Hospital Scare

So I've been putting off writing this post. This time of year is hectic with school coming to an end (5 more days!), but honestly I just haven't wanted to have to relive this moment again. But I feel it's important to remember the bad along with the good.

On June 1st, I receive a phone call from Jack's daycare that he had a temperature of 102. I pick him up, take him home and give him some Tylenol. This is around 3:30. Although he had the fever he was in good spirits at home, maybe a little more low-key then usual, but we enjoyed ourselves; reading books, watching a little Elmo and tickling one another on the bed. Bryan and I put him to bed around 6:30 and checked his temperature and it was down to about 101.

While Jack was in bed, Bryan went outside to water the gardens and I was upstairs picking up the house. At around 7:45, I hear what sounded like almost hiccups coming from Jack's room. I go in to check on him, and right away I knew something was wrong. I pick him up and his eyes are rolling back in his head, he's gasping for breath and he is twitching all over. My immediate though is that he threw-up and was chocking on his own vomit. I panic and run out side screaming for Bryan. He runs in dials 911, I run into the shower and try to and cool Jack off. I remember a co-worker of mine telling the story about how her daughter had a high fever and started seizing at church in the middle of winter, and a doctor put her in the snowbank. As I put him the shower, I thought I don't want him to drown, so I just sat on the tub's edge screaming for help, while Bryan is next to me talking to the 911 dispatcher. At this point Jack's lips had started to turn blue and at that moment I thought we were going to lose him. It was the worst possible feeling I have ever experienced in my life. And I pray to God each and every day that I do not EVER feel that way again.

Moments later Jack started breathing again, and I could feel the the tension flow off me as I cradled my baby in my arms. It felt like forever before the ambulance arrived (but in reality it was minutes). It's amazing how time seems to slow down when there is a crisis. Jack's seizure lasted 1-2 minutes, and again it seemed like 10.

To make a long story short, Jack is absolutely fine. When he arrived at the hospital he was given some Ibuprofen and his fever broke while waiting for the Dr. to see him. We left the hospital that night around 11:30 pm. And Jack (who was back to his old self) was amazed at the black sky, how bright the moon was and the stars in the sky. Because he goes to bed so early he doesn't see that very often! And the first words out of his mouth when he woke up with us Saturday morning was, "STARS! BIIG MOON! BLACK SKY! So it seems that is what he remembers from that night.

Although febrile seizures are somewhat common for children between 6 months to 5 years old, both Bryan and I couldn't help but wonder if we could of prevented it from happening some how. For instance, what if I had Ibuprofen instead of Tylenol? Even though we only had the Tylenol in our cabinet. What if I had put on different pajamas on him? I put Jack in footie pajamas, were those too warm and caused his fever to spike?

Needless to say we went out and bought a two jumbo sized bottles of both Ibuprofen and Tylenol for Jack. I have had the baby monitor attached to my hip when he is asleep, and I probably check his forehead at least 10 times a day still to see if he has a fever. I am finally sleeping a little better, but any little sound that Jack makes I am wide awake checking the monitor. I know this fear will lessen until a new fear arises (I'm already thinking about never letting him get behind the wheel of a car! :) )but a former parent of a student of mine gave me the best advice when I told her how worried I am now, she said: His beautiful smiles and silly giggles will TRUMP every worry every time.

So although it was a night from hell, hearing Jack the next morning laughing and playing made me realize that I cannot dwell in the past, but live every minute of every day.