Well, we are finally home-Thank the Lord. We have been at the hospital for only 3 days, but it feels like forever! On Tuesday, Riley Kate was great all day long--playing and happy. She ate supper and was acting normal, not even cranky. Well, that night about 8:30 Jason picked her up to take her to the bath tub, and he said she felt hot, then she vomitted. I picked her up to clean her off, and she started seizing. Well, the medical mentality kicked in (thank God!), and I immediately rushed to the kitchen sink and began to scrub her with a lukewarm wet washcloth to bring her fever down and stop the seizure. She seized about 2 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. After seizures, people go into what is called a post-ictal state where they are non-responsive and limp. Riley Kate did this, but she was having obvious trouble breathing-she stopped breathing for a couple of seconds, so I blew in her face and she gasped and began taking shallow breaths, so I prepared myself to do CPR. When that happened, the mother mentality kicked in, and I knew she needed more help than I could give her here. Luckily, we are in a small town, and I am friends with one of the Pediatricians here (who by the way is AWESOME!). I just cannot tell you how extraiordinary the care was Dr. Ramgoolam gave Riley Kate (and us!).
He was waiting for us at the ER. By the time we got there she had had 1 more seizure and began to seize when we walked in the ER. At this point, she already had seized 3 times. We went straight back to a trauma room, and Dr Ramgoolam immediately went to work on her. Within a minute, my baby girl had IV fluids going, oxygen, fever medication, IV seizure medication, and was hooked up to every monitoring machine. I know I am going to be a FNP in a couple of months, and this is sad to say, but I just stood there holding Riley Kate's little limp hand-I could not even think straight. Dr Ramgoolam kept reassuring us she was going to be okay, but it was so scary! After one dose of seizure medication (which knocked her out), she looked as if she were beginning to seize again, so he gave her another dose of seizure medication. Then he pulled us aside and told us he needed to do a lumbar puncture on her to rule out meningitis or any other infection in the brain that would show up in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). With tears in my eyes, I gave him my consent. I was going to stay in there with her (as I do with all procedures on my children), but I trust Dr Ramgoolam totally, so I left the room. (Now for those of you who know me well, know that was a huge step for me!) He called me back to the room as soon as he was done. The CSF was clear!! Yeah! She was still knocked out from the seizure medication, but her breathing was back to normal.
Dr Ramgoolam stayed there with us until we got a room upstairs. He kept us informed of everything that was going on the whole time! I don't think that I will ever be able to thank him enough!! Riley Kate slept under a cool mist oxygen tent all night. I could not sleep at all, so I sat up and watched her all night long, praying and thanking God for watching over her! Dr Ramgoolam and Dr Wells examined her the next day. (Does it get any better than that! That is having the top 2 Peds. in my book!) She had more bloodwork and a chest x-ray. Anyway, Dr Wells examined her last night, and wanted her to stay another night for observation, more IV fluids, and more IV antibiotics. Riley Kate could not walk without help because she was still groggy from the seizure medication, so Dr Wells did not want her going home yet.
She did great, and Dr Ramgoolam came by this morning and discharged us home! Now Riley Kate is running around the house and playing with Grayton--things are back to normal!
Both Dr Ramgoolam and Dr Wells agree that Riley Kate's seizures were caused by fever, probably from a virus. However, we will go to LeBonheur in a couple of weeks to a pediatric neurologist for an EEG to check her brain function just to be sure! Anyway, we are so grateful to Dr Ramgoolam for the outstanding compassionate care he gave Riley Kate that night in the ER. We praise the Lord that our baby girl is back and feeling wonderful!
He was waiting for us at the ER. By the time we got there she had had 1 more seizure and began to seize when we walked in the ER. At this point, she already had seized 3 times. We went straight back to a trauma room, and Dr Ramgoolam immediately went to work on her. Within a minute, my baby girl had IV fluids going, oxygen, fever medication, IV seizure medication, and was hooked up to every monitoring machine. I know I am going to be a FNP in a couple of months, and this is sad to say, but I just stood there holding Riley Kate's little limp hand-I could not even think straight. Dr Ramgoolam kept reassuring us she was going to be okay, but it was so scary! After one dose of seizure medication (which knocked her out), she looked as if she were beginning to seize again, so he gave her another dose of seizure medication. Then he pulled us aside and told us he needed to do a lumbar puncture on her to rule out meningitis or any other infection in the brain that would show up in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). With tears in my eyes, I gave him my consent. I was going to stay in there with her (as I do with all procedures on my children), but I trust Dr Ramgoolam totally, so I left the room. (Now for those of you who know me well, know that was a huge step for me!) He called me back to the room as soon as he was done. The CSF was clear!! Yeah! She was still knocked out from the seizure medication, but her breathing was back to normal.
Dr Ramgoolam stayed there with us until we got a room upstairs. He kept us informed of everything that was going on the whole time! I don't think that I will ever be able to thank him enough!! Riley Kate slept under a cool mist oxygen tent all night. I could not sleep at all, so I sat up and watched her all night long, praying and thanking God for watching over her! Dr Ramgoolam and Dr Wells examined her the next day. (Does it get any better than that! That is having the top 2 Peds. in my book!) She had more bloodwork and a chest x-ray. Anyway, Dr Wells examined her last night, and wanted her to stay another night for observation, more IV fluids, and more IV antibiotics. Riley Kate could not walk without help because she was still groggy from the seizure medication, so Dr Wells did not want her going home yet.
She did great, and Dr Ramgoolam came by this morning and discharged us home! Now Riley Kate is running around the house and playing with Grayton--things are back to normal!
Both Dr Ramgoolam and Dr Wells agree that Riley Kate's seizures were caused by fever, probably from a virus. However, we will go to LeBonheur in a couple of weeks to a pediatric neurologist for an EEG to check her brain function just to be sure! Anyway, we are so grateful to Dr Ramgoolam for the outstanding compassionate care he gave Riley Kate that night in the ER. We praise the Lord that our baby girl is back and feeling wonderful!
