No, that’s not my favorite Mixx station (that would be 107.7). No, that wasn’t our latest grocery bill. No, that isn’t my IQ score. Actually, it might be. Hmmm….
That was actually my baby’s temperature when I had to break down last night and call the doc. I knew what he would say: Take him to the ER. It’s a high enough fever that we need to be careful. It may just be a virus, there may be nothing they can do for him, but better safe than sorry.
I know this, because every one of my kids has had a high fever at some point in their toddlerhood. It’s one of the things they inherit from their Daddy.
My oldest had hers around her first Christmas (or was it her second?). I think her’s passed the 105 mark, by a few tenths at least. At the time, she looked nothing like her Daddy. We joked that the only thing he passed onto her was her cowlicks (she has four like he used to) and his high fevers. We were at the ER with her a couple of times.
It’s odd how different the experience is when comparing the first child to the third. The first time we saw the temperature rising, it was terrifying. What in the world could be wrong with our child that the fever would be that high? All the tests seemed appropriate, because surely they would find out what the heck was wrong with our daughter, right? 105 is just not sane.
But no. Take her home. Lukewarm baths. Medicine. Cool washcloths. Lots of fluids. Call her doc in the a.m. It’s just a virus, she’ll be fine.
The second time her temp. soared, it was still scary, but less so. The first time our oldest son’s did, it was expected. With the baby, well, it was more of a precaution. Okay, so it was still a little scary, but I knew they wouldn’t find anything.
Thankfully, they didn’t. And his fever is coming down. And I can rest easy knowing that he’ll be fine.
And I think of all the moms out there who don’t have health insurance, or even adequate healthcare, and who don’t have the assurances that there’s not anything major wrong with their kids when their temps are soaring in the middle of the night. And I wish I could give it to them, to comfort them, to provide for them, to help them. And, in that moment, I can’t.
And so I thank God that my baby is okay, and I snuggle him closer and comfort him, and I vow to do better to help those who need the same assurances, comfort, and hope.
WOW! 105! Emily once had a febral (?) seizure. It is a seizure brought on by a spike in fever. It is not how high, but how fast it goes up. I was scared! Thankfully, my sister’s daughter had experienced the same thing about 6 months before.(Not thankfully for my niece, but thankfully I knew what it was) We took her to the emergency room, got her checked out, and all was fine. Not a seizure since. And while I used to be very conservative about Tylenol, You know letting the fever work it’s course, I tend to give it a little quicker now. I don’t want to see that again. It is a total helpless feeling!
And I think you’ve achieved a new record for sentences beginning with “and.”
(Glad our baby is feeling better, even if he’s big enough to have eaten an ordinary sized baby.)
Angel: I can’t imagine how terrifying that would be! Yikes. Good to know that, though, in case we experience it at some point. Parenting is not for the faint of heart!
Bald Man: I hadn’t even noticed all my “ands” until you mentioned it. Now they’re haunting me.
Yeah, we grow ‘em big ‘n tall ’round here! 