Scare Of A Lifetime
By Wyatt Earp | April 27, 2006
He may look innocent, but this kid nearly killed me this afternoon. This is my two-year old son Erik, and like his father and brother before him, today he caught the nasty virus that has been going around. But unlike his father and brother, Erik woke from his afternoon nap with a 105 degree fever.
105 degrees.
There’s nothing better than getting that call at work. The “There’s something wrong with the baby call.” I had only been at work for about an hour, and just came back from a crime scene – the local media was there, but they got everyone on camera except for me – when the missus called and told me Erik was burning up. The doctor’s office told her to take Erik to the hospital, and now we had a crisis. The wife is already sick, the in-laws are out to dinner, and I am 30 minutes away working on a case. Swell.
Thankfully, the missus had it covered. She had Kyle stay at the neighbor’s house, called her sister-in-law so she could try and find the in-laws, and drove the baby to the E.R. In the meantime, I was a wreck, and fairly useless at the division. When the wife got to the hospital, she called my cell, and I had had enough, case or no case, I was out the door. My lieutenant and sergeant knew the details, and told me to go there a.s.a.p. I was very thankful, many bosses may not have cared.
In between trying to call the wife’s cell every 30 seconds and driving like Dale Earnhardt, I made it to the hospital in 25 minutes. (New league record.) When I found them, Erik’s fever dropped down to 103. Oh wow! The staff gave him antibiotics and Motrin, but thought the IV would be unnecessary. Thank God. Erik was a lump, lying on mom and moaning, and as usual, I was fearing the worst.
After a brutal three hours, Erik’s fever dropped to normal, and soon the little punk was bouncing around the room and singing. Of course, he was oblivious to what his parents just went through.
When he gets better, I’m gonna strangle him.
Topics: The Boys | 14 Comments »
April 27th, 2006 at 1:13 am
Glad to hear the baby’s okay. Man, when my first one caught the croop in the middle of the night and was gasping for breath…that was the most frightened I have ever been…Ever.
April 27th, 2006 at 1:15 am
Someday, he’ll have kids and you’ll finally get your revenge by spoiling your grandchildren rotten (and filling them with sugar) and sending them home. To him…
I’m glad it all ended ok.
April 27th, 2006 at 8:18 am
Scary.
I’m glad he’s ok though!
Kids.
Wait till he’s 18 or 19.
Then you’ll really be scared…
April 27th, 2006 at 8:43 am
Jeesh! Glad the baby is OK..nuthin scarier.
April 27th, 2006 at 11:17 am
I consider myself to be a relatively big strong guy type, but nothing shakes me more then when the little one is sick. Glad he is ok.
April 27th, 2006 at 11:33 am
Glad everyone’s okay. Been there, never want to again! My son would go into convulsions when his temp got to about 103 until he was a toddler 3-4. Couldn’t do anything except wait for it to be over. I hope you have liquid tylenol! And syrup of ipecac(sp)! If bathing isn’t possible, I would try to keep a damp washcloth on his head. Also give him a popsicle. It all works toward lowering the temp! Except the syrup of ipecac–that’s for making them throw up when they get into something they shouldn’t!
April 27th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
Fmr and Grim are right nothing scares a daddy than little ones that are sick and you can do nothing about it!!!
April 27th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
Glad everything turned out ok. Hopefully you will all be well and not have to deal with anything until next winter.
Couldn’t help trying to visualize a drive through Philly like D.E.
Which reminds me (sort of)…when I was born very premature, I had to be rushed from hospital to another and the best way…a Philly cop. They put me in a basket (yep a real basket) and took me to the next stop. My only run-in with a Philly cop.
April 27th, 2006 at 10:40 pm
Glad he’s feeling better.
Nothin’ worse than knowin’ you can’t really help somebody, ‘specially when they’re sick.
April 28th, 2006 at 7:59 am
Been there, chief. My daughter woke up screaming when she was about 1 1/2 years. When I checked her, her temp was 106! By the time we got to the hospital (it was in the middle of a snowstorm, of course), it was down to 103. Turns out it was just an ear infection, but we didn’t sleep for a couple of days after that because of the adrenaline rush!
April 28th, 2006 at 10:43 am
It makes me feel all edgy just reading about it. Glad he’s okay now.
April 28th, 2006 at 10:37 pm
Oh my Goodness! That would definately scare the beepers out of me.
Glad he’s getting better…
April 29th, 2006 at 6:58 am
Just remember… when he’s grown and has children of his own, you can laugh your butt off when it happens to him! That’s the best part of being a grandparent.
April 29th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
I can only agree with all the other shots fired.