This week started with pleasant journey to grotto. We along with MIL visited Portland’s grotto. It was serene and pleasant place to visit though it was a cold day. I had taken winter jacket for NR but the hood of the jacket didn’t fit well and his ears were exposed to the cold air.
The elevator to reach top of hill was broken so we were asked to take shuttle. We anticipated the regular shuttle like mini van or bus and to our surprise we found out that shuttle was old 1980's car driven by aging monk in his late 80's. We asked him if we needed the car seat and he so casually said no it’s just nearby. Since this was our first visit we thought we are going to take some internal road within the sanctuary. No we were wrong. He drove us thru the regular Portland road to reach the top of the hill. Though the drive took just 10 minutes, I was completely uneasy knowing that NR is travelling on my lap than on his car seat. I am sure the old priest belongs to an era where babies travelled without car seat but as a parent I should have taken shrewd decision. Faith in god took over my rational thinking .
The upper level of the grotto had old building which housed all the 17 monks. It had beautiful and serene garden. They had a lovely viewing area. All of us enjoyed the quiet time over there including NR. Another old priest dropped us down in his new Honda minivan. We had our coffee and snacks in the gift shop and headed home.
Visit to ER
Monday NR slept little more than he used to it and the same trend followed on Tuesday. He had a runny nose which was normal since the climate changed so drastically that weekend from hot weather to cold weather. He puked a bit and thought it was due the cold and phlegm.
Tuesday evening CB and MIL took NR to the nearby play place while I took much needed break to my fave jaunt our library. When I came back, CB reported that NR threw up bit more than usual. I could just sense that NR was not feeling well though the temp was normal. That night NR slept with me in the bed so I can watch him carefully. Around 2.00am his temps shoot up and I gave Tylenol immediately. Temperature went down bit for couple of hours. When he woke up he had temp and I gave Tylenol as per the instruction given in the package. We called his pediatrician and got an earliest appt around 10.45 am. When the doc examined him he had temp around 102 but he was quite alert and normal. The doc suggested it might be viral infection and sent us home. I came home and gave Tylenol once but his temp came down and shot up again. He was also not taking his regular quota of food or milk. I researched the web and found combination of ibuprofen and Tylenol might bring the fever down. CB took off that day and stayed with us. Thank god for that.
NR usually likes to drink bottle lying on my lap. I gave recommended dosage of Ibuprofen after his 4.00pm feed. Right when I finished giving dosage and bit of water he had seizure. Since this was my first time, for a sec I never realized what was happening with him but MIL knew it instantly. NR had convulsion for less than two minutes but at one point his eyes fixated, he stopped breathing, turned blue and lay still. That was the horrible moment in my life. No mother should go thru this. MIL started screaming and praying so loudly to save him and CB broke down immediately. I don’t know what came on to me. My fears were overtaken by caution and begged CB to call 911 right away when it was happening. CB was lost fro words and could not correctly explain to the 911 operator what was happening. I was hinting the words seizure convulsion to him but my eyes and hands were doing everything necessary at that point. I put my fingers in his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue and took the bite. I know now, that it was not the right way to handle but I was thankful I took all that pain. I sprayed some water on his feet and he came back within few minutes but he was in shock and started crying profusely.
The ER and the Medics from fire dept arrived within 5 minutes .By this time he was alright. They stripped him completely except diapers and took some relevant test(s). NR is so soft natured so even little loud sound will scare the hell out of him and now he was inconsolable. When I started to speak to the medics and I broke down completely. Looking back, I was thanking my guardian angel for keeping me so calm and collected which made me to focus on right things to do. They advised us to take him to ER since this was his first seizure to take some necessary test. ER insisted that NR ride in his car seat, so they fixed the car seat on the stretcher. This panicked NR more but I could not help him. I travelled with him in the ER van and NR never stopped crying. I sang him his favorite lullaby "Omanathingal kidavoo" during that time he stopped crying.
We reached the hospital and ER took freeway instead of local road(s). Since it was non emergency they did not have the siren on so we had to wait in the long queue in ramp leading to the freeway. When we reached the hospital, I requested the ER to take NR out of the car seat so I can hold him. The new place, new people scared him more and he kept crying non stop for next two hours. CB joined us shortly. The ER doc examined his eyes, tongue and ears. He questioned me like a FBI agent and I answered all his questions. He came to a conclusion that this was fiberile seizure and does not require any further tests. He asked us to go home and continue the Tylenol dosage.
We came home and even after two such dosages his fever was coming down and shooting up. I called his pediatrician around 3.00am on Wednesday and expressed my concern. He asked me to give ibuprofen 2.5 mg (dosage as per package is 1.875). I was reluctant to give him that medication and narrated the whole incident which happened after ibuprofen dosage. I asked why Ibuprofen dosage was higher than Tylenol. Tylenol dosage as per instruction in the box is .4 mg for kids under 2 yrs whereas Ibuprofen is 1.875. That’s when he told me that I need to give 1.6mg of Tylenol and 0.4 mg was not adequate to bring his fever down. I really wished he should have asked me about the dosage when we visited him 20 hrs before coz this heart breaking incident very well could have been avoided. I could have saved my baby from the entire trauma he underwent.
After the required dosage NR's fever came down. He started taking solid food and milk. As of Saturday I had taken him off of Tylenol dosage as per his doc’s instruction. The H1N1 swine test results came in Saturday as negative which was a big relief. I am so thankful to god for watching over us.
I learnt how to handle this situation correctly from doctors. I need to start on the higher dosage of medication as soon his fever starts and never to cover him from head to toe when he has high fever which I usually did.
Thanks to all the prayers NR is doing well and back to his own naughty world. He is still weak and lost weight due to this ordeal and I have decided to watch him carefully for next week.
Think of us in your prayers. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of - is my favorite quote from the poem I learnt in high school years.
