Marching Forward with Gratitude: Our February Scare

I interrupt our usual travel tales and outdoor adventure inspiration to give you a quick glimpse into our personal lives. While I’m more inclined to share the good times, the happy memories of us exploring our beautiful world, they are not constant, and in reality, we all encounter bumps in the road.

After a short 2.5 mile round trip hike to the beach last month in honor of a random day off from school, Bergen was visibly exhausted and just not himself. When we got home, he immediately got into bed (unusual for him), and requested to take a nap. We often encourage him to nap on the weekends and travel days, so it’s not completely out of the ordinary, but he’s not so inclined to actually put himself to bed.

When I woke him up a couple of hours later, he complained about his head hurting, and not being able to move his neck from side to side completely. Instead of heading out on our routine afternoon walk, I stayed back with him while Georgia and Slaed went to the playground, and got the dog some exercise.

Despite the pain and discomfort, Bergen still very much wanted to go to his basketball practice that evening. At practice, he took several breaks, coming to me for various woes, but overall was able to participate successfully. He was uncomfortable though, and Slaed and I put him to bed with a lot of worry and concern. Just as we had feared, Bergen was up most of the night complaining of pain in the back of his head.

We heard him whimpering at times, provided him with water and pain reliever, and he even came down to our room wondering if he could just get up for the day (at 2:00 in the morning!). We think the pain was just too much to bear and he couldn’t settle into sleep.

Needless to say, Bergen didn’t go to school that morning. I called our doctor’s on-call nurse, and after hearing about his symptoms, she advised us go to the Seattle Children’s Hospital Emergency Department. I packed the kids up in the car, a nervous and worried wreck, but extremely grateful that the hospital was just a quick 15 minute drive away.

Despite pain relievers, Bergen seemed to be getting more uncomfortable by the minute. He started holding his head in just one position, wouldn’t waiver from it, and didn’t want anyone even getting close to this tender area. An x-ray and CT scan later and a lot of waiting, doctors determined that Bergen had an extremely severe bacterial infection in his throat, and had developed two prominent retropharyngeal abscesses.

Doctors explained that though it’s not exactly common, it is “abscess season”, and these build-ups of pus happen to typically healthy children. As you’ll read later, a culture sample was taken, but it wasn’t possible to determine the origin of the infection.

He was admitted into the hospital, and in addition to managing his pain, put on antibiotics to treat the infection. The Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) team was hopeful that they could curb the infection with intravenous antibiotics, but also talked about the possibility of surgery.

For three days, we hoped and prayed that the antibiotics would work through Bergen’s body, and penetrate the abscesses that were causing him so much pain. It truly was a roller coaster ride of emotions and progress. There were periods of time where Bergen’s spirits were high, he was smiling, happily playing cards or working on a Lego set. Unfortunately those periods would then be followed by extreme lows where exhaustion and irritability set-in, and he was even too uncomfortable to sleep.

The pain and discomfort was so severe, that Bergen was not able to eat and drink normally, and it was very difficult for him to talk.

Several times, the ENT surgeon brought up a procedure that would drain the abscesses, but kept holding off because of the small blips of progress that the team was seeing. Finally on Sunday morning, it became clear that the antibiotics were not working to the extent and pace necessary. Bergen was scheduled and prepped for the surgical procedure, and swiftly rolled off to the operating room.

A small incision was made in his throat (via has mouth), and the surgeon was able to drain a whole mess of muck and gunk as well as take culture sample. Bergen was under anesthesia for this process, which minus the prep and post operation procedures only took about 20 minutes.

What a relief to get to visit him in the recovery area! When Slaed and I arrived, he was grumpy and groggy, but thankfully not in a lot of pain. It took Bergen several hours to get his stamina back, but once it returned, he did not look back. With doctors and nurses managing post surgery pain well, he was up and about (with an IV cart attached to him), playing games, building, and coloring.

Our 2018 Super Bowl Party will not soon be forgotten as we watched the Eagles claim victory over the Patriots on Bergen’s tiny hospital television over cheeseburgers and milkshakes. Yes, his appetite returned quickly as well!

With less and less pain, and more and more range of motion in his neck, Bergen was able to discharge from the hospital the next day. With greater mobility, energy, and strength, he made sure to pay a visit to the play room, shoot a few hoops and cruise around the play park, and take in the view from the rooftop garden before heading back home in the late afternoon.

The following day, he was cleared for school from his pediatrician, and like the trooper he is, despite all my unnecessary worries, he returned to the classroom without a hitch. I kept expecting a phone call with reports that Bergen was experiencing pain, or he wasn’t able to keep up with the rest of his classmates, or he that was incredibly tired. I had nothing to worry about. In fact, I had to ask his teacher how he did at the end of day. He almost looked surprised since things were so “normal”, and simply exclaimed, “Awesome. He did Awesome.”

Other than a few extra naps here and there, those pesky oral antibiotics for 10 days, and a little time to get back into the swing of things at basketball practice, we were back to our regular old life in just a of couple days.

Of course I still do, but during that time immediately following his hospital stay, I remember the feeling of overwhelming gratitude. So many individuals helped us through that tough journey, and while it only lasted 5-days or so, it felt endless when we were in the thick of it. So much care, patience, love, kindness, and assistance was poured over our family, and to say I was thankful would be an understatement.

Doctors who only wanted the very best for Bergen, and worked to pinpoint exactly what was causing his discomfort and pain.
Nurses who were incredibly patient, caring, positive, and helpful.
Hospital staff and volunteers who cheered Bergen up with their gifts, games, smiles, and even clown shows!
Friends who stepped up to take care of Georgia for entire mornings, afternoons, and days. She felt so special and loved throughout the whole process.
Friends and family who helped us with groceries and meals.
Friends and family who sent and brought gifts to Bergen (and Georgia). He was incredibly touched by all the thoughtfulness.
Our entire community supported us and lifted us up with their prayers, positive thoughts, and words of encouragement.

It feels strange to be sharing a non-travel, adventure, or outdoor-related story amongst the hikes and travel reports. It truly is a “Wild Tale” though! I share it as a reminder, as cliché as it might sound, to find joy in your family’s journey, wherever that might be.

There are and will be seasons with rough patches and incredible difficulty, but know that it won’t last forever. And if things feel hopeless, there is absolutely help. Just ask.

I also share it to remind myself: