911...What's Your Emergency?

Me: "I have a 3 1/2 year old male in respiratory distress. He is having severe trouble breathing and turning blue around the lips and nose, Can you please send an ambulance right away?"

Dispatcher: "Hold please"....1/2 second later, "What is your address, mam..."

10 minutes later, EMT's arrive and we are headed to the Pediatric ER.

1:30 AM, I was in my sewing room, still dressed and not asleep because I was restless. I was surfing the web, had posted a recipe on Taste and See. I heard an awful sound from the boys' room. I thought it was BB waking up with a night terror as he does on occasion.

When I walked in, I could tell it was something much worse. He was coughing and wheezing so loudly as an indication he couldn't breathe. He was actually trying to cry and talk to me but obviously couldn't.

I ran him to the kitchen to the refrigerator freezer to get him to breathe in the cold air. But he is so heavy, I couldn't keep him up long enough to do any good. I ran into our bedroom and hollered for JB to come help. He immediately jumped up and ran into the kitchen. I told him to hold BB up to the cold air while I went to get our nebulizer for a breathing treatment.

By the time I had the nebulizer set up, BB had started turning blue around the lips and nose, drooling all over the place while the wheezing and coughing had continued to worsen and he was still trying to cry and talk. I had already called my parents to come over immediately. At this point, I made the critical decision to call 911.

I had gone outside to motion for the rescue and realized it was COLD! We immediately took BB outside for the cold air. After about 1 minute of the cold air, his breathing slightly improved but he was still gasping for air.

Policeman arrived 1st, Rescue from the Fire Department arrived 2nd, and then the ambulance.

When Rescue arrived, they immediately began listening to lungs and monitored his O2 sat. As they were doing this, the EMT's arrived. When the EMT's saw that his O2 sat was 82 and not improving, they stated, "We need to get him to the ER."

We soon left for the only Pediatric ER in the state only about 20 minutes away from your home. (What a blessing). I rode with my mom behind the ambulance while JB rode with BB in ambulance. My sister was behind my mom and me. My dad stayed home with CB, who slept through the whole episode (another blessing).

During the ride to the ER, BB was so calm. I could see him from behind. He was strapped in his car seat and sitting there like a big boy. I was so proud of him for being so calm and cooperative (another blessing) and because of this, his breathing was improving.

We were seen immediately and the ER staff began treatment. After 2 breathing treatments of Racemic Epi, decadron, and chest X-Rays, we were finally released to go home about 5:15 AM. I was very impressed and satisfied with the ER staff. They catered to pediatrics and exhibited the most caring and gentle behavior. This was such a blessing not only to BB, but to me as a momma.

They diagnosed it as a severe croup attack. I am not one to question doctors and respect their decision. But I am not yet fully convinced that it was a croup attack. I think it was a severe asthma attack. Regardless, we will follow up with our pediatrician this week. I want to discuss other concerns about the episode and to get his medical advice and opinion.

There are several reasons, I suspect it was an asthma attack. BB has a history of allergic reactions that have rushed us to the doctor. If you keep up with this blog, than you may remember that we had to rush him to the doctor for a severe case of Urticaria that covered most of his body. This happened 2 days in a row. Both trips resulted in steroid treatment. BB also has terrible reactions to mosquito bites. This, too, has had us in the doctor's office with steroid treatment. His bites turn into cellulites and sometime require steroid treatment to heal.

I have asthma and have experienced the distressing asthma attack. His symptoms were all too familiar to me that early morning. I've only been hospitalized with it once while it has actually be dormant for the past few years.

It may have very well been a severe croup attack, but I've never known the croup to be so severe.

I can't explain the emotions that I have felt these past few days regarding this incident. I finally hit a point Saturday when I was by myself that they just released. I try not to think about the "what if's" too keep from getting so emotional and in all honesty...those "what if's" were not apart of God's plan or will for us. He knew all along what was happening, what would happen and He knows what is going to happen in the life of my family. No need to worry about the "what if's"...they are only "what if's" to us...not God. I realize that as I called 911 for our emergency...none of this was an emergency to God, non of this caught him off-guard as it did me. And that very fact, is the best comfort and peace that passes all understanding that I need.

Aunt Fiffi (my sister, Tiffany) brought BB a Get Well Soon balloon the next day. She also brought CB a Bob the Builder balloon so he wouldn't be left out. I can't thank my family enough being there for me. I am so thankful to have them live so close.

I'll keep you informed on our follow ups and such.

Until then, HB