Super Seizure...said sarcastically

The joys of motherhood, I have a feeling there will be hundreds of these moments if not thousands and I am not looking forward to it.

The last few days Miss. Charlie has been teething. She has been grumpy and extra sassy, but for the most part her same old sweet self. She's had a fever, and I have been giving her Tylenol. Cut to Friday...

I give her some Tylenol before her nap, after said nap we go to they gym. I know she is probably uncomfortable, but she has a good time playing with the kids so I was hoping that the gym would be a distraction.

I'm on the treadmill when a girl from downstairs comes up and says she has a fever and wanted to let me know. I hop off, the still small voice says, "just take a quick shower" and I go pick her up. On my way down the stairs the gal in charge is walking up and says I should get some Motrin and Tylenol and alternate them every 3 hours. Her telling me this after I told her that I gave her Tylenol and it wasn't time for the next dose yet. Brilliant I say, off to the Fred Meyer.

I had about 45 minutes to kill at the store before I needed to pick Jim up from work. Charlie likes the store as there are always balloons to be found. I did notice she wasn't as enthused as regular. Poor thing.

Anyway...Motrin Motrion. They didn't have it...blerg! I wander the baby aisle, and the medicine aisle and nothing. Crap, it would be at least another 30 minutes before we got home to get her another dose. In my head I'm thinking, it will just be 30 minutes I can handle a rough car ride with her. I had NO idea the ulterior could happen, this was not mentioned in having a baby 101.

I got some cat food and frozen peas and head to the checkout. All of a sudden her little fists clench up and her head goes back. It all happened in slow motion, it was just a subtle movement. But before I knew it her head was all the way back looking toward the ceiling. Her eyes were completely glazed over and then she started to shake. I was in an aisle walking toward the registers...I push the cart faster, then the nightmare. Her lips turn blue! I pull her out of the seat and start to yell..."HELP, I NEED A DOCTOR...OH, PLEASE HELP!!!!! I THINK MY BABY'S HAVING A SEIZURE!!!!!" A poor kid comes over with a phone and kind of fumbles with it like, "who am I supposed to call" He worked there and seriously just stared at the phone..."CALL 911!" I totally yelled at him in my angry Mom voice, and feel bad in hindsight.

All of a sudden Charlie is taken from me, and we all crouch low to the floor. A man is talking to her and another guy shows up and then a woman says, "I'm a nurse." We all get excited that a nurse is there but she quickly plays it down like she doesn't know if she can help. I grab my frozen peas to help cool her down and an ice pack arrives. The man holding her says, "she just took a deep breath." The color in her lips came back and she started playing with the guys beard. She looked around very confused and then saw me and smiled a bit. So her recognition was there. The guy ended up being an EMT and had 9 kids, there was also a paramedic and the nurse. If ever there was a time for this to happen it was then. A few minutes later the EMT would have been through the checkout. We call the ambulance off, they all suggested that it would be better for me to take her than the ambulance, she would be calmer.

The scary part is over and I begin to sob, the lovely lady from the store hugs it out with me and said I did a great job. Sweet of her to say, I just experienced the nightmare of my life. All alone screaming for help in a grocery store when my baby is turning blue. It would have been even worse had I been on my own or even driving. I remember distinctly when the gal came up to get me that I said, "I'll just take a quick shower" Even during my shower I was like, my kid is sick and you are going to take a shower first? But I did it anyway. I am terrified where I would have been had I not taken that shower first. I thank Heavenly Father everyday for that still small voice and my knowledge of the Gospel.

The lady helping me, CARA I think is her name runs me through the checkout quickly and helps me into the car. I should really rethink the guys who say, "do you want help out to your car?" It was awesome, I put the kid in and she loaded my car and took the cart. It was awesome!

Okay, it is now 30 minutes before I'm supposed to pick up Jim so I try to call him on his cell to hurry and clock out...no answer. I try to call the store, but it's this long drawn out, "press one if you know your parties extension" crap. OY! So I drive up to the lumber doors and wouldn't you know it, he is pushing a cart of drywall out for a customer. He can see the panic on my face as I am still sobbing, I tell him that Charlie's okay but we had an "incident" at the store. He tells the cashier there's an emergency and jumps in the car.

We go to the Urgent Care, who tells us to take her to the Emergency Room. Charlie is none to happy with the getting in and out of the car-seat bit, but everything is really close together so the drive isn't very long.

We didn't have to wait too long at the hospital, they take her litlle temperature and she's at 104.9!!!! What?! That is crazy! Relieved that we are there and she is getting taken care of is a huge sigh of relief. The Doctor comes in and is trying to figure out what is causing the temperature. I thought it was teething? Apparently, teething only causes a mild temperature this was something else. He can't find anything wrong, no ear infection...nothing. He concludes that it's just a virus and that there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. Here is where I get confused...he said that it would have happened either way. The seizures happen when there is a quick spike, up or down in temperature and the body doesn't know how to handle it so they have a seizure. He said that there is no brain damage and that, not to worry she will still go to Harvard. Jim and I laugh and say in unison, "I hope not." It was so funny, but the doctor didn't laugh. I guess he didn't get our joke. Anyway, so I'm thinking had I given her Motrin because of the virus her temp would have still spiked and the seizure would have happened but because of the Mortin her temp might have not been as high? I dunno, we were given a lot of paperwork to read so I'll get right on it.

It is way past her bedtime now and she is so out of it.

An hour goes by and she perks up and is a completely different kid, pretty much back to her old happy self. Here she is playing with a cup of ice.

Another hour goes by and she is walking around the room trying desperately to open cupboards. Ah, peek a boo...a classic.

For all of those like me who is unaware that this can happen, I've decided to add a bit of info from the hospital. It is possible for this to happen again. But there is also nothing to panic about, I will be much calmer next time...hoping there isn't a next time.

MYTH: Fevers cause brain damage or fevers over 104 are dangerous.

FACT: Fevers with infections don't cause brain damage. Only body temperatures over 108 can cause brain damage. The body temperature goes this high only with environmental temperatures (for example, if a child is confined in a closed car in hot weather).

MYTH: Febrile seizures are harmful.

FACT: Febrile seizures are scary to watch, but they usually stop within 5 minutes. They cause no permanent harm. Children who have had febrile seizures do not have a greater risk for developmental delays, learning disabilities, or seizures without fever.

MYTH: Without treatment, fevers will keep going higher.

FACT: Wrong. Because of the brain's thermostat, fevers from infection top out at 105 or 106 or lower.

MYTH: Feed a cold, starve a fever.

FACT: This old saying should be ignored. Fevers cause the body to lose fluids through sweating and breathing. Children with fevers need lots of fluids. Children with a fever may or may not be hungry for food. If they are hungry, offer the food that they choose. It is helpful to do so.

All is well, we are all doing great. I was even able to write this without crying...now if only I can say it out loud to another person and not cry I will be good. Give me a few more days.