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Emergency?

Last night, just before we were going to eat dinner, Luke started wailing. He didn't stop, he wanted to be picked up and put down and curled up into a ball, all the while screaming at the top of his lungs. I gave him motrin, but it didn't help.

So I called Michael and over the screaming, told him to come home as soon as he could. Since it was 5:30, I know that wouldn't be very soon, since traffic is awful at about that time. So I made Eleanor and Amanda eat their sausage beans and rice (several times I offered to let them go to bed early if they didn't want to eat dinner). I offered Luke a popsicle, and he wouldn't even eat that. Finally, after 45 minutes of uncharacteristic screaming, I called the nurse line.

The nurse was helpful and asked a few questions, and then told me to take Luke into the emergency room. The hospital across town has a pediatric emergency room, and she said she would call them to let them know I was coming. At that point, I figured that it was the right thing to do. He obviously hurt, and it wasn't getting better, and I knew that we would go to the emergency room some time or other... The most likely problem was that he had eaten something he shouldn't have, since he eats everything.

Michael got home a few minutes later. As soon as the garage door opened, Luke started to calm down. As soon as Michael came through the door, Luke stopped crying. At this point he had been crying for almost an hour. As soon as I got him buckled in the car seat and drove away, he got happy. Along the road, he got really happy: squealing, talking, waving at me, barking at doggies... I called a friend, and she said that she was conservative in these matters, and always brought the kids in (I knew from her personality that that was what she would say, but I needed to call someone and no one else was home).

We got to within sight of the hospital, and I decided to call the nurse back. It seemed silly to bring this clearly healthy baby in with all the very sick people who really need the help. The nurse agreed, and said to go home. We'll keep an eye on him, but I think I ended up doing the right thing.

What do you think?

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Anonymous said…
This has been our experience too at times. As soon as you get the kid to the ER he is happy, convincing nurses to give him stickers, and racing cars down the corridor. Of course, that's the best case, isn't it? But I figure that it you think you need to go, then you do. Better safe then sorry, especially when they are so little and can't tell you what's wrong.

Sorry you had a rough evening =(

FNDP
October 3, 2008 at 11:21 AM
kadia said…
Absolutely right! Emergency rooms are not congenial places to spend time if not necessary!
October 3, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Lenise said…
I'd probably have done the same thing, though it might depend on how far I'd driven. (All that gas gone?!? For nothing?) Strange, but that's how my mind works.
October 4, 2008 at 7:22 PM
mathmom said…
FNDP: my friend made the same point. If he had been able to tell me what was wrong,it would have been easier to decide what was wrong. But I couldn't tell if it was his head, his tummy, something else... It was rough, but better than it could have been.

Kadia: I'm sure we'll get to the emergency room eventually, but I do want to avoid it1

Lenise: I know how you feel. It seemed like such a waste! =)
October 7, 2008 at 9:11 AM
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