<p>Just wanted to let those of you who were kind enough to comment on Emma's troubles know that she had her scan yesterday and thankfully nothing sinister was found. She needs to go back in a few weeks for another check, but she is keeping her medicine down and is a lot happier now. Oh, and mum and dad are finally getting some sleep. And I'm hoping to do some writing soon and catch up on the arena posts. :-)</p>

<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Arial;">It&rsquo;s been a tough week this week. On Monday Emma-Grace cried throughout the night. My wife and I managed about 3hrs sleep. Tuesday was no better, maybe even a little worse. By the time Wednesday morning came along we both looked like zombies. While I got the boys ready for school and Helen was giving Emma her morning feed she noticed a purple rash on Emma&rsquo;s right leg. We did the glass test and when it didn&rsquo;t disappear we rang the doctors and was told to go straight to the hospital. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">She spent the morning being pulled and prodded while my wife and I were asked all the necessary questions, all the while wondering what we were going to be told. Eventually, Emma was taken for blood tests. She screamed the whole time and now her tiny hands are black and blue. We were told she would need a spinal test if the results came back suggesting meningitis. I felt sick and completely helpless. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, the results came back late afternoon and thankfully were good. She has a viral infection and had to spend the night in hospital so the docs could keep an eye on her. We stayed, Emma cried till about 1 o&rsquo;clock Thursday morning. She was released from hospital by midday only to be called back Friday night because tests showed she has a water infection. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Luckily, she can take her medicine orally otherwise she would have to have been kept in and given a drip. We&rsquo;re home now and she has had two doses of her medicine. She spat the second lot out so we still might have to go back in. We&rsquo;ll know by half ten tonight when she has her third dose. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So it&rsquo;s been a horrible week. Seeing your 4-week-old baby (or a child of any age for that matter) being tested for any kind of illness is every parent&rsquo;s worst nightmare. Luckily, Emma&rsquo;s appears to be nothing more than an infection. For her the troubles of the last few days will disappear in time, if it hasn&rsquo;t done so already, but for us that fear and feeling of uselessness will last forever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></span></p>