*Our greatest test* Part II

We, Syakir and I, were sent for an ultrasound test for further investigation on his condition. It's quite a test as Syakir remain still with those cold gel smudging at his tummy. I couldn't bare to see his pain face with no cry at all, it's making me more devastated. My hubby reached hospital back after the test done and soon Dr Nazim came in to our room. His look was so serious and worried. He explained to us, about the blood-stained  poopoo that wasn't expected, the blockage seen from the ultrasound pic till to his final diagnose. Syakir is having an intussusception.

More on intussusception :
i) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/intussusception/DS00798
ii) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intussusception_(medical_disorder)
iii) http://www.medicinenet.com/intussusception/article.htm

and you could get more by googling. In short, intussusception ni adalah keadaan di mana usus besar (colon) seseorang memasuki sebahagian usus besar yg lain (telescopic bowel) atau boleh dibayangkan seperti kita menutup teleskop yang sedang digunakan kepada keadaan yg lebih kecil. A part of intestine infolding/slides into another intestine. Resulting a blockage of intestine which made Syakir didn't pass his bowel and threw up every single thing he ate at the last thing he vomitted his bile up, a yellowish green juice. And for that, Dr Nazim suggested us either to be transfer to either HKL or Gleneagles Hospital (with an advice of quite a procedure if we opted to the first choice) as in Azzahrah, no paediatric surgeon available. We opted to be sent to Gleneagles as he could get the doctor there, a paediatric surgeon, to be standby upon our arrival. It's Monday evening, around 4.30pm when we were ready to be transfer to the Gleneagles, located in Jalan Ampang. You could imagine how bad the traffic would be but Alhamdulillah, segala urusan kami dipermudahkan-Nya. By 5.00pm we arrived the hospital with the paed surgeon there was aware of.

 We were sent for Syakir change into hospital gown and immediately sent for another ultrasound. There, the radiologist told us that our little Syakir had been suffering from intussusception for more than five days. We were so lucky that Syakir's intestine still having the blood vessel and still 'alive'. We were then brought to a discussion with the radiologist as well as the paediatric surgeon attending on what to expect next. We were recommended to go for 'manual' procedure, which is to straighten back our baby's colon with Enema; where Barium liquid (a milky-white liquid) will be flushed through his rectum into the intestine - increasing the pressure in the intestine which may help the affected area return to its normal position. So, we were arranged next for an X-ray before we undergo the procedure.

We were asked to wait outside of the procedure room as the radiologist afraid we would be shocked of how the procedure being done after we put Syakir into calm on the procedure table. The only we could hear from outside was Syakir's screaming voice, which made me really devastated. After almost half an hour, the radiologist out and told us that she'd tried twice with enema but put it to stop as the Barium liquid leaked due to dinding usus yang telah lembut disebabkan bengkak. Hence, we were adviced by our attending paediatric surgeon to go for an emergency operation. It's really take me down, I can't even tell what I felt at the moment. All sad, anger, frustration, hopeless and all were mixed up, feeling like a loser.

How I hope I could take my son off the table and let me be the one to suffer. Don't tell me, at that time, to be patience and stop crying if you never had your 10 months baby on the emergency room, waiting for an operation. Nothing feels alright at that moment, wishing I would woke up at the very next morning and everything went as normal and this bad dream is only a dream. But unfortunately, it wasn't. It's something that I need to face, bravely, courageously and be strong and at the same time supporting my son to keep on fighting.

By 2100 we've signed the consent letter for the surgery to be made. Again, the operation team met the difficulties in setting up the IV line. It took almost 15 minutes before they could push Syakir up to the operation theatre (which had been booked by the paed surgeon before our arrival, as a standby). He looks so helpless but I need no tears so I could give the assurance and the strength to Syakir to face all this through. I kept smiling (in which still hurting myself inside) all the way from the emergency to the OT. I went with him into the OT, held his hand and he held it back, giving all the positive vibes, doa, kiss and support for him. Once the anaesthetics, Dr Fadhilah put the gas mask on Syakir's face, after the count of 10 Syakir went into a sleep. I gave him another kiss before I left him with doa and tawakal to Allah and the help of the experts. From the discussion prior the operation, Syakir will be undergo bowel incision, perforation and stoma surgery. The operation, started at 2200 February 20th 2012, estimated will took up at most 4 hours.

We were given a huge Presidential Suite by the hospital while waiting for the operation but we only be there for only until 2300 as we can't stay just waiting in the room, let alone to sleep. Thanks a lot to my one and only brother (whom first to arrive), my aunts and my cousin who were there, at that particular nite, in my most vulnerable condition. It means huge for my husband and I.

It's after 5 hours at 0300 when we were alerted by the nurse that our Syakir had made it and will be push put to the ICU. We were allowed to see him for awhile before we were asked by the doctor and nurses to have a good rest after a long day. It's almost 0400 I looked at my watch before I went into asleep and woke up at 0530. As Syakir being put in ICU, we were not allowed to accompany him and only can visit him during visiting hours. So, at the morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast, I expressed my milk before we went down to the lobby, waiting for the visiting hour. Before 1000, my another aunt came and be with us for awhile. Not long after, my dad arrived and at that time, I can't stop myself from broke into tears. That's the most support I ever needed, not to mention my mom's phone call and doa ( I knew she wasn't asleep as well at home in Penang).w

At 1000 we were allowed to enter the ICU and again I broke into tears as I saw Syakir, so small yet so huge test.

He was unconscious as he was put under morphine to bear the pain but immediately after my husband, my dad and I stand beside his bed, he opened his eyes, trying to smile and response to me. At the moment, I knew and I have to be strong so Syakir will be stronger. Syakir was under full attention and supervision of Doctor and nurses. He is just so not him, he is so inactive perhaps due to the medication and the pain he is bearing. When he's awake, he is usually look like dreamy, quietly looked like he is thinking.

For the time being, Syakir unable to drink or eat anything. Thus, I kept expressed my milk only twice a day (I know and aware of demand and supply rules of milk production) just to keep the supply continued. We commuted to and fro from my aunt's place nearby. Syakir admitted for 4 nights in ICU and 1 night in CCU. He was under morphine and 4 other medicine including antibiotic and also given few bags of platlet. And to note, Syakir also with a colostomy bag. We were taught how to handle, change and put on the bag by the supplier as Syakir will be with the bag for estimated 2 months.

I can't thank enough to those supported us, day and night. My dad and mom ( abah to arrive at the very next morning to visit Syakir and went back to Penang at the noon, just to see himself how's Syakir was), my brother being to and fro from his workplace to Jalan Ampang after work every alternate day, my sister in UIA drive alone in her "skyline', my sister in Bandung whom kept texting and WA-ing to get update daily, aunts, uncles n cousons yang datang melawat day and nite and yang kept updating thru phone (that's was so much appreciated, we felt ur love even jauh di Pantai Timur), my friends (u know who u are, all of u), my boss whom being supportive and considerate, my colleagues (puan sri, puan fathimah, atiyah, linda, fatin, puan salmah, cik dila) as well as ex-colleagues ( nad n aidil) whom kept supporting us, Farhana yg kerap datang after office hour with donut for our dinner (i think thank you wasn't enough), mazlina and her husband who've been visiting us since we were in AzZahrah n went thru the traffic mess from putrajaya to jalan ampang, tini, khairi, shamsina, dekyah and all others whom gave me rings and texts to comfort me and made me stronger all the while Syakir was in ICU. I knew the positive side of this was I am not all alone in this whole wide world during my ups and downs. Thank you, thank you and thank you zillions time.

After 2 days, Syakir were allowed to be fed with milk so I expressed more for him because I need to try on spoon-feed first, to observe the feeding amount. He became more active and the urge to play is back. *smile* We need to put socks to both his hands as he tends to pull all the wire once he is awake. Apparently, he did pulled the tube that went into his nose all the way to his tummy, lucky we alert and it doesn't went too far out. To put the tube back to normal gave him a pain, *grief*

 

After one day under observation, I was allowed to directfeed my baby. This is when my milk supply that had dropped due to less frequent expressing which mean less demand equal to less supply *sad*. I shall share the milk booster I took to get my supply back to normal in the next entry. My mom arrived with my dad and in-laws on Friday nite. On Saturday evening, Syakir was transferred to CCU for a night.

On Sunday morning February 26,2012 , we arrived hospital, Syakir had his IV line at his neck area. That brought me to shock as I left last night, the IV line is still at his leg. Then, we were explained that his previous line had swollen and the medicine bumped out. So the paediatric attending tried to make another line but none successful but at the neck area. Towards almost noon, Syakir was transferred to a normal ward.

The 3rd part would be about Syakir treatment in normal ward. It's really painful as I am writing this yet to document this is much as I wanted to.