I still don't know why I took this picture. We were just waiting to see the doctor here. Before picture.
You ask a good question, and there is a good answer. My baby, Achinoam, got really really sick. She somehow got this disease called HUS. No one knows where it came from, but it originated from (sorry to be graphic) a gastro-diarrhea-stomach infection. Her diapers also had blood, which led the doctor to think she had shigella. We gave her the necessary antibiotics and thought we were on a good path to recovery, but by Shabbat morning, she wasn’t getting better. She was crying a lot and totally lethargic. I had spoken to my dad (a doctor) before shabbat and he had said to watch out for dehydration. I realized that she hadn’t had any wet diapers since the previous night and I decided to take her to the hospital right away.
After picture: Our first shabbat out of the hospital
Reads: Went to Meir Hospital at 10:20
First Miracle
I didn’t know how I would get there, since I did not want to take my car because that would mean I would have to take my eyes off her for a few minutes, and it turned out, I didn’t have to. I opened my front door and standing there were my neighbors (whom I had never met). I just burst into tears from motherly-worry and they told me they would drive me, Achinoam, and Tzviya to the hospital (Rafi and G were at shul).
At the hospital
The children’s E.R. was empty and they took a blood-test right away and told us that her kidneys were failing and that it was so good that we didn’t wait until after Shabbat. They said the prognosis was good, but that they could not say for sure whether she wouldn’t have neurological damage or not, or whether she would need a kidney transplant.
About an hour later, we were transferred to Shneider Children’s Hospital in Petach Tikvah, the best children’s hospital in Israel. There in the E.R., I met Dr. Klepper, a nephrologist, who knew exactly what she was dealing with, despite it being a rare condition, and she was just so nice and calm. She said there was a good chance she would need dialysis. I was in total denial. I thought Achinoam would wake up the next morning all better and we would go home.
Glitch
The minor glitch was that Rafi was two days away from the Bar exam. I was alone with no sleep for two nights and two days in the hospital, but I told him he should finish what he started. I cannot imagine what strength it took to take the Bar while she was in the PICU (he passed- btw!!). I told him not to come to the hospital until after his exam, and my mother said she’d be on the first plane out, landing on Monday morning so that kept me going, along with the many family vistors.
Achinoam continued to deteriorate and on Sunday they said she had to go on dialysis to prevent kidney damage. She had her dialysis in for 7 days. Every 2 hours for the first two days, then to every 3 hours, to every 4 hours. She was constantly hooked up and could not move from her bed the entire week.
She was so strong, and despite her weakness and imprisonment in her bed, she really kept a positive attitude. She read books with us and every day got stronger and stronger. The first day I remember she was awake for literally five minutes, but after about a week, she had periods of an hours where she was awake. We read a lot of books that week.
Prayer
After Shabbat the day we got to the PICU, I remember texting everyone I knew telling them to daven for her. People I literally just met, and people I knew my whole life. I just needed to tell everyone. The doctors all said this disease was not something they could treat. It was up to the kidneys to heal on their own, and the doctors would help by giving her dialysis, restricting her diet, and keeping track of her levels (chemistry of her blood).
I cannot give enough praise to Shneider Children’s Hospital and all the amazing doctors and nurses there. The ward doctors, nephrologists, and nurses were all in constant communication about our case and each day we were updated about her levels and the next steps. Her condition was always changing and even in the middle of the night, Dr. Klepper and all the nephrologists were on the phone with the ward doctors discussing and making decisions. With genuine concern they approached her, and they always interacted with her and with us in the warmest way.
We were in the hospital for about ten days and were planning on being there for a few weeks, but on that Wednesday, two nephrologists walked in and said “You can go home!” These were the same people who said not to expect her kidneys to start working until at least 3-4 weeks. We were completely taken by surprise- her creatinine levels went from an astonishingly dangerous 4.2 to 1.7 within a few days. They said we were on a good path and there was no reason to be there anymore.
We went back two days later, then a week later, all the time getting better and better. Every day I’d get an update about who was saying tehillim for us, and I cannot thank our shul enough (Shivtei in Raanana) for being more supportive and welcoming to people they barely knew.
Achinoam stayed home with us for a month, which was good for her and good for us. We needed to be with her and see her become herself again, and she did. She went back to school a couple weeks ago and will need to be followed her whole life, but is doing great. We can only thank Hashem for this true chanuka miracle. Hodu L’Hashem Ki Tov Ki Le’Olam Chasdo. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His loving-kindness endures forever.
post hospital happy family
