A Little Sunshine – and a little blood!

Warning: If you are squeamish … skip down to the card!

I was planning to post this last week but things got in the way!  My daughter has been really sick with whatever junky crud has been going around the schools and was running fevers from 102.5 to 103.4 if I was just a tiny bit late on her Ibuprofen/Tylenol dosing.  She finally is not running a fever, but this morning we had a bit of a scary incident.  She woke up and was looking pretty good.  She wanted breakfast and was going to work on homework…..then she got a bloody nose.  I was standing in the kitchen with her and she said, “Oh, it is really bleeding and that must have been what was running down my throat”  I turned around to look at her and then she said, “I can’t see! Mom! I can’t see!”  I looked at her and by the look on her face I could tell something was really wrong.  She really looked pale and scared and her eyes freaked me out!  Her pupils were completely dilated.  I asked her if it was blurry or black, and she said black.   I grabbed her and could feel that her legs were about to give.  I laid her on the floor and was calling her name (although now Krista says I was yelling her name – oops!).  Her eyes were still open and she was just sort of staring into space.  I felt like I was in a complete panic!  A million things were running through my head  - Do I call 911? Did she just faint, ya, I’m pretty sure she just fainted, but did she have an aneurysm?  Is she going to have a seizure? I was pretty freaked out!  Luckily this only lasted for a few seconds (but really felt like many minutes).  Then she said, “I’m going to puke!” So I picked her up and by then she was actually able to walk – we got to the kitchen sink and she started gagging, and then the blood came.  I think my eyes were dilated by that time!  I had never seen someone vomit blood – I’d say it was maybe only 1/2 cup but still – enough to make me have flashes of House (that show on Fox) run through my brain! 

After that little episode, I sat her down on the floor and grabbed the phone.  Her pupils were tiny by this time.  I took her pulse.  I asked how she felt, and she said, “Sweaty.”  She was definitely very clammy!  I asked her if her vision just went suddenly black or did the blackness creep in?  It crept in.  Okay – good I thought! Scary Scary! Yes very Scary! But…. I knew she was going to be okay!  She had a vasovagal episode.  I used to have these quite often as a teenager.   At first I thought it was just because she had been sick and maybe a little dehydrated, but after talking with my mom (who is a nurse) she thinks too that it was the blood that triggered it!  My episodes were triggered by an already low blood pressure made even lower by sudden standing, especially if I was hot or tired – like after basketball practice if I took a hot shower or after tanning.  I was able to catch the early signs, heavy arms, ringing in my ears, and darkness creeping around the periphery of my vision, and I’d put my arms up and my head down and it would get better.  Scary, but manageable.  I’m just hoping that this is a one time thing for Krista, with the combination of being sick and seeing blood!  Yikes!  Of course, I’ll keep a close eye on her and take her to the doctor if she has any more of these symptoms.  Right now I’m pushing fluids and some salt!

Okay – now for a little sunshine!

Ducky Days  can be found at Our Craft Lounge!

I just love these images! I think this set is so perfect for the Oregon Coast – we get TOO much rain but the sun still does give us beautiful days occasionally!!

Thanks for stopping by!  The sun is actually out today – it is a bright beautiful day – minus the little morning episode!!