Lauren (known as "Lolly") is our beautiful 2-year-old daughter. She's been tiny all her life, but has been very healthy. On Friday, September 10, 2010, she came down with flu-like symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting and fever). She was sick and miserable all day on Saturday, September 11th, and couldn't keep a thing down. On Sunday, September 12th, I (Robbie, her mother) started noticing signs of dehydration, and decided to take her to our local, small-town hospital in Idaho. She was given an IV to treat her severe dehydration, and luckily, the doctor decided to go ahead and draw some blood to run a few tests. Her lab results came back with unexpected results- her numbers were all over the place. The doctors watched her overnight in the hospital, and when Monday morning's lab results showed no improvement, she was flown on a fixed-wing Life Flight airplane to Primary Children's hospital.
Lolly was diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, caused by E. coli (from an unknown source). She has had several complications since her hospitalization, including neurological problems (Encephalopathy and possible seizures), acute kidney failure, and has needed several blood transfusions.
Lolly has been able to do all sorts of things that most two-year-olds don't get to do- she's had lots and lots of IVs, blood draws, blood transfusions, an MRI, a CT scan, has been intubated, had an arterial line, and is receiving daily dialysis treatments (and that's only after being here a week!).
We have wonderfully supportive family and friends, and I created this blog to keep everyone informed on Lolly's condition. Thanks for checking in on her!
