This is going to sound a little in depth but we use our blog as a journal as well so it will be very detailed. Sorry this is going to be long.....
To start I guess I should say Sam was sick on Thurs (we think with the flu) first time in her life she has thrown up. So on Sunday March 1st I woke up puking and since I don't do that with my pregnancies I knew I had the flu. It was stake conference and so I was just going to stay home, but something told me you need to go. So I got ready and we went. I was really trying to pay attention because I knew that if I felt that strongly about going there must be something there for me to get out of the message. And I got a few things here and there but nothing mind blowing. An hour into the conference I began feeling sick again and headed to the bathroom. After about 15 min I returned to my seat and Grant had Sam on his shoulder trying to put her to sleep when her Binky dropped. I reached down to get it when he said Sam....SAM!!! I realized something was wrong. She wasn't responding and her lips began to turn blue. He took her out into the lobby and I ran to grab a Dr. we know who was a few rows up. I guess a nurse had been sitting right in front of us and ran out to help.
At first they thought she was choking, but we said she hadn't eaten anything and so then they realized she was having a seizure. Grant's mom was with us and called 911. The Dr and nurse began taking vitals and checking everything. After the longest 30 seconds I have ever been through she came to life for just a few seconds and then immediately went to sleep. Grant and a few men administered a priesthood blessing and then they asked me to try to wake her. She reached for me and I started holding her but then became very nauseous and handed her to Grant. I went outside to puke in the flower beds. The paramedics arrived and started her on O2. Then the ambulance arrived and we all loaded up and went to the children's hospital of St Francis.
On the way there the paramedic said for parents of a child having a first time seizure you are both very contained and calm. He could tell we were scared but not freaking out. I wanted to say well that is the blessing of having the priesthood power upon the earth. The Dr who helped also lives a block away from us in our neighborhood and I was her Visiting Teacher for a while so we became good friends. She is in her last year of residency in pediatrics at St Francis and so she headed there and got the ball rolling before the ambulance even got there. So we went right into a room and they began doing blood work and processed the test. Withing 40 min we had blood results and they had us being wheeled up to pediatrics where they could closer monitor her. We beat the nurse tech there, she didn't even have the room set up and ready that is how fast they transported us. Nice to have connections.
They put her on Saline because she was showing dehydration and I know why because I was running to the bathroom every few minutes for it to come out of one end or the other and every time I drank it cramped my stomach so no wonder she didn't want anything to do with liquids for the past couple of days. Many friends from church called to check on her and some came by which was so nice to feel the support and love and prayers of everyone. Around 6 pm Grant's mom was holding Sam and she began another seizure again only lasting about 30 sec. Because there were now 2 in 24 hrs the illness became more severe. They had given us a few instructions just in case it happened again when we first got to the hospital and when the nurse came in she said we did everything right.
So they kept us overnight and said they would run tests on Monday. They scheduled an EEG and then said we would get an MRI later. However, they were able to get us in. The worst part was Sam had to be completely put under. They got both tests completed but the MRI was around 4 in the afternoon and once a child is put completely out they like to monitor them for 5 hours afterwards. So we ended up staying Monday night as well. Our Dr friend was actually our Dr that night and it was so nice to have someone we could ask stupid questions to and not feel like we were dumb parents. Thank heavens by Monday afternoon I was starting to feel better. We never could have made it if Grants mom didn't come straight to the hospital with us and stayed with us every min or ran errands for us when we needed. Thank you to an Angel sent from heaven!! We owe her more than we can ever repay!!! Monday night they started her on seizure medicine and so they also wanted to monitor that through the night.
Tuesday we woke up to good news that the MRI came back normal and that we were going to be discharged sometime that day. Well the Dr came in and told us they were able to get the hospitals neurologist to read the EEG and everything looked normal there. We decided to continue with the medicine until we could get into Sam's Pediatrician and a pediatric Neurologist. Before we could leave the hospital we had to get training on what to do if she has another one. However, we are now getting to 48+ hours without one and so the longer we get away the better. Since there was nothing to show where it was coming from they won't give an official diagnosis but they said they would link it to more of a Febrile Seizure. So hopefully we will never have to deal with this again.
Here are some pics from her experience.
Hooked up to the IV and with her hospital attire
Most expensive hairdo she will ever have. This is after the EEG.
Being wheeled down to the MRI. It was nice the hospital is enormous and I didn't have to walk anywhere I always got to be wheeled with her. Thank heavens or we may have had another baby this weekend too.
In her prison crib. She was finally wanting to not be held or touched and just wanted to kick and play.
After being freed from all her wires and cords. So free and happy!!!
Because it was a pediatric hospital they had wagons and cars and so when she was free and feeling better we took her for a few rides. I think this made her want to stay forever. However, mom and dad were ready to hit the road and be at home. We finally got released and home around 6:30 pm on Tues.
We need to thank all those for their prayers and thoughts. All the calls and messages and emails and abundance of love we felt during this time made us realize how many people we are truly blessed to have in our lives. We need to thank our Heavenly Father for the blessing of letting this happen where it did with so many who had medical knowledge and the priesthood to bless her. Thankful for our little girl and the reminder of how short life can be and that we need to remember and be thankful for every moment even if it is a huge fit or mess that we should be grateful that they are healthy enough to be able to make it. And after many tears and prayers from me and priesthood blessings given to me, I am at peace and know that this too will pass and that trials are given to us to strengthen us and help us grow closer to become more like our Savior. And just want to publicly thank my Heavenly Father for Friends, Family, an amazing Husband, and most especially for my wonderful daughter. It is times like this that I realize I should say that more often. I love you all!!!
Sorry I told you it was going to be long.
