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| 4/23/2008 12:01:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article
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DAMIAN MULINIXChinook Observer
Relaxing in the living room of their Vandalia home, Heidi Clarke says she and her baby girl Olivia are just taking it easy for awhile as Olivia continues to recover from a bout of bacterial meningitis. “I was just numb. It was really scary,” said Clarke. |
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DAMIAN MULINIXChinook Observer
Justin and Heidi Clarke’s son Owen hands his mom a picture he drew while spending time with his family last weekend. “We have so many, many people to thank for thier support,” she said. |
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After 13 days battling bacterial meningitis, the Clarke family happy to have their newborn baby girl at Home and Healthy
At 2 a.m. March 16 Heidi Clarke knew something was very wrong with 12-day-old Olivia, but she had no idea how absolutely critical her decision to take her newborn to the ER at Columbia Memorial that foggy morning would become.
"Olivia had been running a fever since about 10 p.m. and I knew a fever can be bad for a baby that young," Heidi explained.
So she and her husband Justin set out on an odyssey in those wee hours that would eventually save Olivia's life.
"At the hospital in Astoria we were hoping Olivia just had the flu. The doctors gave her some general antibiotics by IV, but then decided to life-flight her to Portland." It was too foggy for a helicopter that late-winter morning so the young couple followed an ambulance to Emanuel Hospital, where doctors who specialize in caring for infants awaited the seven pound, one ounce baby Olivia.
"One of the first things the doctors did in the ICU at Emanuel was a spinal tap. About 9 a.m. a nurse told us Olivia had bacterial meningitis (specifically Haemophilus influenzae type B). We knew that that was the bad kind, but Justin and I had no idea how serious meningitis could be," Heidi said.
"A normal person's white blood cell count is 30 and Olivia's was 3,350. The doctors, who were very straight forward in communicating with us every step of the way, said the spinal fluid actually looked milky. They began a new series of antibiotics to fight the type B meningitis and took a lab culture so they could refine the antibiotics even more," Justin says.
"I was just numb," Heidi, who hadn't slept for two days, said softly. Justin adds, "It was really scary. There were IVs giving Olivia antibiotics and fluids, she had a breathing tube and was on a ventilator, there was also a feeding tube in her mouth, and a bunch of chords to monitor her vital signs. I don't think I'll ever forget how she looked with all the IVs, hoses and cords attached to her."
The constant sounds of the monitors are permanently etched in Heidi's mind. "There was lots of beeping all the time. After the first night we stayed at Ronald McDonald House and other couples were awesome in their support. They told me that some beeps were nothing to worry about and that other beeps meant I should get someone right away." To enter the ICU there are two security doors, not to keep people out, but to keep life-threatening bacteria, viruses, and germs at bay.
In ICU a nurse was always within a few feet and doctors worked with Olivia one-on-one for seven days. By the second day a more precise antibiotic was developed from the lab culture. Justin says. "It was really hard to see Olivia sedated all the time and know that there wasn't a thing we could do to help her."
A frightening moment for Heidi came during Olivia's seizures, a common symptom of bacterial meningitis.
"I guess I missed Olivia's first and worst seizure, but the ones I saw were really bad."
And then on Easter Sunday, a week after Olivia entered ICU, she began breathing on her own. "That was the turning point. She improved, and then pffft, just like that she got better fast," Justin says with a wave toward the heavens.
The week after Easter, Olivia was moved to "the floor." Justin says, "The floor was a scary place because there were about 20 other children all recovering from something very serious. We were concerned for Olivia and held her 24 hours a day. The pediatrics floor is a very intense place and the stress was really wearing us out."
The Clarkes' were bolstered by dinners brought by volunteers to Ronald McDonald House and by their family during "the floor" days. Heidi says, "(Our son) Owen did well and our parents took great care of him - and us. The first night mom (Sue Anderson) took his temperature every three hours to make sure he didn't have meningitis."
Karen Clarke says, "It was scary. Steve and I felt helpless, but I was there for Owen and then in the background when I needed to be so the kids could have family time with him. He was the one bright spot for all of us." Steve Clarke states, "There was always the fear of the unknown." Sue Anderson says, "I played 'pirates' with Owen all day long." She adds seriously, "When you get a call at 3 a.m., it is never good. We all pulled together as a family. It is truly humbling to see how so many have prayed for us." Don Anderson explains, "There is no wisdom to help your kids at a time like this, just support. And everywhere I went people would say, 'We've been there.' I would get a hug and then fix their plumbing. This has drawn Sue and me much closer to our community."
By that Friday, after Olivia had spent 13 of her first 25 days clinging to life at Emanuel Hospital pediatrics ward, she was able to return to the Clarke's Vandalia home. "She was still on an IV and even after a month she is on antibiotics and anti-seizure medication," Heidi says. Justin adds, "She has been gaining weight and her white blood count is 150, still not normal, but much better than over 3,000. The doctors told us that sometimes infants don't get nearly as sick as Olivia, but they have lasting effects from meningitis. We're hoping Olivia won't have any problems down the line."
Fortunately Olivia's first hearing test was "OK" according to Heidi. Losing hearing and sight are possible results from bacterial meningitis in infants and happily Olivia is doing well in both areas. Learning disorders are also side effects of the disease that attacks the brain and spinal chord's lining. "I am for sure going to check Olivia at every milestone as she grows older to see if everything is all right," Heidi affirms. "I'm probably going to be overly protective, I have to admit."
Justin, who graduated from Ilwaco High School in 1998, was lucky to work on a commercial fishing boat that allowed him to take the time off. Heidi, a 1999 IHS graduate, is a teacher at Long Beach School. "The school has been so supportive. People have donated sick leave and I'm able to take the rest of the school year off." Justin says, "Our small town has been amazing. We've gotten so many cards and good wishes. We still can't let too many people visit, but we have so many, many people to thank for their support."
Heidi explains of the ordeal, "At times it was pretty horrible." As her voice trails off, Justin concludes, "It was like a roller coaster with so many ups and downs. The doctors were like gods when they would come into the room. They were the best of the best. Their decisions were always so critical."
But without a doubt the most critical decision that foggy March night was Heidi's crystal clear choice to take tiny Olivia to the emergency room - to follow her instincts as a mom.
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