I swear every time we make plans, the kids get sick. For some reason Buffalo has been amazing with weather lately. Enjoying sunny 70+ degree weeks in September is pretty unusual but awesome. We had plans to go on a long motorcycle drive to Ellicottville to see the leaves changing and have lunch at the Gin Mill. Steve and I both had to work Friday and papa had the boys. Reid and Pierce woke up with boogery noses on Tuesday. I figured it was just a cold that Brady probably brought home from school. I was also hoping it didn't turn into an ear infection and by Friday he still seemed ok. Papa had text me at work to see if he could give Reid motrin because he seemed fussy and had a temp of 100.8. I was in the process of texting him back when Steve called me in a panic and said Reid had a seizure. Oh. Ma. Gah.
I freaked out to say the least. Ran to my car. Couldn't talk to Steve because he took the motorcycle that day and was speeding home. I got papa on the phone and 2 police officers were at the house and Reid was still seizing. The paramedics got there, started an IV and gave him versed. It didn't work and then gave him another push. Steve got home just in time and hopped in the ambulance. He said it was awful, they made him sit in the front and the entire ride was silent. He was expecting crying and the silence was unbearable. He knew Reid was unresponsive.
In 6 years since we became parents we have never went to Children's Hospital of Buffalo. With all the stress I couldn't even think of how to get there!! The 5 minute wait I had till the ambulance arrived was excruciating. I was trying to imagine my baby in a big hospital cart, trying to prepare myself. Well, there was no preparing me for that. Not that it mattered I started crying at work. My baby was all rigid, stiff arms and legs and his head was turned awkwardly to the side. He had a mask on for oxygen and was still unresponsive. They took his temp and it was 101.8. I know that's not that high so I was terrified this was going to turn out the start of a seizure disorder. I figured the temp would have to really high to cause a seizure. My baby's little heartrate was above 200. They were poking him with needles and he wasn't crying. I knew how sick he was. Thy gave him 2 doses of Ativan and still could not stop him. The Drs. and nurses hung an anti-seizure and ordered more tests. Chest x-rays, CT scans and a lumbar puncture. They asked us to leave for the LP and I waited and prayed to hear him cry. Still nothing. Having a giant needle stuck in his spine and he didn't make a peep? When they took him up to CT scan for those 7 minutes he came out of his seizure. Finally, he was making noises and his arms and legs weren't stiff. Relief!!! Reid slept for while, probably from the meds and seizure itself. He snored and snored away and we spoke with the neurologist. We needed to find out if it was a febrile seizure (fever) or if we should expect a disorder or problem with his brain. An EEG was ordered and this was the final test that would tell us why this all happened and what we should expect in the future.
And it was normal!!! Praise God. Reid was being admitted to the hospital because of the length and severity of his seizure and just to be monitored. The nurse put us in a suite that had a bed for us to sleep in. Papa stayed with the kids back home. When Reid did wake up he was stupurous. Couldn't walk and was extremely irritable. He didn't want to revert back to crawling either which was fine because the germs were everywhere! This is when things got ugly. He was sick of being held but couldn't get down. He hated the crib and with the metal sides I was worried he would fall and hit his head. Right around this time I got one heck of a migraine. Probably from all the crying I did but I lost it when I saw my strong husband cry. I was puking in the toilet when Steve got back from a trip home to get the necessities for spending the night and Reid was screaming. It was a hot mess! Finally we all fell sound asleep at 8pm. Only to wake up at 11pm super hungry because we never ate. We snuck out and took a trip down to Tim Horton's for a bagel. I got up all night long to check on Reid and because my 220 lb. husband in a twin bed - yeah not so much room. I was happy to see the sun come up. We got discharged at 10:30am and literally ran out of the hospital with Reid in my arms. I left a bumgenius cloth diaper somewhere in the room but I didn't care at that point. We just wanted to get him home. He had to spend the day in the playpen because he was just too unsteady the entire day. Sunday he got a lot better but still had droopy eyes. Monday he was almost there!! and by Tuesday totally back to normal.
Reid is at risk for having another febrile seizure because of the first one. So we need to monitor him very close when he gets sick or has shots, and medicate with motrin proactively. And we have a rescue med in case he has another one. Hoping that never gets used!! I realized how many people care about our little guy with all the texts we received. I work with so many sweet and caring people who just so happen to fabulous nurses as well.
Of course I took ZERO pictures of this entire ordeal because it was the worst day of my life. I will put that tiny hospital bracelet in the baby book. While I will never forget what Reid looked like seizing on that huge hospital cart I was so glad Steve never left our sides. And I remember how comfortable sleeping "in my spot" on his chest amid all that scariness. We held hands throughout and it has strengthened out marriage. So I guess I can be glad for that.
