I had to call 911 for my baby
Ξ July 5th, 2008 | → 34 Comments | ∇ Motherhood |
I mentioned in my last post that Audrey has croup. Chloe seemed to get it about twice a year for several years, so we weren’t too concerned until the second night. She woke up wheezing really hard and within a few minutes I could feel her chest really straining to breathe and she was gasping.
I got in the car to take her to the ER.
As far as I knew, the closest ER is about 15-20 minutes away. About three minutes into the drive she suddenly started trying to gasp for air, but couldn’t get any at all. Her arms and legs were flailing and her eyes were wide open with terror and she was getting no air.
I grabbed my cell phone and called 911. At first I figured maybe they could just let the ER know we were on our way so they would be ready.
Audrey was gasping “mo-mee” in the back and reaching for me from her carseat when she stopped breathing again, so I pulled into the closest gas station.
I didn’t think she was going to start breathing again that time, and I knew we wouldn’t make it to the ER before she stopped breathing permanently.
I have no words to describe the horror of watching my baby reach for me and gasp for a breath she couldn’t get, and wonder if she would ever take another.
The ambulance and fire truck came within minutes. They put me on the gurney with her in my lap so I could hold an oxygen mask to her face.
Her oxygen level was 71 and her pulse was 190, which I knew was bad, especially when the paramedic told his partner to call in a priority one infant in respiratory distress.
We got to the hospital in three minutes. She underwent three breathing treatments in a row plus intravenous steroids and tylenol and motrin to bring down her fever, which was almost 103 by then.
We got to the ER around 10 pm and didn’t leave until almost 5 am. She had several more breathing treatments throughout the night, and I just sat on the hospital bed all night, holding her in one arm, and blowing oxygen from a tube into her face with the other arm.
It turns out she has a bad case of croup, an ear infection, and is in the beginning stages of pneumonia. As we were getting ready to leave, one of the nurses told me it was a good thing I had called 911 when I did because she was on the verge of needing a breathing tube when the paramedics got there, and her throat was so closed that they would have had to do a tracheotomy to get it in.
The security guard on duty went and bought her a teddy bear.
She’s home now with five different medicines and instructions to bring her back if she gets worse at all. My arms and tailbone ache from sitting in the same position holding her for seven hours straight, but she is sleeping peacefully, with only a hint of a wheeze, and we are grateful.
on July 5th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Wow, that must have been scary, watching her try to breathe and you can’t help her. Thank God for fast moving medical workers! Were they volunteers?
I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to link my story of our medical scare (severe burns) and my daughter’s teddy bear. I wonder if your girl’s looks like Pink Teddy?
http://monicabrand.net/2008/06/16/writing-motherhood-by-lisa-garrigues-a-story-of-a-beloved-bear/
on July 5th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Oh, that’s so scary. I’m so glad she’s okay!
on July 5th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Oh Christy! That sounds horrible. Poor little thing…and poor Mommy. I’m so thankful she’s ok. Praying that she feels better soon!
on July 5th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Praise the Lord for that cell phone!
Watching your little ones struggling is so difficult. Thanking God right now that she is doing better – and praying she is 100% soon! 
Jolanthe
on July 6th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Oh my gosh I hope I would have been as calm as you were to call 911. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for you. I am glad to hear that you are both home and hope that Audrey is feeling better.
on July 6th, 2008 at 5:06 am
There is nothing more scary in the world then being so helpless. The Lord was watching over that little girl of yours that night. I’m so glad she is home and doing better.
Blessings,
Kim
on July 6th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Oh Christy- I cried as I read your post. I’m so glad that everything turned out OK. I know that helpless feeling when a child is seriously ill. I thank God for watching over you both that night…
on July 6th, 2008 at 9:26 am
My daughter has a seizure disorder. The first time she went to the hospital, I wasn’t present for. The 3rd time I took her to the hospital ER. If someone comes in seizing, they don’t ask questions. They just stop the seizures and get the info later. I’ve been ok with most of what we’ve gone through, and I was doing ok that night. Until I was swarmed with all of those people surrounding my 7 month old daughter. Watching the doctors and nurses scramble to stop her seizures, taking vitals, putting an IV in, drawing blood….that was so scary and I felt so helpless.
I hope she’s doing much better and you don’t have to go through that again!!!
on July 6th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Wow. What a blessing that she is doing better. You did an amazing job taking care of her. We’ll pray for continued healing. Our Matt hasn’t had an asthma attack in months and I’m so grateful. It’s terrifying to watch your child grasp for air and feel so helpless to fix it.
on July 6th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Wow, how scarey that must’ve been. My little guy has had croup twice and once after a nap he woke up grasping for air. I remembered a friend of mine who was a nurse telling me that if he ever did that, to stick him in the bathroom, turn the shower on as hot as it will go and close the door. I did that and then got him to the dr. He was on meds and slept w/ a humidfier on for days. Obviously, he wasn’t as bad as your little one. I am praying she heals quickly.
on July 6th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Oh that is just so scary. My son had croup at age 4 and that was terrifying enough. I am so glad she is okay. (((hugs))) to you!
on July 6th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Oh my goodness! How horrifying! I’m so glad she is doing better.
Kate
on July 6th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Thank goodness everything is okay! As a parent I just cant imagine what it is like to go through something like this. It sounds like you handled it all very well!
on July 6th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Oh you poor girls! I am so glad to hear she is better! How awful for you! I can’t even imagine!
on July 6th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Oh my goodness. That sounds so scary. I am so glad she is ok and that no major intervention was needed. And praise God for cell phones and for you thinking to use yours.
on July 7th, 2008 at 1:39 am
wow. I cannot imagine. I am so happy to hear she is doing much better. Our thoughts and prayers are with you!
on July 7th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Oh my goodness, that must have been terrifying for you. Glad to hear she is doing better, and I’m considering getting a cell phone. Goos for you to think to call 911.
on July 7th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Oh my gosh! I will be praying!
on July 7th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I have watched my son at one month old turn blue and stop breathing three times. I know how scary and heart wrenching it is to watch your child have to go throught that. I’m so glad she is getting better. You are such a great mom. I know that had to be so hard to see your baby girl in that hospital bed. We will be keeping her in our prayers!
on July 7th, 2008 at 11:50 am
I hope she gets better soon!!! Poor dear. Many thoughts and prayers for all of you.
on July 7th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
OMG, how horrifying that must have been for you!! Glad to hear she is back at home and feeling a little better.
I actually had something very similar happen to my little one just a few weeks ago. She had a pretty severe cough and was laying in bed resting when all of the sudden I hear her trying to cough but gasping for air. I ran into her room and sat her up attempting to clear her breathing path but she was struggling to breath, so I put her in the car and drove her to the ER (which, luckily is only 5 min. away) By the time we got there she was breathing a little better, but was still struggling. The Dr.s gave her some liquid steriods and watched her for a couple of hours. That was one of the scariest nights of my life so I can imagine how scared you must have been!
on July 7th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Wow – that is so scary. I am so glad she is okay now. I can’t imagine how terrified you must have been. I hope you are finding some peace now.
on July 7th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Wow…scary…so glad that things turned out well…and God was watching out for you!
on July 7th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Oh, praise God for protecting your sweet daughter, and giving you the wisdom to call 911 at that point! It must have been SO scary!
on July 8th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Oh, my goodness! I am so glad that she’s gonna be okay! Are you???
I can only imagine what you went through!
on July 9th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
My prayers are for your little one and you, too!
on July 10th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Oh my -I am so sorry. How horrible. I am glad that she is going to be ok. My daughter is a breath holder. The first time she did it I was home alone with her and she fell. She cried at first then held her breath. When I picked her up she was not breathing. I called 911. The whole time I was on the phone she was not breathing and she turned blue. I was so scared. About a minute later she just woke up. The paramedics looked her over and she was ok. The first time I thought she was dead but now I know she does just does this. It is still scary every time bc I am scared she will not wake up. Luckily she has not done it in a while.
on July 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Oh my, I can not imagine being in the car and having that happen.
I have called 911 twice, once for each of my boys. My oldest had a febrile seizure (in our family), turned blue and started breathing on his own back in July 2002.
This past February my then 9 month old was battling a cold. We heard him in his room gasping for air and went to get him. When we took him out he was burning up. In a matter of 40 minutes his temperature soared/crashed and he had a febrile seizure as well. Unlike his brother, he stopped breathing and turned gray. Thank goodness my mother was there to do rescue breaths (I was in shock) before the paramedics arrived and saved my little guys life.
Lots of hugs to both of you and may you never have to call 911 again.
on July 11th, 2008 at 6:28 am
NIGHTMARE!!! GLAD IT TURNED OUT WELL.
on July 11th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Checkin’ in on baby and Mom…
on July 18th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Oh my! I saw this while reading your BlogHop post. I hope she’s doing better, even though you’re still not getting much sleep. Hugs to you all…
on July 18th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
very scary
what a horrible experience, thank goodness it ended up good
on July 18th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
I am so sorry you had to go through that! Croup is a nasty nasty thing, and I hope she is feeling so much better!!
on July 19th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
My daughter has asthma and get croup a couple of times a year. We’ve gone to the ER, but never had to call 911. I’m so sorry that happened, but glad she’s ok.