A couple nights ago, Dad and Kimmie and I made one of our excursions to Sam's Club to refill the cupboards. When you have a 16-year-old, a 19-year-old, a 21-year-old and Mom and Dad, you consume a lot of food.
Our shopping trip took an unexpected turn.
We had filled our cart with various groceries and then swung past the movies for Kimmie to pick one out. She had been very good while we were shopping. She picked a movie, but as we moved to the check-out area, she changed her mind and wanted to go back. We had taken a place in line and were trying to calm her down, when out of the blue she began to have a seizure.
I was looking right at her when it started and immediately knew what was happening. I told Dad and he began to try to lift her out of the cart to lay her down. A young male employee happened to be walking by, so Dad asked him to help lift her out of the seat. The young man quickly put down what he was carrying and helped.
After Kimmie was securely in Dad's arms he told the young man that he needed to lay her down someplace quiet. (And I'm thinking, "and not concrete.") We were all looking around for some place safe to lay her down when I noticed what the young man had set on the floor--a cash register drawer of money! I thought, "I hope no one steals that while he's trying to help us."
When I turned back to Dad and looked at Kimmie I realized that she had stopped moving, stopped breathing, her lips were blue and her skin was gray. There was blood on her lip and I could not tell if it was from her lip or coming from her mouth. I told Dad her lips were blue and blood was coming from her mouth. I heard voices around me asking if we needed EMS and Dad saying to call 911 NOW. As we were moving to lay her on the floor I quickly pulled out my phone and called 911. Someone tossed a few clothing items our way which were placed under Kimmie's head.
When I had the 911 operator on the phone, she wanted to know our location. I responded with the Sam's Club. The operator said she needed an exact address. I asked the employees milling around us, and they gave me the street name. I told them I needed the number. They started calling out numbers, but they weren't the same numbers. They finally agreed on a number and the operator was satisfied.
Then the operator wanted to know where in the store we were. I said by the check-out lanes. "Which lane?" (She was starting to frustrate me.) I quickly told her lane 13, although I didn't think they'd have any trouble finding us, but I also don't think the employees milling about us were organized enough to think about having someone at the door to direct EMS. And I wasn't sharp enough to tell them to send someone to the door to watch for the ambulance.
By this time Kimmie's color was improving and she was moving around a bit. Dad was crouched over her making sure she was breathing. The 911 operator was still talking in my ear. She wanted to know how old Kimmie was. I said 19. She said 19-year old female. I said yes. Then she asked another question, I started to answer it when I heard one of the voices around me ask, "How old is she?" I said, "She's 19." Then realized I'd already told the 911 operator that. Then I hear this echo of voices around me. "She's 19?" "She's 19." "How old is she?" "She's 19."
Kimmie's color was returning but she had a lot of blotchy red spots on her cheek and on her neck. I heard someone say, "She may have bit her tongue or lip" and I thought, "that's probably where the blood came from."
The 911 operator asked me which hospital we wanted to go to. I told her the children's hospital. She then points out that Kimmie is 19. I quickly pointed out that Kimmie is developmentally disabled, had surgery at the children's hospital just last year, and that they have all her records.
Eventually I looked up to see EMS coming across the store rolling a guerney. There seemed to be a lot of men, but as they came closer there were just two. Kimmie was quickly picked up, put on the guerney, strapped down . . . . and then they started with the dreaded blood pressure cuff. She was quickly fighting mad!
They finally gave that up and rolled her out to the ambulance. That's when I realized why I thought there were a lot of men. There were about six firemen, a fire truck, the ambulance, and the two paramedics. The paramedic who was going to ride in the back advised me that no one is allowed to ride in the back with the patient, but he'd make an exception this time and let me ride with Kimmie. Did he really think there was any chance of taking Kimmie without me? I don't think they would have gotten out of the parking lot before realizing what a bad idea it was to NOT take me with him. She would have gone completely ballistic. Even with me there she was fussing and trying to get off the guerney.
Before we left the store I glanced around to make sure we had all our stuff, except the cart of groceries which we left. I realized at this time that the drawer of cash was gone. I assume the young man retrieved it. I certainly hope so.
When you pull the story apart and look at certain parts of it, it can be almost comical.
But there is not anything comical about looking at your child who has gone completely still, has blue lips and gray skin. Scariest thing I've ever seen. Took my breath away. All I could think was, "I'm not ready to lose her."
--Mom
P.S. Kimmie is doing fine. Dad and I are still recovering!
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