Panic and Guilt

OMG you guys--I had the absolute worst scare today!

I have mentioned that Gooser wasn't feeling well this week--he came down with something late Monday and had a slight fever and a little cough--he had also mentioned that his throat hurt in the middle of the night Monday, but after that it didn't seem to.

So I kept him home from school most of the week, but he really wanted to go yesterday because there was a field trip--so I let him go, but his teacher called halfway through the day to say he just wasn't "himself" and that I should come and get him.

I didn't send him to school today since it was the last day before Spring Break and I just wanted him to rest so he would be all better in time for our trip.

So after the older kids went off to school I took Gooser and Pickle to Target so we could pick up some little things for the airplane ride like snacks and toys. He seemed fine while we were there and rode in the cart the whole time.

When we got home, he was excited to open this new toy I had bought him so he was sitting at the kitchen table putting it together. Meanwhile I was fumbling around with my cell phone trying to retrieve a message (because my home phone has been broken and the phone company lied to me about when they would fix it...but that's another blog...).

So as I was looking down at the phone I heard a crash and for a second i thought the box with Gooser's toy in it had fallen, but then I realized that Gooser was face-down on the floor. Now, my kids are always like slipping and sliding out of the kitchen chairs--so it's not unusual for them to fall--but when I called his name, he didn't move.

I started screaming for him to get up as I was running toward him, but he was just laying there.

When I picked him up he seemed very limp, but he was conscious and stirring a little, but very groggy. I said "Did you fall out of the chair?" and he just kind of muttered "I don't feel well."

Then I realized that his face was as white as a sheet and lips as well as the skin surrounding his lips were blue.

I was so freaked out I barely knew what I was doing, but I managed to call 911.

As I waited for the ambulance to come, he seemed very out of it and I just kept talking to him.

The ambulance got there super fast-like probably two minutes--and suddenly my house was full of about seven or eight paramedics and firefighters. By the time they got here, Gooser had perked up more and, though he was still very pale, the blueness had gone away.

They examined him and thought he'd better go to the emergency room so Gooser, Pickle and I had to ride in the ambulance. Pickle freaked out a little because I had to strap her into a little seat and, of course, Gooser was terrified, but being very brave. The paramedics offered them these nice stuffed animals, but they were so scared they didn't want them. At some point I called Don and briefly let him know what was happening and he immediately left work to head for the hospital.

When we got there, Gooser was thoroughly examined, had his blood drawn, throat swabbed and an EKG done. Turns out he has strep throat--that's the part I feel really guilty about. I feel awful because I just thought he had a cold and since he only said his throat hurt that one time in the middle of the night, it didn't even occur to me that he might have strep.

So on top of that, he had a little fever which made me feel extra guilty because I hadn't given him any Tylenol this morning. The doctors were thinking that maybe he was a little dehydrated and that was what caused the passing out episode. This surprised me because I had given him a huge cup of apple juice at breakfast--but they seemed pretty confident that this was the cause, so they let him go home with a prescription for antibiotics and an order to follow up with the pediatrician tomorrow.

At one point, the super sweet paramedic came into the room and brought the stuffed animals--this time, both kids wanted them. I was so grateful for that paramedic because the distraction of the toys was a very good thing! Gooser named his bear "Ambulance Bear."

When we got home, I realized that he hadn't touched the apple juice I had given him that morning, so I'm thinking (and hoping) that they are right and the dehydration was the cause.

Since we've been home I've really been pushing the fluids and the Popsicles. The weird thing is that he's not thirsty at all so I really have to beg him to drink--but I think he got enough in.

So in the morning I'll take him back to the doctor to recheck him--and in the mean time, I sit here riddled with guilt and with a good ten years taken off my life from the panic!