Saturday, May 9, 2009

Caroline the Brave!

Friday 12:00.  My students were finishing up lunch, and I am told there is an emergency phone call from my babysitter and I should take the call in another room.  

Panic. 

This is what I remember...

"Erin... we were at the mall... Caroline started acting weird... She wouldn't respond... I had to call 911... She's in an ambulance on the way to the hospital... I took the other kids home, but I'll meet you there..."

"She's by herself?!?!  I have to go!"  

click.  

Nightmare.  My two-year-old is in an ambulance on the way to the hospital BY HERSELF!  I ran into the classroom and yelled "I have to go" to whoever would listen.  And I couldn't breath.  I started crying.  They took the kids out of the room.  I ran out.  My coworker took me to the ER.  
"May I help you?"  

"My kid... my baby... my little girl... she's here... by herself!!!"  

Thank God they didn't make me wait.  Or show ID.  They took me right back. 

My tiny child was laying in this huge bed, surrounded by five doctors, nurses, EMT's... etc.  

She looked at me, but didn't respond.  The doctor started asking me questions.  Who was with her?  Why did she come alone?  Name?  Birthday?  Social?  Medical History?  I couldn't breath.  again.  Then they explain... Why is my baby not talking to me?  Looking at me?  She just laid there... chewing on a tiny hot pink stuffed fish. 

"We think she had a seizure brought on by a high fever.  The EMT's took her temperature and it was 103 in the ear, but most likely higher than that.  We're running tests to see what has caused her fever."  

I laid down with my little girl.  

Finally... her huge blue eyes looked into mine... "I love you, Mommy."  

I could breath again.  

The tests were not fun, but bearable.  

After three hours we were discharged.  They found nothing.  But still tonight, she has a fever again.  Not of 103.  Lower, thankfully.  100.7.  She's sleeping now.  I hope it's nothing.  She says her mouth hurts and she hasn't eaten much.  Maybe it's just a tooth.  I pray it's just a tooth.  And that no more seizures are to follow.  Andrew had seizures when he was a little boy.  It could be hereditary.  No one really knows.  I hate when there are no answers.  I like answers.  Especially when it comes to my little girl.  

(Here she is the other weekend when it was sweltering hot!  She took a dip in her kiddy pool!)

Today, we tried to still get out and have some fun.  We went to "National Train Day" at Union Station.  

We got to see Randy "dawg" Jackson from American Idol and some really cool trains as well.

  Caroline was a trooper.  She really liked getting on the train, but she was quite disappointed that we didn't get to go anywhere.

Andrew had been wanting to go to this for a while, and she hung in there to let her daddy have some fun.  
Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I find myself with my heart overflowing with love and thankfulness for my amazing child!  

2 comments:

Elizabeth Heyerdahl said...

So glad she's doing a bit better and hopefully that won't happen again.

Patty said...

Happy Mother's Day my sweet angel! God blessed me greatly when he gave you - my precious daughter! The day you were born was the happiest day of my life! And the day Caroline was born - well, my cup runneth over! You both are the joy of my life! I pray that God will continue to pour out His blessings on your family! I love you!