We were planning to visit Normal, Illinois again this weekend but we didn't make it and our weekend was anything but normal. Christine, Talia, and Talia's friend were making pbj sandwiches in the kitchen while I was at the door talking to my tiger neighbor. After a little while Talia walked over and she didn't look right. Her face was pale and her eyes looked hazy. I picked her up and she laid her head down on my shoulder. She said her tummy hurt. I said good-bye to my neighbor and turned my attention to Talia. I set her down and she immediately collapsed to the floor. I made her get up, but she couldn't really stand or walk straight. I started feeling panicked. A quick glance to the kitchen revealed the problem. There were two open pill bottles, which both have child safe lids. One a prescription and one a sleep aid. I searched frantically for my phone. I couldn't find it for 15 minutes. I called poison control. They said take her to the ER RIGHT NOW!!! I don't normally panic but this time I did. My super-crazy-hyperactive-monkey child was laying in a heap on the floor not moving and now I couldn't find my keys (probably because I was panicking). In my head I was trying to force myself to think clearly. I called Chris, I counted the pills, I put them in my purse, I called my friend -because I had her son with me - then I realized the Children's Tylenol Cold & Flu was sticky on the outside and empty. Suddenly I realized I had no idea how to get to the hospital. My friend came to pick her son up and drove to the hospital so all I had to do was follow and not think. I did have the presence of mind to grab Talia's stuffed animal named Puppy and her blanket on the way out the door. On the way to the hospital I called Jenn, because I needed to have a freak-out moment and I couldn't do with someone that would freak-out too. My friend then took Christine and took care of getting my other kids home from school - even though it was her husband's birthday and they were going out of town - she very calmly helped me out, again so I didn't have to think about anything else.
So long story short Talia and I were taken by ambulance (and the ambulance hit black ice and spun out by the way) from this hospital to the children's hospital where we stayed over night. She lay motionless for over 18 hours, sleeping some but mostly just laying there hooked to all kinds of monitors. Late into the next morning as I was asking her what she wanted for breakfast she couldn't decide between waffles and pancakes but I told her to pick one so she said, without slurred speech for the first time since arriving at the hospital, "Hmmm... how about I have waffles and Puppy has pancakes." My Talia was back!! I felt relief for the first time all night and laughed. She proceeded to ask anyone that came into our room (the janitor, nurse, doctor, etc.) to "please take this off of me?" Referring to the monitors and I.V. We had long talks about not taking medicine unless mommy or daddy gives it to you. I thought she got it.
Then today on the way to school (we missed the bus) Talia was telling Christine about the movies she watched at the hospital. Christine asked if we could go there sometime to watch them. I said probably not. So Talia said to Christine "if you take some of those medi-meds (medicine) you can go the the doctors too so you can see that new Cinnerella and Frosty Snowman too." I was quick to correct her logic. I never want to repeat that experience!
You will be glad to know that no medicine is within her reach anymore. But then again that's what I thought before.......
3 weeks ago