911, What's Your Emergency?

If you read Who are You?, then you surely have been sittin' on pins and needles waiting for this story to arrive!  If not...then GET OFF MY LAWN!

So here it is, in all it's glory.........................

My kids love to wake at the crack of dawn.  I know it wasn't always like this, but I can't remember when it wasn't, so in my mind...they have always been a pain in the rear end when it comes to sleep.

On this most wondrous day J Girl decided to sleep in.  I know what your thinking, and no, I did not pump her up full of benadryl to get a better nights sleep.....she just decided to on her own, okay.
But, as usual...the one I didn't drug count on was the boy.  On this day, which was typical for him, he got up quite early.  The unusual part...he wanted out.  You see, this boy would wake up and then lay in his crib for at least an hour or so just talking and playing.  He was always easy going, really only crying if he was hungry or hurt.  At a year old, he was probably the most even tempered child I had ever met.  Which is why what you are about to read came as such a shock to me.

His low cries quickly turned to screams so I ran on in as to not wake up princess.   Since it was rather early, I carried him into the living room, sat down on the couch and sat him on my lap.  I thought I better feel his forehead to check for fever since my gut told me he didn't feel well.  Nope, cool as a cucumber. As I lifted my hand his screams became hysterics.  He stiffened up and flopped himself on the living room floor kicking and flailing. I tried to scoop him up off the floor but he wasn't budging.  The thrashing got to the point that I could barely get near him.  His eyes seemed glazed over and he was seething with his teeth clenched.  Now I am in overdrive.  I am half out of it as I just got out of bed, and at least an hour earlier then usual.  I grabbed the phone and dialed for help. 
"911, What's your emergency?"
"My son!" I screamed, because by now I have just about lost all control.  I don't know what is wrong with my son who is still screaming and rolling from the living room to the kitchen.
"He is only 13 months.  Please, I don't know what is wrong with him.  Oh my god, he is grabbing the kitchen chairs and pulling them over. What do I do, please send someone to help me!"
"Ma'am, please calm down.  Now what I want you to do is move anything that is around him that can cause him harm.  Just try to protect him from bumping into anything.  While I get the ambulance on the line, I want you to take all of his clothes off.  Can you reach into his mouth?  Are his teeth clenched?"
"Yes, yes.  He has them clamped shut.  I can't get my fingers in there.  Oh my god, please, I don't know what to do!" I yelled into the receiver, as I threw the phone down on the floor and tried to hold my son down.
"Okay. Now I want you to get a cool washcloth and try to rub him down. It will be all right.  Stay calm and the ambulance is on it's way." 
"Okay, okay." as I hit the end button on the phone. 
At this point, my son is still crying, but without any tears. I am rubbing his now naked little body with a cool washcloth when I suddenly thought, oh my god.  What am I going to do with J Girl? 
I grabbed the phone again.  Please, please think.  You need to call someone to help.  My fingers immediately dialed my husbands cell.  Answer, answer! 
"Oh god.  The baby!" I screamed as he said hello.  "Something is wrong with the baby.  I called 911, the ambulance is coming!"
I can't remember if he said anything or not because I hung up and dialed again.
"Can you come over?  I have to take the baby to the hospital!  The ambulance is coming!" I once again screamed into the phone at my sister. 
The next thing I remember is the paramedics knocking on the door.  They started asking me questions that I couldn't answer at the time because at this point I am beyond hysterical.  I can't talk, I am lucky I can breathe and I am cradling my infant son with such strength that the paramedic needed to pry him from my arms. 
I look out the corner of my eye to see J Girl wander down the hall sleepily and walk to the window.
"Oh, Auntie is here!" she excitedly tells me as if everything else around her is completely normal.  My sister runs into the house dragging behind her my 1 year old niece.  She asks me some questions, but I couldn't get anything out.  I went to throw some clothes on and I tossed my sister the keys to my house as I ran out the door and into the ambulance. 
The paramedic stopped me before I got in to ask what hospital I wanted him to be taken to.  At first I couldn't remember the name of the hospital, when my sister said, "St. Mary's right?"
"Yes, that's fine."  Oh thank God someone answered.
As I am helped into the back of the ambulance I see my son beaming from ear to ear as he plays peek a boo with the attending paramedic.  They strap me to the stretcher and hand me the baby.  During the ride to the hospital, I am asked question after question about medical history and events of the morning.  I know I answer because they stopped asking.  I was just staring at my son.  I looked into his eyes that held nothing of the previous minutes.  He was alert, happy and babbling about the "big truck". 
When we arrived at the ER the ambulance doors opened and my husband was standing there with red rimmed eyes.  That was enough to send me back into hysterics as they unloaded and quickly brought us through triage.  A medical team was waiting as we entered rattling off the same questions, as one nurse took my son from my arms and laid him on the bed.  She was taking his vitals while calling for someone else to start an IV.  Another nurse brought a warm blanket.  My son was only wearing a diaper, so we wrapped him up to keep him warm in that sterile room. 

I just remember waiting.  We waited for answers.  Answers that we were both hoping we would be  prepared for.  J Boy was giggling and happy, and if I didn't witness it I would have been sure that it never happened. 

"His blood work is all normal.  Nothing is elevated.  We are just waiting on the CT and urinalysis." the ER doctor told us as he came and went.  A nurse offered us a drink as she handed my son a sippy cup of apple juice. 
"The doctor will be right in, he is just finishing up the paperwork." she said.

I remember sitting on the gurney type bed trying to occupy my son from pulling at the IV.  They had his arm wrapped up but he was quickly unraveling the tape.  I was tracing my fingers over the blood stains on the blanket.  I was glancing at the clock thinking that just a few hours ago we were safe at home with two healthy children.  Now we are in limbo awaiting test results that could drop the bottom out. 

"Mr and Mrs. Big Daddy?  We have all the test results and after careful review they all appear normal."

Oh thank God as I sink into my husband and pull my son into my arms.  I gently kissed his head at that moment as I looked into the doctor's eyes to silently thank him for keeping our family's health intact.

"So what caused this to happen?  Will it happen again?" I questioned because at this point I am not sure I can just dismiss this.

"Well Mrs. Big Daddy....." he started, and at this moment I could tell that he was having a bit of a hard time getting out what he wanted to say.
"In my opinion, I think what this little guy here was having...", as he ruffled my son's hair, ".... what we medical professionals like to call...." as he ruffled again,  "......a tantrum.  It is definitely safe to assume that it will happen again."

Comments

[jill]

I was panicking FOR you. That was great. So glad nothing was wrong. Great post!

[jubilee]

That totally would have happened to me!

I was hysterical like that once when we were sure our son swiped a plum and swallowed the pit. A few hours and an emergency room visit later, my son said, "Oooo poo-poo hurts." In his diaper we found the pit and the sticker that was on the plum.

[texasholly @ June Cleaver Nirvana]

Holy crap. OMG! Seriously, I would have been frantic. Thank God my son started having those "symptoms" much earlier so I was in full recognition of them at 13 months.

Great post.

Thanks so much for linking today!

[Sue]

No WAY. did that really happen? I love that J Girl knew it all along. :)

[Robert]

Oh the joys of parenthood. Maybe you should invest in your own ambulance since it seemed to comfort him so well. Every time he has a tantrum, you can go whizzing through the neighborhood, sirens blaring, just to appease him. Or instead....no, I can't put that in writing. (Gotta stay PC on these blogs that are of public record)

Your story gave us a good laugh: When driving over the weekend, Lily was in hysterics crying. I leaned over to Julianne and asked, "Should we call 911?"