Yesterday evening I rushed home with the girls to help them get into costume for the fall festival at their daycare (7 to 9 on a weeknight—what were they thinking?) I was enjoying dolling them up, joking around while I put makeup on my rockstar 5 year old.
When they were dressed, I decided I had better give 3 year old her medicine before we left. I reached into the cupboard and gave her a Singulair, then started preparing the Kepra. “Momma—don’ like it!” she said. I looked down, and she was sticking out a tongue with bits of what was clearly not her yummy cherry Singulair. “My God,” I though, “what did I give her?” I looked in the cupboard and there was a bottle of my husband’s Elavil. I wiped as much out of her mouth as I could and made her rinse and spit. Then I was back and forth with poison control, while they tried to sort out body weight and dosage. Meanwhile rockstar was agitating to leave for the festival. Poison control thought we would be okay, but should be alert to any unusual drowsiness.
So we get to KinderCare and are no sooner out of the car than poison control calls back and says they would highly recommend I take 3 year old to the ER for observation, since Elavil can cause seizures and heart problems. I drag Dear Husband from work to take care of 5 year old rockstar and off I go to the local ER, a place I am all too familiar with. Small children who have eaten medicine get pushed to the front of the queue, so we were soon in a cramped little room with a narrow bed and a TV playing an endless loop of children’s videos. The highlight of our visit was the administration of activated charcoal. Imagine encouraging a small child to drink an 8 oz glass of soda mixed with black grit. I could overhear our nurse speaking with someone who said, “You need to put a top on the cup. If she sees it’s black, she’s not gonna drink it.” Of course, my nurse completely ignored this advice and I had to hold down screaming 3 year old while the nurse syringed black gunk into her mouth. Nurse was ready to use a nasal tube, but by this time I’m thinking For Pete’s sake it wasn’t even a whole tablet! Happily, the doctor vetoed a nasal tube. Which is a good thing, because by this time I was pretty weepy and felt like I had this big label on me: “BAD IRRESPONSIBLE MOM.”
We were released at 1 AM. 3 year old was exhausted but healthy.
This incident brings to mind an old superstition of mine: Whenever I’m happy and excited, I should prepare for something bad to happen. Being exhilarated and happy makes me uneasy, because I have this underlying fear that payback is coming.
But for now I’m paid up.
Wife, when you belong to G-d there is no such thing as luck, just happen to be this way, or my good fortune with end up in the dumpster somewhere. I challenge you to look at the forest and not the trees. When Elizabeth was in bed ready to go to sleep we were praying that the EEG would be normal and everything would be fine. Then you called and told me the good news that Abby was eating and drinking. So, maybe this whole thing that took place was to build up Elizabeth faith, or since Abby has such a wonderful spirit and the presence of G-d is on that child that she wanted to touch someones life their in the hospital. Don't run off with pride or beating your chest saying, "Pity is Me!". If you haven't noticed yet when you married me you married a man of G-d and I press forward regardless of the end result, giving the potential surgery I am going to have soon. Satan is mean and only picks on families that press forward to good works but in the end, even if, we end up dying we have a banquet to eat at with our Lord and Savior.
ReplyDeleteRecommendation: Don't lose heart!
oh Alice :(
ReplyDeletewhat a miserable night. My heart goes out to you. I'm so glad A is fine and well :) but you must have had such a fright.
It's easy to let the enemy undermine your parenting skills. You are NOT a bad mum. Full stop!
Throw out the superstitions - Jesus died to give you life to the full. It's just when you are exhilirated or happy (and similarly when you are stressed and overly busy) we are all a bit distracted. You are not cursed, you are blessed dear friend.
now go celebrate :)
Oh man, what a terrible night! So sorry to hear that you and 3 yr old had to go through al that, and exceedingly glad to hear she's ok.
ReplyDeleteHang on tight! I know from experience the feeling that you need to be looking over your shoulder all the time. So often it has proved to be a good idea! But you have to balance that reality with the recognition that there are many good things going on as well.
ReplyDeleteMy theory - God never promised us a rose garden either. God has only promised to give us the strength and courage to handle what life throws at us. The bad news is - guess how we become strong?
Oh what a nightmare! I probably would have been bawling the second I had realized what I had done. What a horrible feeling!
ReplyDeleteBut IRRESPONSIBLE mom (not!)you took her to the emergency room and did the right thing. Please put the GREAT mom sign back on and go hug that kid of yours.