anderson update

For anyone who just linked to our blog looking for the scoop on our ER trip with Anderson, scroll down to read yesterday's blog. The following is the most recent update:

Sleep! A fair amount of much-needed sleep was finally had by all in the Brewer home last night. I slept with Anderson since he was still fighting a fever, but we gave him a good dose of Tylenol (which he hated.....NOT a good medicine taker), and we wrapped his head in a cool cloth to help keep that temp down.

This morning, Anderson awoke and declared, "I'm better!" He was fever-free. We ended up giving him some anti-diarrhea medication, and it worked well. He asked for pancakes, but he only ate a few bites. His appetite is still fairly non-existant, and he gets full very, very quickly. His energy level is fairly low, but he didn't nap much today and has managed to play some video games and with his baseball cards. We ran a few errands, including a trip to Target, and he wanted to ride in the cart. That tells you how tired he is. Overall, he is so much better and totally clear-minded, so PRAISE GOD for that!

I want to close tonight's blog with an accolade for the physician that treated Anderson in the ER. Dr. Gay Benevides, as I said in the previous blog, was a true blessing in the midst of a scary ordeal. Today, I actually received a phone message from her saying that she was worried about Anderson and wanted to make sure he was better. I immediately called her back, and as soon as I informed her who I was, she said, "I took a nap yesterday (she was on the night-shift, obviously) and I woke up and thought, "Why did I send Anderson home? I should have never sent that kid home!" She then added, "I was worried about him all day, but I had to wait until I returned to work today to get your number so I could check on him." I reassured her that she had, in fact, done the right thing because Anderson rested well at home and continued to improve dramatically once we were home. I also let her know that she was right in speculating that some of Anderson's unresponsiveness early that morning was due to exhaustion which rest could remedy. After our conversation, I could hear the relief in her voice. I was so touched by her attentiveness and her phone call today. I have never known an ER doc to go to such lengths. I have had interaction with doctors whose care for their patients seemed to be the complete opposite, so I am especially grateful to have the experience we did with her. (And by the way, you can see her featured on the local Wake Med commercials....she's a cute, tiny lady with a very sweet smile.)