Baby's First ER Trip
We just got back from the ER, about an hour ago. Davis had a febrile seizure. FUCKING SCARY. He was nursing, and I thought he had fallen asleep because his head kind of rolled back, but when I looked down at him I saw that his eyes were open and his face was rigidly locked into a grimace. I yelled his name and tried to get him to respond to me and he started gurgling and convulsing and his eyes rolled back. I ran to the kitchen with him and called 911. He kept drooling and gurgling up on my shoulder for about two minutes, and then he whimpered for a minute or so, and then he fell asleep. By then, the paramedics had arrived and let themselves in.
I have a new respect for emergency workers. I mean, I have always respected them in the general, "I'm glad somebody's doing that job" way. But they were so calming and warm, and so confident, they immediately put us all at ease. Especially Grace, which was really good because I had not explained anything to her and I was not being very calm. They told her that he would be fine and she could help if she wanted, by holding an oxygen mask close by his face.
He didn't perk up as quickly as they wanted him to, and he wasn't moving much, so we took him to the hospital in the ambulance. (Grace was pretty psyched about getting to ride in the jump seat.) He alternated between crying and being a limp noodle. They gave him some Tylenol and some Motrin to bring down his fever, which is what caused the seizure, and a stuffed duck to cheer him up. He decided he wanted to play with my cell phone instead.
Evidently fever seizures are pretty common and not cause for much concern, if they only happen once or twice. If they happen three or more times, it's strongly associated with epilepsy, but most kids who have a fever seizure only have one or two. Having had one means he's at risk for more, though, so we're supposed to treat his fevers aggressively from now on. But that's it; no lasting effects or brain damage or any of that stuff.
Even so, if you're the prayin' kind, please do add Davis to your queue.
I have a new respect for emergency workers. I mean, I have always respected them in the general, "I'm glad somebody's doing that job" way. But they were so calming and warm, and so confident, they immediately put us all at ease. Especially Grace, which was really good because I had not explained anything to her and I was not being very calm. They told her that he would be fine and she could help if she wanted, by holding an oxygen mask close by his face.
He didn't perk up as quickly as they wanted him to, and he wasn't moving much, so we took him to the hospital in the ambulance. (Grace was pretty psyched about getting to ride in the jump seat.) He alternated between crying and being a limp noodle. They gave him some Tylenol and some Motrin to bring down his fever, which is what caused the seizure, and a stuffed duck to cheer him up. He decided he wanted to play with my cell phone instead.
Evidently fever seizures are pretty common and not cause for much concern, if they only happen once or twice. If they happen three or more times, it's strongly associated with epilepsy, but most kids who have a fever seizure only have one or two. Having had one means he's at risk for more, though, so we're supposed to treat his fevers aggressively from now on. But that's it; no lasting effects or brain damage or any of that stuff.
Even so, if you're the prayin' kind, please do add Davis to your queue.