My daughter has SWCAH. She’s been sick for the better part of January, and so far into February as well. Her ped told us she had a minor ear infection, along with a sinus infection. She was put on Amoxicillian, then Omnicef. She ended up having an allergic reaction to one of them, (or both, they don’t really know). She has had a full body rash since Jan 30. She’s been throwing up after coughing, we tried regular cough medicine, but only worked so-so.

SO, I and her uncle took her to the ER at 3am this morning on advice of her ped. He told me that she should definitely be seen, because of her CAH and the possibility of dehydration etc. He also said that we should definitely give her stress shot to her. She was so hysterical that my husband and I felt it was better just to rush off to the ER and have them give it to her. BIG MISTAKE!!

When they took her information at the front desk, I told them in detail that she has SWCAH, that she had been coughing and throwing up and that I needed them to assist me with the shot. The triage nurse just kind of smirked at me and said, we would have to talk to the doctor first. Then he told us to wait a few minutes and walked away. Well about 10 minutes later we were back in one of the rooms and I kept asking them to give her the shot, explaining over and over that she needed it. They just kept telling me that I would have to speak to the doctor.

Finally about an hour later, the doctor comes in and talks to us, takes a general history of her being sick and then says ok, I will be back. Another nurse walks in and says ok we can take you to Xray now. I said, Xray? What for? What are you talking about. He looked dumbfounded and said, just a minute and left the room. He came back and said she needed a chest Xray done. So at this point I am thinking, ok that’s fine, BUT you could have explained it to me, or at least someone could have MENTIONED it before they just popped in to take us there!

So she has no obstruction, and a little fluid on her lungs but nothing significant. The doctor tells us to wait, and leaves the room again. Along comes 5am, when I give her her first dose of Cortef of the day along with her one and only dose of Florinef. So again I walk out to the desk and repeat that she NEEDS her dose, she’s vomiting and I need to give her the shot! (BTW all the while all of this is going on my daughter is vomiting off and on, and had been since 3am!) The doctor says, ok I will see what we can do. So I go back to the room and wait.

Then a nurse comes into the room and announces that they need to take her blood to check her electrolytes etc. She asks me to hold my daughter on my lap. When I went to pick her up I swear I almost died right there. She could not keep her eyes open, her head up, nor move her arms OR legs! The nurse asked me if she was usually like this when sick. I thought to myself, usually?! Who is like this when sick and it be normal?! I told her NO, they need to give her stress dose shot! I said they won’t listen to me, she NEEDS that shot! And now!

So she took her blood and finally a nurse comes in to ask about her Solu Cortef shot. I had to explain to him how to do it. Even after him reading the prescription label, he still had no idea what to do. He gave her the shot, and no longer then about 5 minutes later my daughter was pinker, not lethargic and talking. They still didn’t think it had to do anything with the shot.

So then in comes the doctor again, a full 3.5 hours after we arrived, and he says that it’s what I thought it was. That her stomach was irritated from all the drainage from her sinuses, along with the cough. We spent 4 hours in the ER for me to make the diagnoses! This man spent, 10 years?! in school to become a doctor and I am the one making the diagnoses here. He says a few more things then leaves. In comes a nurse again and says they want us to stay for observation for a couple more hours.

4 hours after we arrive, she’s had NO IV, and I practically had to beg them to give her shot to her. I see on her history that they took that they said she is dehydrated. But still they’ve given her NO IV fluids! She’s been vomiting for a full 4 hours with no water, nothing. Still NO IV! I just can’t belive it.

When we brought her home, she was sitting in her little chair and FELL out of it because she just couldn’t hold herself up any longer. She’s finally asleep, hasn’t vomited for at least 2 hours. Was able to keep a litte water down and is to be seen at her peds office this afternoon.

I just can’t believe that these people, who are supposed to be trained professionals downplayed and ignored her CLEAR symptoms!

I am sorry for the long rambling post, I just am so fed up with all of this!

Sherry