In the course of three weeks all three members of our family rode in an ambulance to the ER. Technically I was not a patient, but I am pretty sure when a baby is sick, emergency doctors are keeping a close eye on that baby's mama too.
Let me take you back to the end of August. Our house was in shambles as we were having all our warranty work done on our house. And by "shambles" I mean, we had contractors galore coming in and out of our house to repair various things. Because we had contractors coming and going I was stuck at the house, unable to give Chris a ride home while his car was at the shop for a major (overdue) tune-up. Unlike me, Chris is able to go with the flow and just make things work. He decided he would just take the bus home from Redmond. For those of you not from this area, that is not a high volume route, in fact, it is only a commuter route. SO that meant Chris had to wait hours for his bus. In true Chris fashion, he did not make a fuss (cough, cough, I would have fussed) and he decide to walk to a coffee shop to get some work done while waiting for his bus.
Meanwhile, back at home there was a plumber fixing the water pressure in the guest bath, a finish carpenter fixing the wains coating in the dining room, and two tile guys fixing the tile and grout through out the house. Cooper was sleeping. Then my phone rings.
Chris: "Jacquee, you can't freak out..."
Me: "Ok."
Chris: "I just got hit by a truck."
Me: "WHAT!? (ramble of 52 questions)"
Chris: "I just said don't freak out. I am fine! Yes. I was in crosswalk. The driver didn't see me, but he stopped right away. The police are here. They actually saw it. The ambulance is coming. I will call you when I know more."
Me: "I am coming to get you!"
Chris: "You can't leave all those people in our house."
Me: "Oh yeah."
I waited for what seemed like forever, but was really like 10 minutes. In that time, Cooper woke up and two of the tradesman had completed their work. It was just the finish carpenter left. Chris calls back and tells me where the ambulance is taking him. I tell the finish carpenter that I need to go get my husband from the hospital- he was hit by an f250. Please lock my house on your way out.
It was scary but Chris was just really sore and scrapped up. X-rays and scans gave him the all clear. Thankfully we were not at the ER long and we were driving back home in no time.
When we got home all the work was complete and the house was locked up tight! Scary and stressful but a very happy ending.
After this little adventure, I thought I had filled my emergency call quota for at least six months or so. Fast forward a few weeks to Cooper's actual first birthday (not his birthday party): September 16, 2013.
Ambulance ride #2:
The morning of Cooper's first birthday! We had just celebrated with all his friends on Saturday. His party really was a success! So much fun. I was looking forward to spending some time just as a family of three on his actual birthday. A little time to reflect on the last year with a dinner out and a special birthday cake Grandma Mel had given Cooper. But when I went to get my little love out of his crib that morning I knew my plans were going to change. He had a fever (101) and he was extra cuddly and sleepy - definitely not the typical crazy active boy I know. My heart was a little sad that the day was not going to look the way I had planned. I gave him some Tylenol and hoped for the best.
Cooper spent the entire morning snuggling on my lap. Secretly I was enjoying the cuddle time, since it rarely happens anymore. I put him down for his typical morning nap. He woke up a couple hours later with a temperature of 100. Not crazy high, but still a temperature. It had only been 3 hours since he had his last dose of Tylenol so I needed to wait another hour to give hime more. I decided to try to get him to eat, and if he would not eat I was going to call the pediatrician.
I put Cooper in his high chair with piece of his favorite foods in front of him. He reached for his food, but he was acting strangely. It was like he was looking through me not at me. Then he stopped moving all together. All color drained from his face. His lips turned blue. I literally could not believe my eyes, so I jumped up to turn on the lights (it was a dark gray day). Maybe I was seeing things? When I looked back at Cooper he was shaking. My mind was racing... He is choking! Is he getting air? What did he eat? Why is he shaking? Wait, he is breathing. He is starting to cry. He must be having a seizure! Why!?
I swooped Cooper out of his high chair and held him tight.
I dialed 911.
I tried calling Chris 9999 times. He was in an appointment. He had planned to be home around 1 pm. It was 12:30.
I could hear the sirens coming.
Fireman and paramedics calmly came in and asked what happened. I told them. Without crying. They took his temperature.
Fireman #1: "It is 105."
Fireman #2: "You mean 100.5?"
Fireman #1: "No. 105. Okay, Mom. We need you to get his clothes off now, tell us where your wash clothes are. We need to get his temperature down."
Me: Tears. How could this be? I had just taken his temp not 30 minutes ago and it was 100. How could it have jumped so high so fast? What did I miss? This can't be happening - its his birthday. (more tears) Nothing this bad can happen on my baby's first birthday.
The guys who came were amazing. I don't remember if I even told them where to find washcloths, but the next thing I knew I had cold, wet, washcloths in my hand to cool down my overheated baby. Wearing only a diaper, I could feel his fiery skin as he screamed and flailed, trying to get away from these strangers who were trying take his vitals.
My neighbor friend (a mom of two boys herself) busted through the front door and said, "How can I help?" God bless her. I charged her with the duty of tracking down Chris and telling him what was going on and where to met us. She told me she could do that and that she was going with me to the hospital and she would stay with me as long as she needed me. She works from home and has a nanny to help with the boys. The nanny was able to watch her kids so she could help me. Thank God.
The fireman thought for me. I was unable to think clearly. They told me enough to keep me informed but not too much to scare me. They said we were going to the ER. They said his nervous system was just trying to catch up with the temperature. It happens. Try to stay calm, your baby needs you. They asked what his favorite toy was and had it ready for him in the ambulance. They took his car seat out of my car so we would have it when we were discharged from the hospital. They told me they understood because they had young kids too.
In the ambulance, they had me hold a baby oxygen mask on my baby's face. I was scared. I kept thinking what if he seizes in my lap? What will I do? Is he breathing? I can't see his face. Are his eyes open? Dear God just get us there already. I could see my sweet neighbor in her car following closely behind us.
Chris called while we were in the ambulance. The paramedic talked to him and told him the details - which was a good thing. To get the details from a calm, knowledgable person. Chris was on his way to the hospital.
They had me holding Cooper on the gurney in the ambulance. The left us like that and wheeled us into the hospital. Cooper was so so so lethargic. I said thank you to the guys who had helped us. They told me they love to have follow up and invited us to the fire station when Cooper was feeling up to it. Then they left.
In the ER they hooked Cooper up to monitors. Asked me a million questions. Gave him a catheter (I had to hold him down, it was terrible) in order to get a urine sample. His temp was holding strong at 103. More medication. It finally dropped to 101. All tests showed that he was fine, just sick with a temperature. The seizure was caused by a high fever, it is called a febrile seizure. They happen. It will likely never happen again, but just in case, I need to monitor him closely when he has a temperature.
Diaper only for the ride home.
But we managed a smile!
We had a follow up with his pediatrician the next day. She confirmed what the ER physician had diagnosed.
It was terrifying. It made me think about truly ill children. I have always been sad for parents who have sick kiddos. Like I can't really even think about what happens at Seattle Children's because my heart physically feels like it is breaking. After this whole thing I can't imagine how those parents cope. It tore me apart to hold my screaming, scared baby down in order to be tested and touched by strangers. I was terrified, but I had to be there for Cooper. He needed me. I was defintely not going have a stranger hold him down. It needed to be his mama. It had to be me. It killed me, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. How do those parents do that day in and day out? My baby got to go home. Sleep in his own bed. Cuddle with his Mama and Dada in his familiar space. He could heal surrounded by toys he has known his whole life. I want that for all sick kids. It just isn't fair.
Lots of snuggles to feel better.
It was scary, but we are fine now. It could have been much worse. I am grateful for my healthy, happy, feisty little boy. When he was feeling better we took the awesome firemen some doughnuts and a thank you card. Cooper wore his fire truck shoes. I was so happy to say thank you to the guys who took great care of my baby.
Now, I think I really have filled my ambulance quota for a while.
