Back to the Emergency Room

Well, just when I thought things were going so good, I had to get the dreaded phone call. One of the nurses who regularly cares for Kristin called yesterday about 3:30 to tell me that she was acting like she was the day before she ended up in the hospital the last time. Her teachers took her back to her room around 2:00 and said she was not acting right and it reminded them of how she acted the last time. The respiratory therapist said she was not moving air thru the lower lobe of her right lung so they did a breathing treatment. She said it helped but she still acted aggitated. She was flushed, diaphoretic and moving in an aggitated way. They faxed the Dr. and she wanted her sent out to the Children's hospital to be evaluated.

I got to the nursing home before she was sent out and observed her eyes hugely dilated. Her head was fixed to the right and her left arm was swatting and fighting constantly. When the EMT's got there, I took off because with having to park in the parking garage it takes me longer to get in the hospital. I ended up stopping to grab a sandwhich and then got delayed in traffic and still beat her there, which I thought was very odd. When they got there and led me back, I found her clothes off and blood all over her shirt. THis alarmed me and I questioned it and the EMT told me she had a full blown seizure in the ambulance ride there. He had tried to put in an access line (not realizing she has a port) and with all her seizure activity, it ripped out. I questioned what he meant by her having a seizure and he described a locked arm, full convulsion episode. He said he was very surpised as he has never witnessed her doing this. I was totally shocked because she didn't seem that aggitated when they left.

She seemed to be more aggitated in the ER, with her eyes still very dilated and her jerky, swatting arm continueing. They could not get her blood pressure because she was so tense. After a couple hours of that, I decided to try to reposition her. I rolled her onto her left side and noticed an immediate change in her heart rate and respirations. She seemed to calm immediately. I rubbed her back and brushed thru her hair with my fingers and she really calmed. She even looked sleepy. There was a lot of activity in other rooms so it took quite awhile before they came back into check on her. By this time she was back onto her back and more aggitated. They again tried her blood pressure with no success. I told them to observe something and I rolled her on her side. Again she calmed right down and they were able to get her blood pressure with no problem. She finally fell asleep. The best part of watching her sleep was getting to see some smiles. She still has not smiled or cried since her last illness - so my heart melted to see her do it involuntarily.

Anyway, they did bloodwork and a urine culture, which all checked out fine. Since they couldn't find anything wrong, they sent her back about 1:45 am. I got to bed about 3:15 this am. Another long, frustrating night in the ER - with still no answers.

I continue to not understand the why's but I tried to find good anyway. I prayed on the way there of all the reasons to be thankful. I found several. And while waiting in the ER, I observed two families who seemed to have some pretty serious problems, so I prayed for them. God, I don't know what you are doing, but I am trusting in your ways and timing.