Amber's Side of the story
On Friday Jan 15th, It all started like a normal day. Kids go to school, I had to take Zach into the doctor for a checkup and immunizations at 18 months. By the way, he weighs 20 lbs 3 oz. And is 31 inches tall, which puts him in the 15% and 3%. He's still a little guy. So after the office visit and being such a big brave boy I told him we can stop by the store and get some chocolate milk.
So we get our chocolate milk and stop by one other store real quick before heading home. I go pick up Travis from school. We get home and he is walking around playing with Bridget. About an hour and a half later he is standing next to the couch with a sleepy dazed look, I look away and look back at him and he is laying on the ground. No thud or anything but sometimes he just lays down when he gets tired, so I pick him up to put him in his bed but he is more floppy than normal and his eyes are fluttering and starting to roll back in his head. I am talking to him and he's not able to focus and he isn't responding at all to me. He then starts to spit up and his mouth was kind of foamy and his lips are turning blue. I try and call 911. It didn't work... Ok now what? (Yes I think my cell phone was in my pocket) but I call Dave's cell and tell him I need to call 911 but can't. He asks what was going on and I told him Zach is turning blue. So he calls 911 tells him what he knows and our address and phone number, 911 calls me back.
I am on the phone with the dispatcher and she says to lay him flat on his back and put my hand under his neck so his head is tipped back so his airways open up. Trying to find out if he's choking, the dispatcher says I need you to look in is mouth, do you see anything? Me: no. Meanwhile his hands are clenched and wont open. His lips are blue, his eyes are still kinda rolled back. A couple of times while she was talking to me she asks if I thought he'd had a seizure. I kept telling her I don't know. (Because the only ones I've seen have been on TV and they were convulsing... Zach wasn't doing that.) She kept telling me I was doing great, and the ambulance should be there soon. He started breathing better and color was getting better. The paramedics, firetrucks, police... the whole crew show up. She stayed on the phone with me until the paramedics were in the house with me.
The paramedics asked what happened and I tell them he was limp, then tight fists, and lips were blue his head was hot while his hands and feet were freezing. They said it sounds like a Febrile Seizure. So they took his vitals, temp, oxygen level, and checked his sugar level which was a little low. He was doing much better so they said we should take him to the ER still but he didn't want me driving him myself but they also didn't think the ambulance was completely necessary. The dispatcher also told me my husband was on his way home, so I knew he had to be getting close, I called him to find out where he was. He was about 5 minutes out. The crew stayed until Dave got home. One of the police officers gave Travis, Bridget and Zach each a Teddy bear. The paramedics were trying to get Zach to walk to me but he was still a little out of it. Dave walked in and Zach said "daddy". The "crew" left and Dave gave Zach a blessing before we headed over to the ER.
While this was going on, before the paramedics arrived, Travis was freaking out. When I was walking around with Zach trying to get him to respond to me, Travis says I'm not going to have a brother anymore. I try and reassure him that Zach was going to be ok. Bridget on the other hand I don't think had a clue to what was going on.
So at the ER they take blood samples, urine sample and x-rays. Poor little guy was poked so many times that day. We wait for the results and he takes a little nap on daddy. It is about time to go, Zach wakes up and wants to walk around, we get the test results back, they are all normal. They tell us that febrile seizures are "normal" (they see about 1 a day) and that kids grow out of it. But it is probably linked to a virus.
We needed to go to a follow up visit Saturday morning at our pediatricians office. They didn't tell us anything we didn't already know from the ER visit. The nurse and Dr. looked him over again and said that he will grow out of it. Just watch his fevers carefully from now on and treat them when they start, so it won't happen again. He is doing great and back to his normal self!
Magic Jack sucks if you have are in an emergency situation or want to talk longer than 3 minutes (the phone cuts out). We now have a Comcast phone line and a new number so let us know if you need it. Our old number is forwarded so you will still be able to get a hold of us but still be sure to get our new one!
Dave's Side of the Story
It was Friday at about 1 ish... I was at work at my desk. My friend at work had just fixed my headphones for me, so I was on a little high at having saved some money. As I am chillin, listening to tunes at my desk, I hear my cell phone ring, see that it is Amber, and answer it in my usual tone of, "Hey!" What comes next made my stomach sink to the floor. Amber says (in a panic'd tone), "I can't call 911". My reply is, "What's wrong??? Why do you need to call 911?" To which she starts muttering barely coherint words, "Zach turned blue... limp... not responding..." To which, I asked if he was breathing. She couldn't really answer me, so I knew it was pretty serious.
I peeked in my boss' office and told him I had to go. He had heard part/ most of the conversation, so he said to go. I told Amber that I would call 911 right now, and hung up. I immediately called 911 and walked to my car. I had to be transferred to the right 911 dispatch office since I was calling from another city. When the lady got on the phone she asked what the emergency was, I said that my wife called me, that my son was blue, limp, and I wasn't sure if he was breathing. I apologized for having no useful information, and informed her that we had an internet home phone, and she was unable to dial 911 from it. She took my name, address, cell #, and then Amber's info as well.
She told me to stay calm, and to drive home slowly. She was going to call Amber. I hopped in the car, and started home. I did drive faster than normal, but remained calm and made sure I didn't drive reckless, or risky. My emotions almost got the better of me a few times as I was rushing home. I kept them in check though, saying that it would help no one. I still didn't know how serious it was... I thought that he wasn't breathing. I just felt so guilty that our home phone let Amber down when she needed to call 911. That was my fault for being so cheap. What if something had happened to Amber, and the kids needed to dial 911. I resolved to get a decent home phone as soon as this was resolved. I also was regretting that I was so rusty on my first aid skills, and that Amber might not have ever been trained in first aid. I realized that we should take a class, so that we are prepared.
I said a prayer, "Father, please, don't let me lose my son." I immediately felt comforted. I started preparing myself for the worst case scenario, reminding myself about eternal families. What wonderful sweet comfort the eternal perspective is. How extremely grateful for it I am. I got a call from Amber, and broke my no cell phone while driving rule. She said Zach needed to go to the ER, that we had the option of driving him, and asked how far out I was. I told her 7 min. We ended the call, and I was extremely grateful, because he must be stable if they are giving us the option of driving him in.
As I drove, everything fell into place to get me home quickly. I got off the freeway, and a car stalled right as I pulled up to allow me to turn immediately off of the off-ramp. I approached the next light to turn left and as soon as I came towards it the left arrow turned green. These things never happen, and I knew that a divine hand was working to help my little family. This brought great comfort.
There is such a sinking feeling when you see a Ambulance and Firetruck in front of your own house. Finding a parking spot near my house was difficult, I parked a house or two down, and sprinted to the door. I walked in to see a room full of muscle men standing around my beautiful wife holding my dear boy. His eyes were open, but he didn't seem home. I walked closer to him, and his eyes looked up at me, and in a pathetically excited voice he said, "Daddy!" I almost cried my heart out on the spot. I could feel/ hear a collective sigh from everyone in the room. I guessed that it was one of the first signs of communication from him, due to everyone's relief.
The Paramedic then proceeded to talk to me for 2 hours... no, really it was like 5 min. I kept having to try to focus on what he was saying. I just wanted to hold my son. So he told us he had had a febrile seizure, and that we had to take him to the ER. So we got ready to go.
I started to become aware that Bridget and Travis were around watching the whole thing. I decided to feel out how they were handling everything. I saw Bridget first and said hey. She came bouncing up and just wanted to show me the bear. Lol, she's so innocent. I knew that she had no clue what had happened, and was happy as could be. I turned to Travis, and he told me that if Zach dies then he'd be the only boy, and he'd have no one to play and do boy things with. My heart ached for him. I told him in a firm voice that he was not going to die. He asked, how do you know. I got the prompting to give Zach a blessing in response to Travis' question. I anointed him and then sealed it and blessed him with health, and that some things would happen, but everything would be fine, and he'd come out of it without any lingering effects. I then turned to Travis and told him, "That's how I know he'll be ok."
I called my brother to ask him if he could watch my kids, but then I remembered that his daughter had gone through a lot with her fever 6 months ago (had to relearn walking, talking, etc). It pained my heart so much to see her go through it, I would not endanger my niece. So I tried to fake the call off, that I had called to just tell them what was going on. I really doubt I fooled anyone...
I ripped the ward directory off the wall, took my cell and ran to Amberlee's school to take her out (15 min early) The first person that came to mind was a kind lady down the street. I called her, and she immediately accepted. I got Amberlee out of school, and Amber was waiting for us in the parking lot with the van. We dropped Amberlee off at home and I drove us to the ER. I always hate holding down my children as they are getting blood taken. It is grueling for a parent. I could tell that he wasn't with it still, because we easily held him down. 6 months ago when we took him to the ER, and they performed the same tests, they had to call in an extra nurse to hold him down (tough kid). I let Amber take him to x-ray (since I had already enjoyed that experience the last time) Right after they got back from x-ray, they put in a catheter, and took a urine sample. That part sucked...
I then held my little boy. I got out my iPhone and showed him pictures and videos of him and his bro & sisters playing. He really really enjoyed looking at them. I could tell he really wanted to be with them. He gently fell asleep on my soft stomach. When he awoke 30 min later, he was bright eyed and bushy tailed... wanting to get into everything, and run everywhere. The rest of the story you know...
The next day I immediately went to the Comcast office, and got a home phone. I hooked it up so that we will always be able to call for help when we need to.
I am so grateful to a loving Father in Heaven for looking out for my family. Everything happened at the ER, word for word what was told to Zach,in his priesthood blessing, would happen. Miracles never cease.
God is not dead, nor doth he sleep.
