I'D GO TO THE E.R. FOR YOU....

First, I'd like to share an image of our Halloween....which ended up being a real bummer.

Secondly, I'd like to share some thoughts on love.....we've all heard the following:
- I'd go to the ends of the earth for you.
- I'd take a bullet for you.
-I'd die for you.

Yada, yada.....the list goes on. I've determined that, while all of these are very noble and show true dedication, loyalty and love to another, none sum it up as much as:

- I'd spend 7 hours in the emergency room to make sure you are cared for.

Friday (Halloween) I get a call from Megan's school at 2:45 from her teacher. The teach says Megan has had a rough day...complained all day of not feeling well, and is now laying on the floor sobbing and saying she feels bad. When I get to Megan she has just started running a fever, and she sobs the whole way to the car. She says she feels like she's going to throw up. I assume that she has caught what Dad has. He is at home with something viral- fever, aches, chills, vomiting, etc.

We go home and change into comfy PJ's. Then the kids start asking when we're going out for Halloween. We always go see both Grandma's for Halloween, and it was breaking their hearts not to go...especially Bryce who wasn't sick. They ended up being happy with putting on their costumes and standing at the door watching all the trick or treaters while I handed out candy. (Thus, the pic I snapped of them in their costumes. And yes, Bryce actually wanted to be a sheet ghost!)

As the night goes on, Megan's fever does not break, and she started breathing a little funny, almost like she was winded...quick, shallow breaths. I assumed it was related to the fever, as kids sometimes breathe faster when they have one. I gave her another dose of Tylenol and put her to bed, but checked on her every 15 minutes or so. Nothing changed and she felt like she was on fire, so at 12:30 that night I decided we better get to the ER.

Ugh.

Decided to go to Childrens. Got there at 1:00 am. They checked her vitals at 2:00 am and gave her some Motrin for the fever. Megan has been awake since 12;30 when I got her out of bed, and refuses to try to nap in the waiting room. We are bored out of our minds, and I'm having a hard time staying awake. At 5:15 am they finally call us back to a room, but can't give me any ideas on how long it will be before we're seen. At 5:30 am, I'm freezing cold, I'm so tired I can't hold my eyes open, and I'm getting irrational. A person walks in to ask for my insurance card. I ask for her best guess on how much longer...she says our chart is not on the box outside the door, which "probably means the Dr. has it and you're about to be seen." Fifteen minutes later I look out and see that the chart IS in the box...that lady lied.

About this time, a nurse walks around the corner and I start crying and ask "Is there any way that we can just leave?" I explain that Megan's fever has broken, she's breathing normal now, and she seems to be just fine, and I am incapable of staying any longer...that I am so tired that I am totally unreasonable and irrational, so much so that I can not stop crying. She asks to check Megan's vitals again. Afterwards she explains that Megan has an elevated heart rate, and that while we are not required to stay here, it is really important for her to see a Dr today, either our regular Dr (with Saturday hours) or the Dr here at the ER. She asks if there is anything she can do for me to make me feel more comfortable, and offers me a cup of coffee. I would pay $80.00 for cup of coffee at this moment, so I gladly accept the offer. She comes back with coffee at 5:45 and says she got me moved up ahead of the one other person that was ahead of us that had required a translator and would take forever. She also explains shift change is in 10 minutes, and we'd probably see a Dr. within 20 minutes. I finally agree to stay. I apologize profusely to the nurse and explain that I am not angry, I'm just so tired that I can't think straight anymore. She says she totally gets it, no problem. And she thanks me for not being mean and ugly like so many other parents she has dealt with.

Doc comes in at 6:15, checks Megan, orders chest xray (she thinks pneumonia). Dude comes down and escorts us to xray at 6:45. I am walking the halls clutching the empty coffee cup, hoping I can con him into getting me another cup after xrays are done. Megan does beautifully with xrays. She gets stickers from the xray tech. I smile and try to put on some sexy eyes while I ask him to find me another cup of coffee. I'm sure with the crying I had just done, there was nothing at all sexy about my eyes, but something worked and he got me some coffee. I down the second cup as quickly as the first. While I am still so tired I can't think straight, I am able to get control over the crying and am warming up some. Megan is still sitting up next to me, awake, wondering when the hell we are going to get out of here and glad that Mom seems to be holding it together. I am looking at her feeling bad that I have lost it, and she as the sick one has sat so patiently and has never once complained or whined. I feel like a bad Mom.

Doc comes back in at 7:30 and says it is pneumonia and tells us she will get a prescription ready. At 8:00am we are finally leaving, with prescription in hand. When we walk out of the hospital, Megan says "Oh look Mom, it's daylight!"

She passed out on the ride home. I really wanted to.

So, in summary, 7 hours in the ER is testament to how much I love her. I've done similar time for my son. And it's kindof like labor and delivery.....as long as the visits to the ER are spread out some over time, you kindof forget how awful they are and you can make yourself do it again.