...just breathe...
Greg very well may give me a heart attack before I reach 25 in June! Last Thursday, I was feeding Maria on the couch, and Greg was running around playing...just being his usual crazy self! As I was burping Maria I heard it get quiet behind me! "Oh, Greg," I called out...no response...hmmm?? What has he gotten himself into this time. I looked behind the couch and I saw him on his side, moving his arms as if he were clapping! He was not responding to me calling his name. Unusual? Yes! I laid Maria on the couch and ran behind the couch to Greg...and there was my precious baby, my life, my world in the middle of a seizure. My heart raced and the next two minutes of our lives flew by...
I grabbed him in my arms, keeping him on his side...and SCREAMED for my husband. He was down in seconds, swept Greg out of my arms, unlocked the front door, and ran across the street to our neighbors. Our neighbor is a nurse at a pediatrics office...and she was not home. As Greg ran across the street I called 911. Seriously, I was shaking so much that I had a hard time focusing on where the keypad was on my phone. I sat with my phone while the automated message came on telling me to stay on the line as all operators were busy! Seriously? 911 was too busy...lovely. At this point I looked up and saw my husband holding my baby who was completely limp in his arms screaming for help. He was screaming Greg's name over and over again. This terrible image of my husband helplessly holding Greg's lifeless body and screaming will never leave my mind...ever. He looked up at me and screamed, "he's blue...he's not breathing." He ran him back to me and laid him in front of me. I don't remember him being blue...I just remember thinking this can't be it. There is so much more to show you, to teach you, to love you. And then I began CPR. Two rescue breaths, two chest compressions, and another breath...and I heard him. GLORIOUS...the sound of snot in his nose. Another breath and his eyes opened...those beautiful brown eyes! He was out of it...so listless...he was with me...but he was not my bouncy baby boy. His breathing would shallow and I would breathe for him, and he would be back. In the meantime two neighbors had gathered and were also on the phone with 911 operators. (The above paragraph seriously was under one minute in real time.)
About two minutes before help arrived, Greg was responding to his name and was responsive to the fact that strangers were gathered around him. An ambulance, two firetrucks, and two police cars arrived and when I looked up a swarm of men in blue were rushing my front door. Greg was responding just as he should...but off we went in the ambulance to get checked out. He had a fever of almost 103. Lovely. Our ride in the ambulance was not so fun. Greg was not okay with people checking him out, hooking him up to machines, and giving him meds.
Upon arriving at the ER, we were put in a room and ran through the usual...vitals, medical history, what happened, etc. Bottom line after seeing the doctor: Greg had a febrile seizure. His fever came on so quickly and elevated so high so fast that his body seized. The whole not breathing thing apparently may happen with these seizures as well. They informed me that because he was not showing a number of certain symptoms, Greg most likely had one of the springtime viruses going around and we would see these symptoms play out over the next few days. And that it did. He had a stuffy nose and a fever for two days. Praise God it was nothing more serious than this!
Going home that night was a night of mixed emotions. The last several hours kept playing through my head and I could not help but to keep thinking how close I was to losing my little man over something as simple as a fever induced seizure. I was scared and as my adrenaline came down I was a mess of emotions. Even now, almost a week later, I replay all of this over and over in my mind. I cannot imagine my life without him, and the brief seconds when he was not breathing and I thought I was losing him were the scariest moments to date in my life.
Friday was a rough day as his fever spiked to 105, and never came down below 100. To my surprise he was his usual playful self with periods of rest in between his playing. On Saturday he woke up with a fever of 101, and came down about an hour after his meds were in him, and he has been fever free since. The doctor said he may have another one of these febrile seizures, and he may not.
And today...he has been. My little boy is his normal crazy self. He's getting into things, testing his boundaries, running around, taking time to love me, and being the sweet boy he has always been! We are blessed! It amazed me how fast the prayers came from friends and family all over the country! I am thankful for each one of your prayers, your thoughts, your texts, and your calls! We love you all so very much and are beyond blessed to have each of you in our lives!
