Paging Dr.House, Paging Dr. Gregory House

Some background, remember we left the teenager at camp a few weeks ago. She is working there for the month of July. Back in April when she went to camp staff reunion she told the directors of the camp that she was returning to camp and staying for the summer. Just after reunion weekend she started dating whom I will call Dilbert (not his real name). By May her tune had changed and she wasn’t going to camp. By this time we said she had to honor her commitment to the camp, as it can be difficult to get swim instructors and lifeguards. Also it was to late to get summer work hours with the city, where she works during the year. There was some arguing back in forth and the compromise was she would go for 4 weeks. Everybody was good with this.

Now we are half way through the second week and I have been getting what feels like hourly texts. “I want to come home”. We have also received phone calls from the director because it seems the teenager is sick and not eating and claims to be throwing up blood! They took her to the walk-in doctors office they use. A serious of blood test where taken as well as some other test. She was given a prescription to help settle her stomach.

The text I got last night at 11:30 pm was another “I want to come home”. It has been breaking my heart all night. As I am not sure what to do, is she just missing the boyfriend, is it just a stomach bug, what is really going on with the co counselor that makes it so hard for the two to work together? First thing this morning I called the camp director (I think she is getting tired of my voice) we talked about all the issues and how to best handle them. I am totally against her coming home early if it because she miss’ the boyfriend. If it is a personality conflict with the co-counselor can we split them up? But if she is really sick then that is a whole other kettle of fish and we need to bring her home.

I talked to the teenager again this afternoon then talked to the director. As of this coming weekend the two counselors will be split up, good. I was feeling better thinking things were going to be resolved soon.

Then we get another phone call at dinnertime from the director. Seems the teenager is really sick and they are taking her to the hospital. They spoke to the walk-in doctor from yesterday and all her test came back normal. They are now thinking maybe an ulcer. It has been two hours and I haven’t heard anything. So here we are 2 ½ hours away in good traffic. I totally trust the directors to do what is best for the teenager. But for now there is nothing I can do but wait……


Thursday July 9, 4:00 AM

It is early Thursday morning, 4:00 AM to be exact. I have been up for close to an hour. Just couldn't sleep. Last night at 10:30 the camp director called. They were back at camp from the hospital. The teenager was sleeping, they have moved her from the cabin with the kids to a private cottage hoping she can get a good nights sleep.

The camp director tells me about the hospital visit. The doctors had hooked the teenager up to an IV because she was dehydrated from not being able to keep anything down since Monday. They were able to pin point just where the pain is, top of stomach to one side. Once again she had a series of blood work and some X-rays. The blood work came back normal and they could see nothing unusual in the xray. They then sent the xray to another hospital for a second opinion and again nothing was found. They then administered through the IV some meds to help settle her stomach and sent her home or in this case sent her back to camp. When the director called she told me the teenager had ate a bagel when they left the hospital and it stayed down. Today (Thursday) the teenager is to go get a ultrasound. After work the husband is going to drive out to camp and pick her up and bring her home. Later this morning I will call our Doctors office and see if we can get her in tomorrow. An ulcer still has not been ruled out but she may need some more in depth test and really should be home. I am hopeful that she will be able to bring a copy of all the test she has had so far home with her so our doctor does not have to do them again. But for now we will have to wait again. I wish I could sleep while I wait it makes the waiting so much easier.