The events of today have suddenly just hit me like a freight train.  I've been sitting here shaking, tears running down my face for about 10 minutes.  I guess I just need some support...

I was out having a pretty decent day today with DWFAN.  We went to check out a new gun shop, I bought a new pistol, and we went to an indoor range for some shooting.  On the way from the range to get something to eat, we get the phone call.

My wife took our two kids to Chuck-e-Cheese with her cousin and her two kids.  She is crying and barely holding on.  She tells me my younger son - 14 months old - collapsed and had a siezure.  

He stopped breathing and CPR had to be administered.

She tells me that they are in the abulance about to head to the hospital.  (St. Mary's Trauma Center)  I don't know where this hospital is and I get only sketchy directions.  We hang up, I am going to the hospital.

Fortunately, we are very close by.  We see the blue "H" signs and start following them.  Suddenly, I hear the ambulance coming up behind us.  It is plowing through traffic with an escort of 5-6 police cars with sirens and lights blaring.  The obvious urgency of this convoy suddenly drives the gravity of the whole situation into me like a sledgehammer and my stomach sinks.  As it goes by, I see my wife in the passenger seat of the ambulance.  I obviously can't keep up with them and have to deal with traffic.

I get to the hospital, I have no idea what is going on.  They make me sit down and do some fucking registration.  Then, they go to find out where he is.  A minute later, the FUCKING CHAPLAIN comes up to me.  I almost lost it right then and there, Jesus, I cannot tell you what happened to me at that moment.

We get to the Trauma room.  My baby is laying prone, naked, on the stretcher.  He is crying but appears to not be coherent.  They are hooking up all kinds of things to him.  I stood there and watched them insert an IV, hook up heart monitors, insert oxygen tubes in his nose, run a fucking catheter into his penis - TWICE because the first one was too large and wouldn't go all the way into him.  All of this is causing him significant pain, and I can't do a thing about it.

At some point, he had vomitted all over himself and the stretcher.

All the while, my wife is there, scared to death, barely holding on herself.  I wanted to crawl into the corner and just die but I had to be strong for her.  I held it all in and tried to be strong for her.

After a while he calmed down, things got better.  All the test results came back clear - no menengitis or other serious issues.  They diagnosed it as a Febrile Seizure brought on by a sudden fever spike, probably related to an ear infection that we didn't even know he had.  They ran some antibiotics through the IV, gave us a prescription for more, and then discharged us with instructions to see our pediatrician on Monday.  

They tell me this is fairly common in young children, about 1 in 20 will have a seizure like this.  I say I don't care.   My whole life is my family.  My kids are my entire world.  I feel so helpless right now....

Rob, I'm very glad to hear that he's alright.

Your post scared the shit out me. As I read it and got to the point of the chaplain coming out, my stomach dropped. I can only imagine what was going through your mind.

He's a tough kid, and I'm sure he'll back on his feet in no time.

Rob,

I'm saddenedto hear of the little guy's trauma, but relieved to hear he'll be okay.

You and the family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Rob
Your little guy, you and your family are in our thoughts.
George

Thank you so much for all the support.  We are feeling better this morning but my wife is still worrying and wondering if he's really ok.  

Matt - Thanks for the link to the info, we will both read it.

Poor guy's arm is sore where he had the IV but he seems to be ok other than that right now.

FMJ,

I had a very simular experience 17 years ago, I was taking my 9 mo old daughter to the babysitter one morning. She did the same thing in her car seat. I removed her lifeless body, and began CPR. I literally beat the hell out of her chest. I was able to get her breathing again, and I drove like a mad man to the ER. My wife was just exiting the hospital from her all night shift. I ran to her with our daughters lifeless purple body. She began CPR again, and we took her inside.

That was 17 years ago, today she is a Senior in highschool, on the Honor Roll and National Honor Society Member. For the first couple months after the event, I literally didn't sleep...basically my wheels feel off. Trust me, I have been in your shoes, if you need to talk, IM me.

Quoted: Poor guy's arm is sore where he had the IV but he seems to be ok other than that right now.

Great to hear!

Everytime I think of this whole thing, it is just upsetting to say the least. I know he's tough and will come through this just fine. I just think of his smiling little face, and that brings a smile to mine.

Damn brother, I feel your pain. My little guy, Mikie, was about 18 months old when he collapsed in our hallway and started to have a seizure. I yelled for my wife and told her to call 911... then I told her to f*** it. I scooped my baby up in my arms and grabbed the car keys and sped to the hospital. I was driving, flashing my lights and passing red lights (with care, of course), I thought my boy was going to die in my arms.

When I finally got to the ER the doctors and nurses checked him out and told me that this was a fairly common event! A CAT scan was done and we went home...all was fine...except for the 20 years subtracted from my life.

I pray that your baby has a full recovery and that YOU and your wife can get on with your lives.

Little guys are tough, you be tough too. Both the boy and your wife are going to need some strenght from you, sucks to be the man sometimes doesn't it? Prayers sent for everyone.

My wife just read this thread and she is truly thankful for all the support.

I'm sorry it happened, but just THRILLED he's okay.  Best wishes to you and your family.  

I'm sorry it happened, but just THRILLED he's okay.  Best wishes to you and your family.  

Rob,

Firstly, you're guy is OK.

I've been in EMS for 16 years now and go to these calls all the time. I can tell you with near certainty your son's heart never stopped beating, but the seizure turns them blue due to the temporary clenching and inefficent activity of the respiratory muscles.

He'll be fine.

I go to these "Baby not breathing" calls all the time. In 16 years three have actually been babies not breathing, and all had extensive histories with monitors for just such occurences. A few SIDS babies too, that we knew were gone as well....

BUT it puts the fear of GOD into whoever is there, and they frequently mistake the seizure for something needing CPR. CPR is frequently performed for some period of time and when EMS arrrives the baby is found to be hot and coming out of it.

Glad to hear he's OK.

Remember, and tell the Mrs if the doctors didn't, kids that have one febrile seizure frequently have them again, not like in a week or two, but that they are prone to them in the coming years.

Someone gave you some good info regarding the cause. The seizure is actually a good thing as babies don't have the thermoregulatory tools we have to let off heat. i.e. efficient sweating, skin surface area to radiate the heat off. The burst of muscular activity floods the muscles with blood and lets off a bit of the heat.

The turning blue part makes you shit your pants.

As someone told you, sudden onset of fevers cause it. I'm sure your baby is on antibiotics now. Fevers that have a slow onset rarely cause seizures as they're caught and usually medicated with yer standard  baby fever meds.

The fact that someone did CPR means someone THOUGHT they needed to, not that it was actually needed. Rarely if ever is it needed in febrile seizure patients. Paniced assessment usually leads one to beieve it's needed. I can't tell you how many times I've heard parents, neighbors(who profess to be doctors or nurses) and grandparents say they started CPR and got the kid back, when in reality the kids was never gon. It's just that the blue make them panic, and the seizure makes it really hard to actually detect a pulse, so away they go.

Again, your kid's OK.

BUT, for future reference, take a CPR course, it's cheap and it pays dividends! And who really wants to be stand by doing nothing when a family member craps out in front oof you.

Stats show that the people you are most likely going to use the skills learned in the CPR class for is FAMILY MEMBERS.