My Scariest Moment As A Mother

Around 2 o’clock this afternoon, Robby and Christopher were supposed to be cleaning their toys of the floor in their room.  I was in my room, trying to find skirt patterns for the girls.  I heard a loud “THUD” and then Christopher starts crying- kind of a funny cry.  I hurried into their room to see what was going on.  I found Christopher on his bed, curled up with his face pressed into his pillow.  As I walked to him, he rolled off the bed, legs straight and stiff, arms bent and stiff.  Face BLUE!  He wasn’t breathing, yet his body was trying to.  His eyes wide open, unseeing.  He was having a seizure.  I was so scared!

Robby had pulled Christopher off the bottom bunk.  I guess Christopher twisted and landed on the top of his head.  The trauma caused him to seize.  He started breathing about 30 seconds later, and I checked him over, trying to remember any training I had had in the medical profession.  I checked his eyes.  They looked glassy, but pupils normal.  He was crying hard and almost vomiting.  He started to get up- I should have immobilized his head/neck.  I didn’t.  He was talking and crying and pretty agitated.  I got him his favorite blanket, which helped him calm down, then I put him on my bed.  He was doing better, more calm, yet his head, neck and back hurt.  I called Ivon, and we decided it would be best to get him checked out by a doctor.  I took him to Instacare, where Ivon met me.  I was amazed at how fast they took him in.  They immobilized Christopher’s head and neck.  They wanted him to have a CT scan to check for bleeding on the brain, because it’s unusual to have a seizure when just falling off the bed.  So, we had to go to the hospital.

At the hospital, they got him in fast, as well.  I talked with the doctor, and they sent us in to imaging.  Christopher got so scared of the CT scanner.  He was so afraid of falling off the table.  (He had just fallen off a bed).  We prodded, we bribed, we tried everything.  Finally, we took him back to the ER room, where we discussed sedation.  I said do it.  We asked Christopher if he would rather have a shot or go get the pictures taken like a brave boy.  He said, “I want a shot!”  He was so excited!  He sat there so still, not even crying, even though they had a hard time getting the vein!  When they finally got it, he smiled and said, “I like shots!”  Everyone was amazed!  The meds started quickly and they whisked him off to imaging again.  He was smiling the whole way!  They scooted him onto the table, and he just smiled!  The nurse, (who I guess is his girlfriend now :o) ), stayed with him during the scan, and he’d just smile at her and hold her hand.  When they were done, we scooted him back onto the bed, and he just smiled a drugged smile and said with a slur, “I like that picture thing!”  CT scan came out clean, both in his head and his neck.  No bleeding and no fractures.  It did show swelling and his neck is strained.

So, he has a concussion, and the head trauma caused him to have a seizure.  I am having a hard time getting the image of him being blue out of my mind.  I was SO scared!  What a terrible moment… one I hope to NEVER have to go through again.

Thankfully, he is doing better.  He’s running around, which may be the biggest problem.  We are supposed to keep him down for 24 hours.  Hmm.

Although, one thing’s for certain.  Robby and Christopher are now even.  Christopher broke Robby’s arm two or three years ago by tripping him with a mop.  And, Robby just gave Christopher a concussion.  *SIGH*

Dad

Dad should be able to come home on Tuesday.  Hopefully they keep with this day!  He’s doing well, although he’s tired and Mom says he’s lost quite a bit of weight.  Most likely water weight, considering he was really swollen when he went into the hospital.  He’s still receiving radiation treatments.  One a day.  Dad says that the machine they use to give it to him is amazing!  Maybe I’ll be able to tell you more in detail someday…  It’s so neat how far modern medicine has come!

Update on Dad

Dad was moved out of the ICU today!  YAY!  He will be able to come home on Sunday.  He also started radiation treatments today.  He will have two today, two tomorrow and one on Sunday.  He got so sick from it.  He said it felt like his insides were burning.

I am having a hard time with my emotions today.  I wish I could be there to hold his hand and help him through this.  I need to be there.  I need to be able to help him.  It’s so hard being 200 miles away…

Please keep him in your prayers.