I took my son to the ER last night around 11pm with a 103.2 fever. Thanks folks for your prayers. It did seem to come down considerably by the time we had come home (101.7) without the assistance of medication, but spiked within the hour up to 104.8.
Like his mama, he doesn't ever complain. And this is scary with such a high fever. I didn't have a high fever that I knew of so automatically, I felt something was different. Off we went. Once inside, he was bright and fairly vibrant contrasting his bump on a log demeanor at home, and fully aware of other patients. I knew his ears would be plugged when the ER doctor checked, and told him so. He was surprised that he wasn't bothered by it. They did a different nose swab thing for him. The RN, Tyler, asked him not to move while this was happening, and he was a statue while counting slowly to 10 through tear rimmed eyes. Suck up and deliver, kinda like someone else yah? We should hear his results this evening but like previously stated, treatment is no different for whatever kind of flu it is. And since I've already tested positive for Influenza A, they prescribed Tamiflu, the same as me assuming it's the same flu.
So what's a visit to the ER without people watching?! Wheeled in by EMTs a few minutes after us, was a teenage boy strapped tightly to the gurney. The chubbier, older EMT tells the ER nurse they need to get security before they unstrap him. Mom is following behind, stressed out and shamed. I prayed quickly for that mom, without even knowing her turmoil. Apparently, her son is diagnosed bipolar, and had tried to run from the EMTs although it wasn't clear exactly why he needed to be there. He didn't seem to be hurt in any way. While waiting, Jordan - that's his name - kept getting up and trying to leave. And mom and securitas man kept trying to get him back on the gurney. Obviously this kid is crying out for attention and medication to dull whatever hell he thinks he's in. He began swearing and demanding pills. They had given him something upon arrival and he kept yelling that it wasn't working. Wow. Maybe mom is the one who really needs to be medicated? Pray for them.
In the curtain next to us, was a baby about a year old with hives her mama couldn't find the source of. We over hear the doctor say he'll give her some Benadryl, and a shot of steroid. My boy looks at me and says "It's about to get loud in here." Cracking jokes even! Sure enough, the baby starts to cry even before the shot, and the volume increases 5 fold. And in less than a minute, her mama is holding her over the sink whilst she spews whatever is possibly giving her hives. Yuuuck.
There were 2 other families with babies there, but we couldn't hear what was going on with them. As we waited for his prescription in the waiting room, another patient was wheeled in by a different pair of EMTs. A very "well endowed" young woman, unusually endowed. Through text, Daddy asked what was wrong with her and I said there was nothing obvious. To this he replied, "she probably has back problems." My son surely gets his humor from that side of his gene pool.
Anyway, we were home in just over an hour which is a record if you've ever been in the ER. Again I thank you for your prayers and also in advance for any more you'd like to send our way. My illness is managed enough that I can take care of my trooper. If Daddy gets it, he's on his own. And little sister, I think she'll be fine. She had a fever a week and a half ago and yakked all over the bathroom floor and was a champ soon after! Mom is also feeling fine so she's likely not exposed, and for as much time as I spend with Thmartath - she has her own set of Forced Vacation Days reasons, not flu related.
Take care of yourselves folks. This flu is fierce.
You guys are lucky you live where you live. In big cities like NYC and Atlanta, there are priorities in an emergency room- like heart attack victims and gunshot wounds and there are a lot of them.
ReplyDeleteI once had an EMT roommate who was on his way to a choking victims house when they got a call that a "higher priority" came in the same area-- a heart attack-- when they got there, the woman was just sitting on her porch. She was not having a heart attack, she just knew the system and didnt want to "wait" for an ambulance to take her to the hospital because she was too cheap and lazy to call a cab. I always wondered if the choking victim died. My roommate went ballistic on the woman and got suspended 1 day without pay. This is why he is not a paramedic anymore-- because you really cant help the people you need to be helping.....