Unexpectedly in the E.R.

4 days before traveling to Brazil we did not imagine we would find ourselves in the ER, but that's where we were.  Here's what happened:

- Monday evening (after arriving in CA from AZ) Elijah was sitting with Jeyson and Elijah started screaming. He was completely inconsolable.  

- We tried offering things to him, distracting him, etc but he just kept crying.  

- We decided to check him out all over and found a thumb sized bulge on his lower belly/upper groin area.

- We decided to go right away to urgent care. 

- At urgent care the doctor told us it was a hernia.  We were shocked to find out that hernias in baby boys are actually pretty common, but if they cause pain and can't be pushed back in they can require emergency surgery.  

- The doctor tried to push it back in, but couldn't get it back in all the way because Elijah was crying so much from not wanting to be laying on the table and touched by the doctor.  

- It was all a very emotional and scary experience, and we hadn't eaten anything before we went so I started feeling faint!  The staff even had to bring me a juice and have me put my head down so I didn't faint!

- The doctor said that since it wasn't going in completely we should go to the emergency room and that Elijah might need emergency surgery.  He was also nice enough to only charge us $60 instead of the usual $130 at the urgent care.

- We drove over to the emergency room which was PACKED!  We gave Elijah's name and settled in to wait to be called.  As an hour or two passed Elijah suddenly perked up, started smiling at everyone and clowning around.  We checked the hernia and it was back in!  

- We talked to the nurse who told us there wouldn't be anything for the doctor to do or say since it went back in, so we went home.  Big sigh of relief!  But not for long...

- The next morning, the hernia popped back out again.  This time Elijah didn't seem to notice at all and it wasn't causing him any pain.  We applied pressure like the doctor had told us to and it went back in.  But then it happened again and again and again.  It was such an emotional roller coaster!  

- Finally we decided to go back to the ER and get seen.  We just didn't feel comfortable traveling without being sure that Elijah didn't need more treatment right away.  We needed medical advice.

- So we checked in at 11am and finally got seen and sent to ultraound around 4pm and then seen by the doctor for results around 7pm.

- In the end, the doctors told us we were ok to travel but should get surgery in Brazil as soon as possible.  We already have an appointment for Monday with his pediatrician.

- Throughout the whole day Elijah didn't get a nap or food (in case we needed surgery) and we were confided to a small curtained in area, but he was so good.  So patient and sweet, considering.  The worst was during the ultrasound the doctor wanted us to make him cry so that he would tense up his belly.  It was even hard to get him to cry since he was being so calm and good...so sad to have to upset him!

- So as we head out this morning for Brazil we are praying that if the hernia comes out that it won't get stuck out like it did the first time.  Coming in and out is ok, but getting stuck would mean we need immediate medical help (a big problem on a plane!) but we feel confident that the decision to go is ok since we did see the ER doctors.

- In the end the ER trip was long, exhausting, and (I'm sure it will be) expensive trip.  But worthwhile to get the medical advice we needed in our extreme situation.  It was a real moment of feeling the responsibility of being parents and naturally doing whatever is necessary to take care of the little life we were entrusted with.  We feel we did and are doing the right thing considering the situation and trusting God to take care of us the rest of the way.  

-Please pray for us as we travel!