Ice chips and hot chocolate

Tyler has been fussy for the past five hours.  All he wanted was water.  The nurses didn't want to give him any fluids because it would stress his heart.   The nurses and doctors listened to him moan--he'd plead with them, saying, "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease, can I have some wa wa?"

I put in my ear plugs, and when I had had enough, I approached the nurse and doctor and said, "He's stressed because he's thirsty.  You gotta intervene."

They were also concerned at Tyler's rising lactate levels, a sign of stress.  Sometimes, the lactate is high because of increased blood glucose and administering some insulin can lower it.  However, sometimes the lactate is high because the heart is under duress, in which case insulin would be ineffective and they'd have to intubate him.

I said, "I know what the books say.  What does your gut say?"  Tyler cried for ice chips and hot chocolate for several hours.  Finally, one of the physicians said, "Give him some ice chips."  Immediately, he calmed down and fell asleep.  He sleeps for like one minute, then wakes up and asks for more ice chips.  He's been sleeping for the past two or three minutes, so we might go to the cafe and get some din-din.

Oh, he just woke up.