Palm Sunday started off well, but ended with anxiety and uncertainty. We attended church, Heather went to work, and the kids and I spent part of the afternoon doing yard work under the shade of the oak tree in the front yard. Norah asked to watch Scooby Doo and relaxed on the couch until she fell asleep. Justin and I soldiered on through several more tasks periodically checking on Norah before returning outside.
Norah uncharacteristically asked to cuddle on the couch, and I obliged. She continued to be lethargic and felt warm so I took her temperature which registered 102.6 F. I intended to complete several additional projects around the house, but canceled everything opting only to water a handful of potted plants I knew wouldn't survive without it. Justin followed me outside and begged me to push him on the swing. I wanted to give Norah Tylenol, so I said no- Thank God.
Plant watering and wrangling Justin into the house only took between 2-5 minutes, but when we entered the house Norah was laying on the couch in a very unnatural upright seated position with her head slumped onto the seat cushion. She didn't respond to her name, even when I yelled it. I ran over to her and lifted her head, repeatedly saying her name. To my horror clear liquid ran from her mouth and her eyes were rolled back in her head, her hair was wet with sweat and she shook uncontrollably.
I clutched Norah to my chest and called Heather's store, but the phone was characteristically temperamental and refused to dial out and our land line has been disconnected for years. Justin's vocabulary may have expanded at this time. Heather had the car at work and I had to do something immediately. I ran to our neighbor's house holding Norah in one arm with Justin clinging to my other hand and asked to use their phone.
Our neighbors are great people and run a daycare out of their home. We don't know them that well, but a decision was made to leave Justin with Gwen while Hector drove us quickly but carefully to the hospital a couple miles away as I tried to call Heather on Hector's phone and alternated between talking to Norah to calm he,r and myself and praying that everything would be okay.
At the hospital I sprinted down the corridor in really dirty flip-flops and lawn mowing attire, tightly holding Norah and blurted out "My baby's having a seizure" which had the effect of kicking over a fire ant hill. We were quickly and silently engulfed by staff from everywhere. A nurse took Norah from me, despite her attempts to cling while another lady asked Norah's name and pediatrician's name. She wanted to ask more questions, but knew by my body language that separation from Norah was unbearable and directed me back to her bed where she was still jerking violently.
I gave a fast and thorough rundown of the day's events including times and temperatures to the nurse, then repeated it at the request of several other staff. The rest of the day is a blur, but Heather arrived shortly thereafter and joined me in trying to get out of everyone's way as they carried out all manner of procedures.
Norah didn't come out of her seizure like they wanted and her temperature climbed slightly to 103, so they asked us leave the room as they sedated and intubated her. A lady from admissions asked us questions, told us they were probably transferring her to a children's hospital, then left us alone in a waiting room for an eternity. We kept our cool, but inside we were climbing the walls. Throughout the ordeal we were drawn to pray without ceasing.
The ambulance team from Children's arrived and started debriefing the staff and showed noticeable disapproval with several decisions and procedures. We felt the attitude was unnecessary at the time and feel more strongly about it after the fact. The ER staff did what they knew to do. They stabilized the patient and passed her to the right specialists. Heather and I made an action plan that I would retrieve Justin and place him with uncle Patrick at our house, thinking he would be more comfortable with close family in his own house. I would then retrieve a change of clothes for each of us, along with a few other items, and race to the children's hospital.
The staff told us they would transport Norah within the next 10 minutes, so I left for home with my brain in overdrive, and continued praying without ceasing.
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