From Ann Beach
Fifteen-year-old Skyler was weak after 2 weeks of persistent vomiting. So weak she was willing to be admitted to the hospital, something she had argued against the day before.
It had all started about 3 weeks earlier when she developed some vague stomachache, right around her navel. She proceeded to become nauseated and had a couple of episodes of vomiting. She thought she must have eaten some bad food, or was getting a stomach virus, and indeed, her vomiting worsened. She saw her pediatrician, who agreed it was likely a stomach bug and prescribed some anti-nausea medicines and advised lots of Gatorade.
When she worsened over the next week, her mom took her to the local ER, where she was dehydrated and got some IV fluids. She seemed better for a few days, and then the vomiting returned, in full force.
“Oh, she must have vomited 10 times this afternoon,” Mom told the ER doctor, when they returned to the local ER. She continued to complain of pain above her navel, near her stomach. No diarrhea, though. She tested positive for Strep throat and discharged with a prescription for penicillin.
Two days later, she was back in the ER, a different one, this time, for another opinion. “She’s vomiting so much she can’t keep the penicillin down.” Mom reported, and so she was given more IV fluids, anti-nausea medication and a shot of long-acting penicillin that would take care of the Strep throat without any pills. The vomiting persisted and Skyler ended up in our pediatric ER. She had been up most of the night before, vomiting every few minutes. The ER doctor listened and asked lots of questions….
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More of this story and others can be found in Ann’s upcoming book.
Spirited Scriveners 