Rosie Whitney

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and will also be making a Go Fund Me  website so that family , friends and community may contribute financially to the healing process for Rosie and her whole family.   Part 1 Our story begins on my birthday, November 13th 2018.  Rosie came down with what we thoughts was a stomach flu. No big deal, but even though her vomiting subsided she seemed to be fighting a fever too.  Finally on 11/15 I brought her into our pediatrician to get checked for possible appendicitis.  Rosie wasn’t presenting excruciating pain but she had some discomfort, nothing big enough to make the drs alarmed so we went home.  Only when we got home Rosie became full of anxiety and had bigger feelings of pain in her belly.  Something inside me just reacted, I got her dressed and scooped her into the car and headed toward the hospital.  Something inside me needed to get her there.  I thought worst case scenario we have to get fluids to rehydrate so I called some friends to come and sit with us while we waited and received fluids.  Rosie’s wonderful and special  librarian  from school was able to show up and support us as we navigated getting imaging done on her belly, fluids, IV antibiotic and met lots of Drs to prepare us for an emergency appendectomy.  No one was sure but the drs suspected aappendicitis with possible rupture.  It was a very fast turnaround round for our first emergency visit for appendicitis and suddenly without much time to react she was being wheeled off to surgery and I was signing a consent form for anesthesia for the first time for Rosie.  I fought my own fear and sadness as I kissed her and told her I’d see her soon and she dozed off after receiving the “I don’t care “ medicine,  which calmed her into sleep.   Skipping my fear, my tears, my aloneness in the surgery waiting room and my reaching out to few friends and family.  The drs saw the her appendix was ruptured and might have been for 24 before surgery .  I know my kid is tough but the drs are worried and prepare me for a five night stay with the strongest IV antibiotic she may receive to help control the spreading infection in her abdomen.  Rosie recovered in the PICU and we eventually got admitted to the pediatric ward making it up there at 2:00am.  The nurses and LNA’s got straight to work helping me make a bed on the chair and explaining what was happening.  I am so grateful.  And we got to work on the work of recovering and healing from a ruptured appendix with the amazing help of the nurses, LNAs and Childlife caregivers, surgeons and drs.  Rosie , never having had any surgery before , was pretty scared, angry and processing our need to be in hospital for the week.  5-7 days of antibiotics were recommended for the rupture, my parents came up to VT from RI and were helping with the boys (Rosie’s 2 little brothers, Manny and Tully) ) and our 2 dogs and cat.  I began my job of inviting friends to visit ( Brenda, Heather, LiseAnne , Rosemary, Marijke,  Belle, Anna, Virginia , Sonja, Tiffany, Hanna, and ordering good food, managing the pain cycle, helping her get up and walk, recieving amazing friends and teachers and family who showed up at the hospital to support and cheer us along.   By day 5 things seemed good enough for us head home a day before thanksgiving/ mourning day .  Rosie was prescribed some oral antibiotics and we went home grateful and successful , having battled ruptured appendix and in time for a nourishing meal with family.   See Caring Bridge journal entries for Part 2 and Part 3 of this journey and battle with ruptured appendix. ❤️ And thank you for reading and supporting our incredible healing experience. 
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rosiewhitney