Not such a good day

Today was a day I never expected would happen. The kids have been sick on and off since Christmas (we all have as you know). Well yesterday evening Siena started acting fussy around 6pm. I noticed that a dot I saw on her thigh that morning had a matching friend on her other leg. By 9pm Siena's temp was at 102.4 which isn't too high in my opinion. I gave her ibuprofen and she went to sleep. Around 3am she woke up and got in bed with us which is totally normal for her. The fever had broke and she was pretty cool, like below normal temps. That morning she continued to be pretty cold and her lips even had a slight blue tint to them. I had to work so this day was a day for Grandpa Glenn and Grandma Carole to babysit. Carole came over to take Cole to school and I went to work. Around 11am I got a phone call from Carole that there was an emergency at the house. She was calling because the storm, which had 50+ mile an hour winds had uprooted one of the biggest trees on the property right next to both of our homes. Luckily it fell the only direction possible to avoid hitting either home. Carole called me at work to let me know what had happened and that the fire department was on there way because the tree had hit the power lines taking out part of the pole and the power, telephone, tv, and Internet and of course no power means no running water since we are all on wells.

While we were on the phone Carole had started to tell me that Siena's fever had come back and that she was napping with grandpa. All of a sudden I could hear Glenn yelling for Carole and before I knew what was going on Carole was telling me Siena was having a seizure. I yelled call 911 and hung up the phone. I ran in the back to the exam room and told them Siena was having a seizure and I was leaving. I raced home as safely as I could in the horrible weather and I called mike from the car. When he finally answered a phone ( I have 3 options and he was close to getting loud speaker emergency call) he could barely understand what I was saying. He heard Siena, seizure, tree fell, come home. I found out later he though Siena had been electrocuted. Oops! I got home in about 8 minutes. There were 2 firetrucks and about 6-8 firemen. There were 4 inside with Siena who was in grandpa's lap. She was still very out of it. Apparently the seizure lasted about 2 minutes or more. They advised us to take her to the ER. Right about that time the ambulance showed up. I refused the ambulance because there is no way I am paying over $1000 for a 10 minute car ride for a stable child. They had me sign a wavier of treatment form and we were on our way.

We got to the ER and as soon as they heard seizure they had us right in to the nurses station for her initial exam.  The nurse used the forehead thermometer and her temp registered at 101.3.  About 5 minutes later in the main exam room they did a rectal temp and she was at 104.3.  That's a pretty big difference between two forms of temperature taking.

To rule out a bladder infection they wanted a urine sample and unfortunately Siena was unwilling to cooperate by peeing in a cup so she had to be cathiterized.  She was described by the nurses as being one of the strongest kids they have ever had to restrain.  We also had to take her in for an xray of her chest to make sure she did not have pneumonia.  She was a total champ for the x-rays.  They had me gown up to put her in position for the two x-rays.  Her chest was clear as well.

We were told that from now on any time she gets a fever she must be given ibuprofen BUT the seizure can occur before the fever, as it is a sign that a fever is coming on.  Febrile seizures are common in toddlers from 1-6 years of age and can happen at any time.  Wonderful.  So now we get to freak out every time she has a fever.

After about 4 hours at the ER we were starving!  My parents had met us at the hospital  and Carole picked Cole up from school.  My parents headed to our place and we headed to In and Out for lunch since we were starving!  By the time we got home it had started snowing.  Fun!  Snow and no power, water, or toilet.

I will be taking Siena to her Dr. tomorrow for a re check.