So. Yesterday morning John woke up with Croup. So, I call his doctor and get an appointment in 45 minutes. So, I pack the kids up in the car and realize I left the TV on. So I run back in the house, turn off the TV and hurry back outside to get John to the Doctor. Only, instead of a smooth exit, I step wrong and land sideways on my left ankle. I go down HARD. I let out a loud yell and wriggle around on the front porch for a minute or so. Tabytha makes her way out of the car to see if I'm OK. I look at my ankle, which has now swelled to the size of a baseball (no exaggeration, it REALLY was the size of a baseball). I have Tabytha go in the house and get my crutches and she gets back in the car and I make my way to the car. On the way to John's doctor I call my mom and tell her what happened and that after John's appointment I need to get to the hospital for an xray but have no one to watch the kids. She lets dad know what's going on and she's on her way with Bethany and Hannah.
I get to the doctor's office and Tabytha goes in to ask one of the nurses to help bring Jessica in while I use the crutches to get into the office. One of the nurses comes out to the waiting area and looks at my ankle and puts an ice pack on it. About 10 minutes later it's John's turn to get looked at. His doctor, a visiting doctor and 2 nurses come into the room (John has a bit of a reputation). He has croup. Nurse 1 tries to get the pulseox monitor on his finger. John's not having it. He's getting worked up, crying, squirming, coughing and gasping for air. Nurse tries to put it on his toe. Not having it. He's really upset, trying to breath and wanting OUT of there! FINALLY, we get the monitor on his toe long enough to get a faint reading of his oxygen and heart rate. It's not good. Oxygen level was at 79%, heart rate was really high, but the main concern was his oxygen level. He wasn't getting enough. Doctor has a nurse call 911. While we're waiting for the ambulance to arrive I'm finally able to get John calmed down and resting his head on my shoulder. Doctor gets a nebulizer treatment started and tapes it to my shoulder where his head is resting on me. The ambulance gets there and brings the stretcher back. The female EMT holds John long enough for me to hobble over and get on the stretcher to hold John. My legs get strapped down, John snuggles up to me again with his head resting on my shoulder and they take us out. As we get up the hallway my mom shows up in the doorway. She made it in the nick of time. I leave the diaper bag and my car key and she gathers up Tabytha and Jessica and make their way to the hospital.
In the ambulance my cell phone rings. In the midst of the chaos I hadn't called Charlie to let him know what's going on. I answer my phone. He tells me to turn the radio down and I tell him it's not the radio. It's the ambulance siren and EMT on the walkie next to us. He got upset and started yelling for me to tell him what was going on and what's wrong with John and he's on his way and I should have called him. Long story short. We get into the hospital and get wheeled back to a room in the ER. The EMT tells the nurse it's a "2 for 1 special. Child has croup and mother has injured ankle". I tell them to treat John first and worry about me later.
My mom finds her way to the room John and I are in. The steriod shot John got in the Doctor's office is working and the oxygen is taped to my shoulder blowing in his face to help him breath. He's getting better. John's still clinging to me which is fine. I'd forgotten about my ankle and as my adhrenaline rush from fear for my son fades the pain in my ankle floods to the top of the list. I burst into tears. Mom tells me it's OK, she's here now, everythings gonna be alright. I ask her how Tabytha and Jessica are doing and she assures me they're fine. Bethany's got a handle on everything in the ER waiting room. There's a play corner that Tabytha and Hannah are playing in and Bethany is entertaining Jessica. I finally start feeling more at ease and can start relaxing knowing my mom and sisters are here to help. John dozes off on my shoulder. He's exhausted from the mornings events at the doctors office. He's resting comfortably against me. Charlie calls my cell again. This time my mom answers and he's really upset because he doesn't know what's going on with John so mom trys to calm him down and explain to him what happened and what's going on now. Until this phone call he was unaware that I was injured also. I didn't tell him because my injury wasn't keeping me from breathing like John's croup was doing to him. I'm not sure how much time has passed but it's FINALLY my turn to get looked at. A nurse gets a wheelchair for me and wheels me to xray. She takes 3 xrays of my ankle and sends me back to my room. MORE time goes by. Mom goes to check on the girls and Charlie finds his way to the ER room John and I are in. After awhile the ER doctor comes in and says my ankle isn't broken or fractured, just badly sprained and John's oxygen levels are back up to 100% and he and I are allowed to go home. I get a brace for my ankle, Charlie gets John and I hobble my way out.
Mom and Charlie pack the kids in the car, I get in the driver's seat and Charlie takes mom and Bethany in his truck and we go back to the doctors office for mom to get her car. Everyone gets in their car/truck. Charlie goes to get John's medication and mom follows me home to help bring the kids in the house.
Once home, Mom and Bethany get John and Jessi into the house, Tabytha and Hannah go out back to play and I limp my way in. We get settled in and mom does what she does and begins straightening up my kitchen. I'd been gone all day and didn't get any housework done. We left the house a little after 9am and it was now about 3:15pm. The day was gone and my house was a mess. I didn't even care. John was doing better, no major meltdown from Jessica while we were at the hospital and Tabytha and Hannah had fun in the waiting room playing together. My ankle was throbbing, but I was fine. I took an ibuprophen and mom, Bethany and Hannah got going.
Charlie took over 'zoo keeper' duties for the evening. He tended to all 3 kids, cooked dinner and tended to me while I was keeping my ankle elevated.
I'll never be able to express how grateful I am for my mom and Bethany for dropping what they were doing and coming to the hospital to help me in my and John's time of need. Charlie took today and tomorrow off to let me rest my ankle before taking back my full time 'zoo keeper' duties.
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