My not so favorite martian...

President's Day, Feb. 15, 2010 started out a bit normal.  It was my Son's 1/2 birthday celebration at school.  (Which, when I was a kid ~ if your birthday was lucky enough to be in summer, it wasn't necessary to celebrate a 1/2 b-day, but don't get me started!).  He wasn't feeling the greatest with a cold and looked a little pathetic. My Hubby thought he was playing up the sickness to get out of school, but I knew he wasn't feeling great.  We dropped off the b-day treats, went to breakfast and headed home.  My husband and daughter were at home playing Toy Story Kerplunk.  She took one of the plastic green aliens and put it in her mouth.  Mark and I were yelling for her to spit it out, but she decided to be funny and 'pop' it out of her mouth, but when she inhaled, in went the alien... it was stuck and panic struck everyone.  I was trying to hook it out with my finger, but it was too far in.  Mark was trying to hit her back/turn her upside down.  She was breathing, but was choking on saliva and trying to throw/cough it up.  She was spitting up blood and I was terrified!  I called 9-1-1 immediately.  To which they wanted me to stay on the line.  Matthew my 4 year old was screaming 'Mommy.... wipe my tushy', as loud as you can imagine.  The woman was giving me instructions, daughter still choking... I'm trying to put the dog away so the paramedics don't have to deal with him... WRIGLEY - GO TO YOUR ROOM.  PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME CHASE YOU DAMN DOG.  Matthew - quick wipe n' run.  I run outside in my bare feet waving my arms around like an idiot for the ambulance with tears steaming down my face, irritated I left my Husband and choking daughter inside the house.  The paramedics finally get there, and the WALK up to the house.  I'm like, you've got to be kidding me?  They see she's breathing, but know she's in distress and just grabbed my purse and blanket to wrap her in & her blankies (rexy's) and they strapped us to the stretcher.  My Husband stayed home with Matthew and Brayden.  I felt bad my Husband was left behind just praying everything worked out.  Matthew was un-phased however, and was asking to play Wii.  She had stopped spitting up for the most part, but was just lethargic, calm and scared in my arms the whole way to the hospital.  She was so brave, I was VERY proud of her.  She let them take the x-rays without a whimper laying on the hard board stretched out.  They took pics of her stomach and neck.  They found the alien in her neck, and said she'd need surgery to get it out, and the Ear/Nose/Throat Dr. was on their way.  She said it would go quickly... I just wanted my Husband.  I had called my Mom and she was coming over to relieve my Husband so he could join me.  The ENT Dr. showed up and explained the procedure & explained all the things that could go wrong and cause DEATH.  I just want this over, and to be cuddling with her in her bed, reading her a bedtime story.  I'm praying to god every 5 seconds.  In walks my husband.  We transfer her from the comfort of my arms, to a cold steel rolling crib.  I can't cry... need to be brave, can't show her I'm upset.  She starts to panic as she realizes they're taking her away.  She's screaming Mooooommmmmy... I want my Moooommmmy.  The double doors close behind her, and I lose it.  I completely and utterly lose it.  They escort us to the waiting room, which somehow seems like the middle of the hospital.  My husband runs off to get me advil because I can't see straight.  We're both telling each other it'll be alright.  This is a long 40 minutes... I'm a good person, this can't be karma?  I didn't do anything bad, why is this happening?  The Dr. comes out, and says... She's fine, did great.  The elephant was lifted off my shoulders and I could breathe again!  We even got the alien back in the jar, where it's going to stay!

They put her in a recovery room and said when she started to wake up they'd call us back.  This made me angry, I wanted her to see me when she first woke up, not some scary nurse.  It took her a few minutes and books to really wake up once we were able to see her.  She had a fat lip from the breathing tube and instruments, she had red dots under her eyes from the blood vessels/coughing so hard, she looked exhausted.  Within 10 minutes, she was herself again.  Coloring with her left hand (right had had the IV in it).  We had to wait 2 1/2 hours, then she needed to eat a Popsicle before they'd let us go home...she got 3 of them, then didn't want to go home! She never really complained of a sore throat, unless she had an eye on another Popsicle.

Thank You God, Dr.'s, Nurses at Good Shepherd hospital for giving me back my daughter safe and sound!

All this and we come home to Matthew who has a 103 fever.  Welcome to parenthood!