12 days before Christmas, we were again confined at the premises of University of Santo Tomas Hospital, our second home - which we accepted by the time that ze cranio kid is getting back and forth multiple times this year.

Staying at the hospital for six days is short for us - compared to the number of days we have stayed for the entire year, longest was for almost six weeks. But staying at the hospital at this point of the month was indeed at big deal for us. We don't want to spend Christmas at our room! So as much as possible, as long as ze cranio kid's already fine, we want to be home. We want to spend the holidays with our family, at our own home.


We did not even expect to be confined by that time. I have a happy and playing baby eventhough they are already at the hospital by 7:00 AM due to some laboratory tests that needs to be taken at a specific time only, unless the correct results will not show up.

We are scheduled for follow up to three of his doctors that day - to his pediatricia, pedia-neurologist, and pedia-nephrologist. Two of his follow ups turned up to be fine, saying that Carlisle has no issues at all for them. It shows because he's too naughty that day!


According to his pedia-nephrologist (concerns with the study of normal kidney function, kidney problems, the treatment of kidney problems and renal replacement therapy), his sodium level is too high and he don't want us to be home as this level might give him seizures. His case now has been diagnosed as hypernatremia - defined by an elevated sodium level in the blood, generally not caused by an excess of sodium, but rather lack of free water in the body - can also be called dehydration. Days prior to admission, his appetite is so good, he eats well and more than usual but he doesn't want to drink that much water.

Just when I thought that everything is fine, my happy baby is again confined. Doctor said we just need to correct his sodium level because it's extremely high and they don't want him to have seizures when we are already home.



With a heavy heart, we processed ze cranio kid's confinement that day. Good thing, the queue for admission is not that long. We just stayed in the emergency room for an hour or so, and then we were transferred to our room, the same one where we stayed when we were confined due to Dengue.


DAY ONE. The first night was a smooth one. The doctors just continued to make corrections to make his sodium level back to normal. His appetite is good, but still, he doesn't want to drink that much liquid unless we force him by letting him drink through a syringe.



DAY TWO. Rough day today as ze cranio kid began vomiting and being irritated since the time that he woke up in the morning. He doesn't want to sleep since then, and if he does, he will cry and cry and vomit when he wakes up again. It was only at night time that he got up and played on the bedside.



DAY THREE. Just when his sodium level went back to normal, an indication that we can go home, ze cranio kid had two episodes of seizure at 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM, plus chills because of 38.1 degrees fever. His last seizure due to fever was a day after his brain operation last June 2013. He reached 40 degrees that time, also the reason why he was back on PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) for the second time.

Three more episodes of seizure at 10:00 AM, 3:30 PM, and 10:00 PM happened on the same day. That makes it five in total in one day.


DAY FOUR. Ze cranio kid had two episodes of seizure again this morning - that makes it seven in total for our three-day stay. The good thing here is that he is more responsive now, we can already talk to him, he makes his usual funny sounds but not all. He needs to be closely monitored as the important factors for him to be okay keeps on fluctuating.

By night time, he already cried when blood was extracted to check his sodium level. He already said 'Hi' and 'Nana' (Nanay) and made his usual pig sound. He already threw things that he can reach.



DAY FIVE. Hooray for 24 hours of no seizure episodes! Ze cranio kid already started eating and drinking again, playing and smiling. He still can't bear to sit alone for a long time. Sodium level is slowly getting back to normal, no fever nor seizures.