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Monday, October 27, 2008

Dinner Interupted

It started out as a normal enough Friday last winter. My husband was deployed to Guam, but it had already been 4 months since he had left, so I was pretty settled into a routine. The kids had colds but nothing too serious. KiKi had been running a low grade fever on and off, nothing big. I could handle this. Around 4pm I decided to head to the commissary because I was not liking the looks of anything in my fridge for dinner. You know what I am talking about. You go to the fridge, take a look, shut the fridge and come back 3 min later hoping something else magically appears. Well nothing had magically appeared so I got my kids ready to go out. Coats, shoes, hats. I had them bundled up good because it was freezing outside.

At the commissary I did my shopping. KiKi was whining a bit because she didn't want to be in the cart and she was starting to sweat. I took off her hat and she felt a little warm. I figured her fever was coming back and we would get a dose of Tylenol when we got back to the house. Nothing big I could handle it. I got to the register and started unloading my items onto the cashiers conveyor belt. I took a look at the kids and noticed KiKi was just not right.

She started slumping into the blue seat of the car cart. Then her eyes started rolling into her head. By the time I pulled her out of the cart she was completely limp and not breathing. I started to scream for someone to call 911. The cashier helped me lower her little lifeless body onto the conveyor belt. I was a mess. I was crying and praying for my angel to be alright. Her little lips were starting to turn blue. Out of nowhere a man appeared. He must have come from another checkout line. He announced that he was an eye doctor over at the medical group and he started checking her vitals. He told me to try to calm down and that she still had circulation going to her fingers. The manager of the commisary came and said the ambulance was on its way. About this time KiKi started coming around. She had this completely dazed look on her face and was scared. She was crying. I was also crying. I then heard the sirens of the ambulance and the doctor and I hurried her outside. He gave the paramedics her vitals and I gave them her personal information. Within minutes they were on their way to the hospital and I was following behind with LaLa in our personal vehicle.

I made a call to The Man on the way to the hospital. It was early Saturday morning and he was on a WW2 sightseeing trip with a few of his buddies. He immediately got a friend to take him back to his dorm so that he could be on alert if anything else happened. He couldn't do much from Guam but he wanted to be available in case anything changed. Once he hung up with me, he called his first sgt and some of his shop friends who were still state side. One of our friends met me at the hospital and took LaLa for me so she wouldn't have to sit in the hospital. The First Sgt. also showed up ready to help any way he could. Another friend showed up to keep me company while we waited for test results on KiKi.

KiKi was fine once her fever came down. She had a febrile seizure. Her fever had spiked so quickly that her little body couldn't handle it. I felt like a horrible mother because I had taken her out shopping when she was sick. Then I realized, if I had stayed home, I wouldn't have had a doctor or any of the others to help me. I would have been alone. The commisarry had actually been the perfect place for this to have happened at. I was never alone throughout the entire crisis. I may not have had my family present, but I had my Air Force Family. They circled the wagons in my families time of need. It is what they do.

Last week I ran into the manager of the commissary and he recognized me. He asked how KiKi was doing and what exactly had happened. I explained it all. The bagger who was helping him with my groceries also remembered the incident. When she was helping me out to the car she told me that out of the three years she had worked at the commissary, that was her most memorable moment. It was my most memorable moment at the commisary as well. Go figure.

22 comments:

Cape Cod Gal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cape Cod Gal said...

Sorry, had to remove the first comment. I had a spelling blip.

I got goosebumps reading that! Glad things are ok now!!

Unknown said...

Yeah, the febrile seizure. My son had one of those once. They freak you the hell out. I remember the doc at the ER saying, "yeah, they usually start breathing on their own again." Usually? Whew.

Now the poor kid gets a hint of a fever and we still can't get him to take the Tylenol fast enough.

Captain Dumbass said...

I'm so glad I haven't had to go through that, we've been pretty lucky with ours. It's good that you have that kind of network to back you up in a crisis.

Hey, you just commented on my blog as I was writing this.

Sprite's Keeper said...

Oh, Kat, what a nightmare to have to experience that! Knowing Kiki was okay made it a little easier to swallow, but not much. I can feel my own panic rising just imagining the panic you went through. SO glad she's ok.

Cameron said...

Very scary, indeed. I've never had to go through something like that, but you're right, thank goodness there were people around to help you in your time of need.

Lola said...

Yikes! I had it happen with my son once, so I know exactly how you felt. I was beating myself up in the hospital for not giving him the Tylenol, but the doctor told me that when kids get really sick that it happens really fast and that the good news is that he would recover just as quickly.

Now, I'm quick-draw McGraw with the Tylenol. Glad you had your military family to help you!

Anonymous said...

My brother had a febrile seizure when he was 4 and I still remember it. It's scary as heck, and thankfully it's never happened with any of my kids. I would be a mess, too, and I'm NOT good in a crisis!
I'm so glad to hear she was okay!

zipbagofbones said...

Oh my god how scary! Talk about right place, right time

Kat said...

CCG- I re-read it and started feeling panicky.

heinous- He actually said that? Geez great bedside manner there Mr.Dr

CDA- That is cause we are psychic like that.

Sprite's Keeper- As good as ever. Right now she is upstairs antagonizing her sister.

Cameron- I was so glad that I had people I could lean on.

Lola- I am now one of those people who if my kid is starting to even act sick I give them a dose of Tylenol...just in case.

Sammanthia- I wish I had stayed more calm for the sake of LaLa. She was a little freaked by the whole thing.

Cat- Most definitely. Good thing Mr.Optometrist was there. He might not have been a family doctor, but at least he had medical training.

Momo Fali said...

I bet it was memorable! I am so glad she was okay.

I did a tongue-in-cheek post on febrile seizures last year. You may be far enough away from the incident to have a laugh. Or, you might just think me an insensitive moron!

http://momo-fali.blogspot.com/2008/01/ho-hum-its-only-seizure.html

steenky bee said...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I've never seen one of these, but I'm terrified of them. OMG! How scary. So glad Kiki is okay. Sounds like you held it together well. OMG! Hope the little bug is okay!

for a different kind of girl said...

How incredibly scary, but OMG, talk about being in the right place at the right time if you have to go through something like that! You two were definitely being looked out for that day! Glad your KiKi is OK!

Jen said...

wow, I am kinda speechless. You must have known on some level that you needed to go out. See there is something to be sad for having an empty fridge, it can be life saving.

Heather said...

Oh you poor girl! At least it turned out ok!

Kat said...

Momo- Those books made me neurotic. Very funny post.

Jen- I wish I was kidding you. The thought of another one happening still freaks me out. She is technically more prone to have one again since she has had one.

Jen- God works in mysterious ways.

Heather- Most definitely!

Kat said...

FADKOG- WTH how did I miss responding to you? I definitely was in the right place. I can't even imagine what I would have done if I had been home alone!

Jamie said...

Oh my - I am sorry that you had that experience. Glad she is feeling better.

Rhea said...

Wow, that's so scary. I'm so glad you were with people who could help you. It's more scary when you're alone.

I'm glad she's ok. Don't feel bad you had her out with you.

Whew.

cat said...

Wow, scary scary stuff! It is a woman's most vulnerable area - her children. We share something in the blogging world!

Jenni said...

My little man spiked a high fever with his MMR shot a few weeks ago, and I was terrified he'd have a febrile seizure. I know they are not entirely uncommon in little ones, but YIKES! Scary stuff.

Glad you're all okay.

Mama Dawg said...

Man, I'm glad to hear that she's fine. That was SCARY to read about.