A Nurse Saved My Nephew

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Cardiac, Acute/Subacute Rehab.

I've been lucky enough to have this website as a resource on so many levels while I'm seeking my ADN...thank you so much for that.

This is a different kind of thank you. Thank you, nurses, for advocating for patients. Thank you, nurses, for having the intestinal fortitude to tell the Big, Bad MD's that you think they might be wrong when you think you're right. Thank you for choosing this profession. One of you saved my nephew.

He was born on Halloween at 36 weeks, weighing 5 lbs 12 oz. A little small, but a fighter. Around his second week, he started to show signs of constipation....it never got better. As a matter of fact, he stopped pooping altogether at about 4 weeks. His pediatrician did test after test after exam after test, with no explanation, and he was hospitalized Wed., 12/14 so he could see specialists. Specialists couldn't explain it either, so his pediatrician ordered him to be kept through the weekend so the pediatric surgeon could see him the following Monday. Well....

The other doc in the 2 doc peds practice was on rounds that Saturday and, not having spoken to Baby's pediatrician, was not aware that he was to stay through the weekend. He ordered Baby's discharge, but Nurse argued and argued that he was NOT to be released. I don't know the details of the argument, but I do know that it was a nurse that would not let him leave the hospital.

Monday, 5 minutes after seeing the peds surgeon, he was diagnosed with Hirschprungs Disease, in which a portion (or all) of the colon lacks innervation and is unable to move food through it. He ordered that the baby stopped being bottle fed immediately, because with a month of waste still in his system, his intestines/stomach/colon could have ruptured at any moment. If he would have been sent home, he would have continued to have been bottle fed until the high likelihood of rupture occurred.

And now? Baby had a colostomy 12/23, was out of ICU 12/26 and is pooping like mad!!! Thank you, nurses. Thank you so much for being in this profession! :bowingpur

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Wow. Glad to hear that he is doing well.

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awsome

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

That nurse is a hero. I would copy the thread and give it to her, if you can. We all could use reminding we do touch lives in what we do. TY for posting this story and I hope the baby continues to improve.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

thanks for a great story and nursing kudos!

:kiss to all the peds nurses who make a difference.

info:

what i need to know about hirschsprung's disease

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What a great story, I hope the nurse in question gets to know how grateful you all are!!!

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

So glad to read a success story.

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