Life can change in a split second

We got home from church at 4:00.  We enjoyed a lovely steak and baked potato Sunday dinner in the warm backyard.  Jayden came over and he and Morgan and Raleigh and I sat and talked for a couple of hours while the kids played in the backyard.  Kaleigh and Walt were having scooter races and Walt did a front flip over the Barbie Jeep and Kaleigh kept losing the races because she just wasn't as fast or as daring and it was making her so mad.  

The sun was going down and it was getting cold, so we went inside, cleaned up from dinner and I popped some popcorn as a treat while we watched Meet the Mormons.  The little kids kept coming in and out tattling on each other and asking for cold cereal.  Finally,  after Walt's 100th visit, I said  "come sit with mom and watch this show."  I tickled his back and he fell asleep in no time.  About 10 minutes later, Kaleigh came in and sat between Raleigh and me and she was out in minutes too.  It was 9:00 and we were so proud of ourselves to have two down at such a good hour and following Daylight Savings Time.  

We went to bed.  We were exhausted.  Raleigh had to go to a 7:00 am church meeting that morning and he was SOOO tired and I fall asleep every time I barely sit down, so we were out.   Kaleigh came in to our bed about 10:30 and laid between us for about 10 minutes and then got up and left our room.  This is not weird.  Our kids are nighttime wanderers.  It's not strange to find them in a different place than they started.  I thought nothing of her leaving and continued sleeping.  

But, for some reason, Raleigh didn't feel as settled as me.  He laid there for about 3-4 minutes and then got up and went out to the couch to check on things.  He found Kaleigh, her feet were on the floor and she was supporting her body weight but she was arched on her back on one of the cushions of the couch as if she had fallen backwards onto the couch.  Her head was to the side and she was staring straight ahead with her eyes open, but she looked like she was glazed over.  There was spit, or foam coming out of her mouth and her jaw was clenched so tight he couldn't pry it open with all of his strength.  He knew instantly that she wasn't okay.  I heard him yelling...

"KK"  "KK Girl, wake up."  "Come on Sweet Girl, KK!!!!"  

He came running into our room.  She was draped over his arm and was lifeless like a rag doll.  I could only see her silhouette, but I knew it was bad.   He fumbled for the light and I started hysterically saying 

"Do we need 911?.....  Raleigh do I need to call them?"  He said  "YES, CALL THEM QUICK!!!"

I was instantly hysterical.  I couldn't remember how to dial my phone.  When the dispatch answered, I couldn't remember our address and gave her the wrong numbers.  She couldn't find our address in her system and I started screaming...  Just call them, just get them here.  

I could hear Raleigh...  "KK, look at Dad.   KK Girl....  open your eyes and look at dad."  I ran back into the bedroom because the dispatch was asking questions of me that I couldn't answer.  

"Is she breathing?"  

"Yes, she's breathing."

But her tiny body was limp and she couldn't hold her head up.  Her eyes were open but kept rolling back into her head and she was staring at him, but she was not there.  He was trying to sweep her mouth for something that she could be choking on, but he couldn't get her to open her mouth.  He kept calmly talking to her.

"Sweet Girl, look at Dad.     KK, can you see Dad's eyes?"  

Her head kept falling backwards and forwards and she kept closing her eyes, but Raleigh would say her name and she would open them.  Her pupils were completely dilated and she looked like she was in a trance.  

The dispatch told me to go turn on our house lights and open our front door and go outside and listen for the sirens.  She could tell my hysteria was not helping the situation.  Morgan was out on the front lawn hyperventilating and I thought I was going to have two passed out kids before too long.  

Finally after what seemed like 100 years, I could hear the sirens.  They turned on to our street and I started flickering the lights so they could see where we were.  It was like they were in slow motion driving up.  Why were they driving so slowly when my daughter was dying in my bedroom?  They got out, put on gloves, got their machines from the back of the ambulance.  And walked.... WALKED up to our house,  like they were coming over for dinner.  I was jumping up and down in the doorway and jogging in place.  "Please hurry"  I said  "please help her"

When we got back into the bedroom, she was still unresponsive but she had thrown up on our bed.  I thought that was a good sign if she had been choking on something.  Raleigh was propping her up and he was still talking to her.  

They took her temperature and blood pressure and asked us one million questions.  Has she been sick?  No.  Did she get into any medicine? No.  Do you have a history of this?  No.  That?  No.  Is she healthy?  Yes.  What happened?  Who found her?  

She was wearing the usual...  pink underwear.  That's all.  And Raleigh scooped her up and they rushed to the ambulance.  My only job was to grab her jammies.   But, I got side tracked trying to calm Morgan down, calm Ryker down and making sure everyone staying home was going to be okay and I ran to my car, so that I could follow them to the hospital and I didn't grab her clothes.  

I could see them in the back of the ambulance.  Raleigh was hunched over her and the EMT kept standing up and sitting down.  If he was sitting, I assumed she was fine, and I felt fine, but every time he stood up and would almost throw up.  I kept watching Raleigh because I knew that if something was really wrong, he'd change his position.  But he never did.  

Up and over Foremaster took another 100 years.  And the drive through the parking lot, again, was in slow motion.  But at least we were at the hospital where they have machines and medicines and people who know what they are doing.  

When we arrived, I ran over to the bay and there was my tiny elf on a huge stretcher.  She looked so little.  The EMTs had given her a little kitty stuffed animal and I said "Sis, momma's here.  What color is your kitty?"  She told me she was pink and I almost started crying because I knew that she didn't have any brain damage and she was understanding us finally.  

I called my mom and dad and told them that they didn't have to come, but I sure wished they would.  Of course they did.

 The tests began.  She had a CT scan.  A urine test with a catheter.  A blood test.  A chest X-ray (which she smiled for)  it was the cutest thing I have ever seen in my whole life and my heart nearly burst.  She had an IV with pink bandages which she loved.  And they put a gown on her because she was suddenly aware that she was naked.  And her crazy mother had forgotten her clothes.

 She finally started crying.  Very quiet little whimpers and tears slowly ran down her cheeks.  It was then, that I think she started to be aware of where she was and that things were wrong.  

 Raleigh held her little legs and hands while they did all of the procedures and she barely made a peep.  She was obviously in pain because her body would flinch, but she barely whimpered.  My dad and Raleigh gave her a beautiful blessing and blessed her little body that she would heal quickly and completely.  

 Hysterical Morgan caught a ride over to the hospital with Jayden and by the time she was finally able to come back, KK had livened up enough to smile and do her trademark photo pose.  

 Here we are 6 hours later.   So tired.  But, at this point we knew she was going to be okay

                                                  

 After throwing up four times, she was finally able to close her eyes.  I didn't want her to, but I knew that she was so tired.  I just selfishly wanted her to stay awake, so that I could talk to her and hear her voice.  

 We brought her home and put her between us in the bed and I listened to her breathe with my hand on her chest for the next three hours.  

This morning, she is back to her magical self.  It turns out, she has Rhinovirus, a respiratory infection and a bladder infection.  With ZERO symptoms.  And her little tiny body couldn't handle that much.

I think (and of course, I am not a doctor) but I'd lay down a significant amount of money on the fact that....

When she left our room, she was between sleep and awake.  I think she may have started to throw up but tried to stop it and because she wasn't fully awake, she started choking on it.  I know that if Raleigh hadn't felt impressed to go out after her, there is a good chance, we would have found her arched on her back on our couch in the morning, staring straight to the side with her eyes open.....   and I can't finish that sentence.  

It showed me how quickly things can change.  And how you can have a little girl playing in your backyard one minute and the next minute.............

Ugh!!  Love your loved ones every minute that you can.  Don't fall into mundane, stupid, unimportant life, stupidity.  Say I love you and often and make as many memories as you can.  And for heavens sake....  count your many blessings, name them one by one.

My blessings today are Raleigh and my Sweet KK Girl.