these...more than him,u and ur hubby...really u have gud patience and courage.I'm happy to hear that he 's doin well nw...he looks so cute in that pics...love the way he take pics...got he's affected wid amma'a blog mania:-)))Eventhough US is best in development..i'm not at all satisfied wid her medical aspect...india is best in these cases...its been an year since i got married..now our families are pressuring us to have a baby soon...i hav no courage to conceive and hav a us citizen baby coz of this medical thing....hope to return to india soon...god may bless ur wid gud health n happiness...hugs to u:-))

Cynthia said...

Kribha, the post was not long and boring. Thank you for taking the time to inform us about this. I am so very very happy that Kavin is doing well... life really throws us curve balls at times. I am glad that as a family, you all pulled through this.

Reading your experience also really makes one feel scared about the healthcare system. You know how many people die just because someone (who has taken an oath by the way) fails to stop and listen and try to understand the plight of those pleading with them

Glad all is well now.

Hugs to you and your family.

Cynthia

Anonymous said...

Hi Kribha - I have been a regular reader of your blog for about a month or so. I love cooking and enjoy reading other people's recipes. This post really was touching and I felt I had to thank you for sharing this experience so it helps other readers too. May God give good health to you and your family.

Thanks again for sharing.

Kribha said...

Hi Suma,
Thankyou so much for your blessings and also for taking the time to read the post and post your comments.

Hi Remya,
Thankyou so much for your kind words dear. I see that you are planning to have a baby in the near future. Don't worry about having the baby here. Actually, the medical services in US are not always bad. Infact they take very good care of us. It is only in the ER we have to wait long and the bills go crazy for that. In a way, I thankful to the ER people also. This is b'coz ,once they detected the problem they moved in jet speed. My only disappointment was that they did not heed to my words in the first place. Anyway, I blame that on my fate.
So, don't worry about the medicial systems here. If you and your hubby are ready for a baby, then go for it.
But I also warn you. Rightnow, you might be the number:1 priority for your hubby. But it all changes after a kid. In my case, I'm feeling leftout now. Both my men are busy with eachother that they come to me only for food.:-)

Hi Cynthia,
Thankyou so much for your kind words. I'm not blaming the medical field entirely because they were the ones who rescued my son finally. My only disappointment is ,if they would have paid a little more attention and listened to me (atleast 2 days before), our family would not have faced all this. We could have saved Kavin from having any involvement in heart damage.
Anyway, Thanks again for your hugs and nice comment.

Hi Priya,
So nice to have you here. Hearty welcome to you. Thanks for your kind words dear. Initially ,I was a little hesitant to post it. But then I thought it might help someone someday. I had no clue about this disease until it smacked me right on my face one day. If only I had known the symptoms earlier ,I could have saved my son from having any heart complications.
Anyway, glad to know you and please keep visiting.

Bharathy said...

Thank God Kavin has recovered all all in his finest of health now!!
Indeed scary, Kribha..
We in India, have a firm belief that the hospitals in the US give the best treatment..I still can't believe the bad exp you had with the doctor there..that too when the patient is a child!!!
The common deadly desease her in Tamil Nadu nowadays is Dengue.Is this Kawasaki the same?
Nice to see his happy faces here..esp the one the young mister shooting!!:)
Awaiting to see his pic singing in the Church :)

KALVA said...

Hi Kribha,
Saw you comment abt you sons health, got little worried . Is he doing better now? Dont worry he will be doing good,. May god bless u all with good health!! Take care of Kavin!!

Kumudha said...

Kribha, Thanks for sharing your story. I'm glad that he is doing great now! He looks so cute!

Anonymous said...

Hey Kribha,
Thanks for writing abt this without hesitation. Parents will be more alert after reading this. Kavin will do fine and he is going to rock.

Swati said...

Dear Kribha
Your post was an enlightment and touching. I was really moved hearing about the difficult time you faced...May God bless Kavin with good health and lots of happiness and smiles to you and your family.

Reflections said...

hi, i was just randomly going thru blogs when i came across urs.

i cant even begin to imagine what u must have gone thru. thank you for warning us of these symtoms.

am Nancy. will be back to read more.

saakshi said...

Hi Kribha, I live in CA and as you say the doctors here are always in a hurry. They are almost near the door whenever we go for a visit, very very few being patient and really listening to our concerns. The tylenol-motrin combination is so known that sometimes we never bother to go to a doc coz we know what they'll say. My son was also down with fever of a 103 for a week. It was viral. Now after reading your experience , I am feeling overwhelmed. Listening to your gut feeling is the right thing to do. I totally agree with you and to all parents out there...listen!

Kribha said...

Hi Bharathy,
It's indeed true that the US doctors are experts. Once they find the diagnosis they act fast. But before that, they are kind of slow. It's not like our Indian doctors who relive us of our pain just like that. Here the doctors want the illness to go away on it's own. They say it is the best way to develop immunity. But it's hard to watch kids suffer. Also, in rare cases like Kavin the problem that starts with just a fever then escalates to great heights. I wish no one suffers this. If you read more that disease it's so scary. Kavin knocked the deathdoor and came bacl. We are so lucky to have him alive.
Also, Kawasaki is not the same as Dengue. It is numerous times deadly that dengue.
Thanks for your kind comment dear and sorry for my late reply.

Hi Curry in Kadai,
Thanks dear for your concern. Actually, he became ok after two days. But those days were very hectic. I couldn't do the dessert for the party but I'm hoping to do it next time.

Hi Kumudha,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments. Greatly appreciate it.

Hi Saranya,
First of all I'm very sorry for my late reply. I became too busy over the weekend with the parties and guests.
Glad that you found the post useful. Initially, I thought people might get bored reading it as it was too long. But I wanted to share what all I went thru.
Also, Thanks for your kind words about Kavin. Please keep visiting and leave a feedback whenever possible.

Hi Sugarcraft,
Thanks for taking the time to read the post and write your thoughts. Truly appreciate it. With blessings from people like you I hope he will be great.

Hi Nancy,
Thankyou so much dear for stopping by and taking the time to read my post. Truly appreciate it. I'm sorry for my late reply. Was a little busy over the weekend. Please keep visiting.

Hi Saakshi,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your kind words. You are so right about the doctors here and the way they treat us. Many times they hardly see us for less than a minute and we have to wait for that moment for hours and hours. It's so pathetic.
So sorry to hear about your son. Hope he feels better now. Take care dear and will be in touch.

Unknown said...

Hi Kribha, reading your post i felt very shocked , I just hope that ur lil one is fine now, hugs to him from me....

Take care and Thanks for the information abt Kawasaki...

Anonymous said...

Hi Kiruba,
This is Geetah Again. How is Kavin and u r husband.Sorry for disturbing you.I had send a trail mail thru my gmail id. I don't know whether u had received or not.
That why i had send the message once again. If u receive my mail please do contact with me,we too need some help and suggestion for my baby's feeding issue and need to discuss with u regarding this.

Thanks

Unknown said...

u know what? i too had experienced this ER response (in a different situation)and it was in India ....felt very miserable and angry at the staff...

Anonymous said...

I just saw this post. I am so sorry you have to go thru this problem.

GOD WILL HELP Kavin.From now on all GOOD NEWS ONLY FOR YOUR FAMILY. We all pray for him.

Take care.

Rumya

TBC said...

Kribha,
I saw this post just now
I cannot even imagine what you guys went through. Every parents' nightmare!
Glad to see Kavin is doing well now. This gives must have given your thanksgiving a whole new meaning.
That last pic is so cute. I guess he's thinking, if u can't beat'em, join 'em! :-)

EC said...

Oh my god, it would have been such a pain to the child and the you both as well. Glad that the kid is doing good now...Wishing him a happy and healthy life ahead.

By the way, i have posted your sprouts salad in my blog for the event round up

Viji said...

Kribha, though i read this post now, I could feel your pain and suffering. It happened in my case also. So it natural throughout the world. Atleast i was in a position to express what is going on with me. Kavin is a chid. Don't worry. God will never leave good people just like that. Take care of him and be happy. Thanks for sharing the info with others. In my opinion fever and pain will not come just like that. It is an alarm. If it persists, we might take further steps and insist the doctor to do further tests. Take care Kribha. May God bless him with good health and knowledge and wealth and other things will come automatically. Viji

Latha Narasimhan said...

Kribha dear, Will you believe if I say I have gone through worst with my son till he was 12 years old! Some children suffer so much till they reach their teens. Your problems with the doctors made me shiver! I never thought that things were this bad in US. Your son is your first priority and give him most attention. While you keep a close watch on him, do not let him feel he is having some problem. I feel Kavin will be perfectly fine with all the love and attention he gets from both of you! Prayer can heal worst things and miracles happen all the time! My heartfelt prayers for speedy recovery of dear kavin and a joyous life for your family! hugs dear! :)

Suganya said...

I was horrified reading your post. To think that you were bounced back and forth b/w home and ER is atrocious. I pray that he is completely healed and KAWASAKI just means a bike in yr future.

Suganya said...

Too bad I missed it too Kribha. I was not visiting blogs as I did before :(

Pravs said...

Kribha,so hard to read, what you had to go through.Very useful post.So glad to see kavin healthy and happy.

Bharathy said...

Hope things are fine around you..no posts for 2 weeks..athan ketten..:)

Kribha said...

Hi Rv,
Thanks for all your support and kind words. I'll surely pass on your hugs to Kavin. I really appreciate you for taking the time to go thru the post.

Hi Geetha,
Tons of sorry for my late reply. Actually, I did not get your email. My address is kribha@yahoo.com. Maybe you typed kiruba instead of kribha. Please check it. Also, I'll be very glad to discuss what feeding issues we faced and are still facing. Do mail me again. Will reply for sure.

Hi Rumya,
Thank you, Thank you so much for your kind words. With blessings from people like you hope he will overcome all his health issues soon.

Hi TBC,
Thanks for your nice words. Truly it was a nightmare and we hope we don't have to go thru that again. I also loved your last line of comment...If you can't beat them, join them :-)I guess that was what going on his little mind too.

Hi Easy crafts,
Thanks so much for stopping by and expressing your thoughts. I'm sorry that I did not mail you my entry. I did see that you have posted mine, but I couldn't see it in the round-up. But that's ok. Take care dear and have a nice day.

Hi Vijika,
Thanks for all your comforting words. I did see in your blog that you have recovered from a major one too. I do understand that many people face it but the thing is, it was tooo hard. Anyway, glad we crossed over that. Thanks for your blessings. Hope he will be fine in the future.

Hi Lathama,
Thanks for your kind words, support and encouragement. I do hear that it's hard to raise kids healthwise until their teens and that it will be much easier after that. I hope that time comes soon for me. Not only this Kawasaki, there are many more issues we are still battling . Sometimes, I get tired and frustated. Hope I learn to be with more patience in future and be a good guide for my son.
Thanks again for your prayers ma. I did stop praying for awhile as I was so angry with god on the inside. But now ,I have gone past that and have reconciled with him.

Hi Suganya,
Thanks for stopping by and writing down your thoughts. I too knew Kawasaki only as a bike before ,but not anymore. Hope we don't have to go thru this again. I'm so sorry that I didn't mail my entry. Will do it for the next event you host.

Hi Pravs,
Thanks for stopping by and reading the post. Glad you found the post useful. Hope my son does well in future with blessings from people like you.

Hi Bharathy,
Thanks dear for your concern. I am doing well. Actually been busy with Kavin as he gets sick frequently during this time of the year. The cold season is so bad for him. Anyway, will get into track soon. Sorry for disappearing without notice.

Dori said...

What a horrible story! These things go on too often with doctors and ER's. Sometimes, it feels like you have to go through 100 doctors to find one good. They need to listen more, there was nothing that a simple blood test could hurt. That doctor probably let his ego get in the way of common sense. Good you stayed persistent...your son is adorable...I will be thinking of you.

Kribha said...

Hi Meeso,
You are so right. If only the doctor left his ego in the first place we could have detected it earlier and Kavin would not suffered the heart damage. Actually, it was my dad who was so persistant about the blood test. So we are very thankful to him. If not for his urge we would have sat there listening to our doctor.
Also, Thankyou so much for your kind words. I'm so happy that I have friends with whom I share my up's and down's. Hugs to you. :-)

Rajitha said...

kribha..kavin is adorable!! and kudos to you and hubby to keep it together. I saw on medical diagonasis the same type of story for the same illness..it is sad when doctors get egoistic and refuse to listen to the patients. Glad that kavin is doing great...take care all of you :)

i am sorry to comment this late..i seemed to have missed lots of posts in the past few days...

harimohan said...

i read the post with intrest ,i agree with you it was a delayed diagnosis ,i have been a doctor in India for past twenty yrs till the last five mths when iam at UAE ,one diff i find here and prob in US is the patient contact is lesser ,documentation and protocols are more and tedious ,and such things are likely to happen ,
India too with protective medicine and legal issues is following this but tk God today a pediatrican could see your child diagnose and treat in a matter of hrs instead of days
wish your son all the best

Kribha said...

Hi Rajitha,
Don't worry about commenting late. I'm so glad that you checked it out. I'm also thankful for that.
You are so right dear. In many forums I read that it has always been misdiagonized. In that case I wish the doctors must be more aware of this deadly disease and alert the parents. Anyway, it has come to an end in my life and we hope that we never face it again. Once again thanks for your kind words. Really appreciate it.

Hi Dr.Hari Mohan,
A warm welcome to you Sir. Thanks for taking the time to read the post. In my family I have 3 doctors- Dad,mom and sister. They have also given me the same comment that the procedures are too much in foreign countires and also that everything is so methodical that it takes time to cross all the steps to finally locate the problem.
Anyway, we are blessed to be rescued at the last minute. Thanks onceagain for your wishes and please keep visiting.

swapna susarla said...

I can understand how terrible it will be to see our little ones like that!!!!!!!I was totally shocked to read this post.Even we also had a tough time with little V ,when she is of 2.She had urinary tract infection and at that time we were in London.The Er is just like here.She suffered for 5 continuous days until she got the correct antibiotic.
Glad to know that Kavin is fine now.I think he had a very good memory.
Thanku for this information kribha...really i turned into tears while reading....
Really u are very lucky kribha!!

Prema Sundar said...

Hi Kribha,
I know how u had felt about that incident as I have faced something like this a couple of years before.. Thank god everything is fine and glad to know that kevin is fine now.

Shella said...

Oh Kribha - I have tears in my eyes reading this post. My heart goes out to you. Blv me, maybe God spoke to me when I wrote tht mail to you, n coz you did what I suggested, I feel that Kavin will be perfect very soon. A biiiig hug to you baby. He is such an adorable darling!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kribha,
My heart was literally pounding as I went thru reading your experience. Thanks for sharing I appreciate you taking the time to warn other parents about this. I totally agree with you regarding the medical system here which is why I never ever like to go to the doctor's esp the ER/ urgent care .... I would rather call up India and ask my parents.
I wish your little one a Very LONG , HEALTHY and PROSPEROUS life.

Shobha

Kribha said...

Hi Swapna,
Thankyou dear for your kind words. Really appreciate you for taking the time to read this lengthy post. Also, so sorry to hear that about you daughter. I'm so glad that she got the right antibiotic at last. Kavin also took 4 different anitiotics in 7 days but none of them was right for his problem. I guess everyone has a tough time with the ER at some point of time. Thanks again for dropping by.

Hi Prema,
Sorry to hear that you had encountered something difficult too. Sure, we are glad and thankful that it's all over.

Hi Shoba,
Thankyou so much for dropping by and taking the time to read the post. I do the samething too. I call my parents first rather than going to ER. But for Kavin I cannot take a chance. My dad gets upset with me as I don't listen to him although he is a pediatrician. It's not that I don't want to follow his advice, I'm scared that the doctors here in US would scold us if we do anything against them. Anyway, I'm glad that this post was useful. Also, tons of thanks for your blessings. I hope Kavin will have a good life in future.

Julie said...

My gosh, I've missed a lot since I left off reading blogs before the Thanksgiving break!!! I'm glad Kavin is at home and recovering. I hope he and your household will be back to 100% again soon! Well wishes to you and your family!!

Kalai said...

I actually read this post a couple of days ago, but wasn't able to comment at the time. I am so glad that everything turned out well for you all. But, I can certainly understand how frustrating it can be to go through something so terrible and terrifying. I've had my share of frustration with the health care system on both sides of the issue. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Best wishes, dear!

Vetirmagal said...

I read this post just now. In fact I got the link while Iw as checking my blogger account after almost a year. Thanks for your response to my blog name. I felt good.

I was sorry to read about your experience with healthcare. teh general idea is that in USA healthcare is supreme, and here we are!. We too had similar experience when my Son-in-law had back problems and was screaming in pain. Our Indian doctor friends were angry that he was not given good STRONG medications!. " American doctors are scared to treat " was the usual grumbling we got when my SIL came to india! Somehow we felt that we were not treated well in the ER.

God bless

rimagal

Kribha said...

Hi Julie,
Thankyou so much for your kind words and also for taking the time to read the post. I hope we will all do fine with blessings from people like you.

Hi Kalai,
Thanks for your comment dear. It means so much to me. So sorry to see that you had your own troubles too. Glad that it's all over.

Hi Vetrimagal,
My hubby used the same words too. "American doctors are scared to treat". Sorry to hear that your SIL had encountered some bad times too. I'm happy that it's all over.

Anonymous said...

hey kribha,

i am so much moved by your story.i too feel the same bt the ER here and will pray that ur son will do good all the comingyears.

Kribha said...

Hi Janaki,
Thankyou so much for dropping by and reading the post. The ER's are slow here to detect the problem but once the diagonosis is done they move fast. Hope this dosen't happen to anyone else. Also, thanks again for your prayers. I'm sure my son would do fine with blessings from people like you.

Carnation said...

Dearest Kribha
....really in loss of words. Pray that the next 4 years will go on smooth with no problems. Kavin is a brave boy...Luv & Hugs
With Prayers

Kribha said...

Hi Carnation,
Nice to have you here. Thank you so much for your prayers and wishes. I hope he would be fine too with your blessings. But one question...Why only next 4 years? Really I didn't understand that part. :-)

Sig said...

Hi Kribha, so sorry to hear about Kavin... He is an adorable little boy, and he looks strong.. Wish him a speedy discovery...

Anonymous said...

Hi:
first time here and reading this post made me cry.Happy to see your son healthy now. May God protect him and heal him completely.
We had received similar negelect from ER people/admitting when the baby was just 1week old.We waited many hours to called in. It was one of the scary times in my life. Regarding pediatrician, we had changed pediatricians two times already mainly because they are not at all helpful(to find the problem and treatment,Baby has food allergy and severe eczema and under weight). I had the same experience with my son's doctor also. Recently changed to another doctor. So now I pray more to God to keep my baby from the allergy related accidents and finding comfort in His protection.
Good luck

Meera said...

I had tears in my eyes as I was reading this post. May God bless little Kevin with health and happiness always! Hugs to you!

Rashmi said...

Hi Kribha,

Just read this post.Oh God!My heart was pounding,reading through it.

I can visualize how you guys would have suffered.Dont worry GOD is there.He wont let a kid suffer more and more.Believe and Pray for it.

He will grow up to be very healthy.So romaba kavalai padatheingaa..

Rashmi

lakshmi said...

Kavin looks so incredibly cute :) - Pass on a big hug and a kiss from my side.

Thanks for your encouraging words on our initiative - my ulterior motive of course to hang out with kids ;) . A pat on the back from a brave and persistent mother like you is very special.

I was tied most evenings with work related to the play. So couldn't spend much time visiting my regular blogs. I will be back in action hopefully from now on.

vimmi said...

Hi,

Ur son is so precious. Such a happy face and twinkling eyes. I am so happy he is better,. I pray to god hat he recovers fully. No parents should have to go through what u went through. Give Kevin our love and best wishes

Indian Food Rocks said...

Hey Kribha, I just read your heart-wrenching post and what Kavin, you and B had to go through. It must have been a sheer nightmare and I feel for all of you. You have tremendous inner strength and resilience. That, and your devotion to Kavin, is what saw you through and will always ensure you do the best for your child. Hats off to you!

It's wonderful to see such bright smiling pictures of Kavin. Furthermore, kudos to you for not conforming to stereotypes and buying him his own Little Tykes kitchen!

I wish him the very best of health always. Thank you for sharing this part of your life with us. A merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year to Kavin, you and B!

pink dogwood said...

I just happened upon your blog and read about your trials. I went through something similar. We had gone to India over the summer and about a month after coming back my 10 year old developed high fever. She had 104 fever for 8 days and I took her to the pediatrician 3 times during those 8 days - they also kept saying it was viral. All through this I kept trying to google to find out on my own what could be wrong. Finally I asked the pediatrician to check for typhoid. They didn't know what to do with it and sent me to the Children's hospital in DC. To make a long story short, it did turn out to be typhoid and my daughter had to endure another 8 days if fever and hospital stay. She is ok now, but I wish it was handled differently.

I hope your son will be fine in the years to come - he is absolutely adorable

Kribha said...

Hi Sig,
Thankyou so much for your kind words. Really appreciate the time you spent to go through the post. I hope kavin will be fine with blessings from people like you.

Hi GJ,
Sorry for my late acknowledgement. Thankyou so much for your words. I'm really sorry that you had to go through all that especially with your 1 week old baby. I can imagine how it would have been. Glad that you changed the pediatrician and it is all over. Good luck to you too.

Hi Meera,
First of all I apologise for my late reply. Thankyou so much for your kind words and blessings. I hope kavin will be fine with all of your wishes.

Hi Rashmi,
Romba romba nandri. Sorry for my late acknowledgement. Things have been a little hectic. That's why I couldn't reply. Thanks again for your wishes and blessings. I hope Kavin would grow up fine with blessings from people like you.

Hi Lakshmi,
Sorry for my late reply. That's so nice of you to help those special kids. Thankyou so much for your encouraging words. You made my day.

Hi Vimmi,
Thankyou so much for your prayers and wishes. I hope kavin grows up to be a fine kid with blessings from people like you.

Hi Manisha,
Thankyou so much for your kind words. I'm glad that you didn't find it odd that I got a kitchen set for Kavin. Actually many of my friends who came home made fun of me for buying it.
Thanks again for your wishes. I hope you had a fabulous New year too.

Hi Pink dogwood,
Thankyou so much for dropping by. wow...you diagonised typhoid yourself? That's awesome. It's true that we have to trust our instincts and work towards that. I'm glad that you found out at the right time and got over with it. Kudos to you. Also, thanks for your wishes to kavin.

Anu said...

Hi Kriba,

I really feel sorry for u and ur son.I couldn't control my tears while reading about ur horrible experience.I can understand what u have gone through.May God bless u and ur family with good health.I wish u never expereince that difficult phase once again in future.

Thanks for the infromation about the disease.

Take care!

Ragu said...

Kriba/Kirthi:

This is Ragu, i mean Vidhya Ragu. I knew (& Bharathi told me) that Kavin had this illness. After i reading article i realized how much you ( & ur hubby) worried those days, tears in my eyes. I have met Kavin after this incident & happy he is doing good now. See my concern (always) is FRIENDS are here to help when you are in bad shape/situation as well. I am feeling bad that i couldn't take a part of that situation you went thru.

Ragu

Kribha said...

Hi Anu,
Thankyou so much for dropping by and taking the time to read this post. I really really appreciate it. It's b'coz of the blessings from people like you, Kavin has overcome so many of his health problems. Thankyou so much dear.

Hi Ragu,
What a surprise? I never expected to see you here in blogsphere. Thankyou so much for taking the time to read the post. I agree with you that friends are the only ones whom we can turn to for support especially when we are this far. But we were in such a state of shock that we couldn't call you within those 3 days we were at that hospital. Anyway Ragu... You don't have to feel sorry for that. You are always our special friend whom I know will pitch in for us anytime. Thankyou so much for your kind words. Will call you this weekend.

Rama said...

I just saw this post.

Kavin will be blessed with good health.

Kribha said...

Hi Rama,
Thankyou so much for your blessings. I hope Kavin would never have to face such things in future.

Richa said...

hey Kribha, it was heart wrenching to read about ur experience with such an unfortunate incident. Kudos to you and ur hubby for bravely enduring all this and it is your love & devotion that got you thru those times. Hope Kavin is absolutely fine now! May God Bless him!

Kribha said...

Hi Richa,
Thankyou so much for reading thru the post and giving your blessings to Kavin. Really appreciate it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kribha,

I am a constant visitor to your blog but this is the first time I came across this article. I am going to become a parent myself and can understand what it must have been going through the whole episode. Hats off to your husband and you for having put a brave front and thanks to you for letting us know about this disease. Good to see Kavin in his recent pictures.

take care
Kirthi