Brown Family First: 911

 It's the middle of the night and I am wide awake ... much like last night, except not at all like last night. 

We're sort of the competitive type.  We couldn't stand to be so behind with getting our Christmas lights up like all the neighbors have done already, so we hired out the job.  The lights we were sporting in front of our house last night were all flashy and came with lots of noise, a fire truck, and two helpful elves in blue.  The neighbors even got out of bed to enjoy our scenery! 

In a nutshell, Anna woke up a little before midnight last night struggling for air. She was confused, scared, gasping, making troubling squeaky yelps instead of coughs, and just working really hard to inhale at all ... so after a few minutes of that and me shrieking and Noah's albuterol not helping much, Josh went ahead and called 911. So glad we did! By the time they got here, her feet were turning blue! They came, they took her to the ER (Josh went with her), got some steroid and epinephrine in her, and in 3 hours she was back at home (via a taxi cab ride that is all she can talk about) and wide awake from the meds of course. Diagnosis: severe croup ... with the gasping/gaping thanks to a little (not) symptom called Stridor that made immediate medical attention so critical. So glad, after all was said and done, to learn we did the right thing calling 911. I was so anxious that it might not have been warranted, but then again, my every instinct in the moment said it was! She's better today and the ER gave us some more steroid to give her before bedtime as that is when another little attack would have been apt to happen ... Dr. Google calls it acute spasmodic croup. So anyway, that is why I am up in the middle of the night now. We were all so tired after last night that we were in bed by 7, but now at 1, I'm all rested and getting up every time I hear Anna whimper or cough...which she can actually do tonight. Turns out, air is a wonderful thing!

Also wonderful, is the magic of FB that allowed me to let friends know quickly (and update them, too) so they could cover my girl in prayer all the while!  I'm pretty sure that's why she was up and active and fine by morning.  After a wild night, we had a wildly calm and easy day. Praying now that Noah doesn't get it. I don't like to think about the havoc this could wreak on his poor little lungs.

PS - After this and a certain 50+ car pile-up that happened close to home only hours later, I have a renewed and alert appreciation  for emergency responders like the ones pictured above.  I am so grateful to one of the paramedics that came to our home and handled and spoke to Anna so gently and reassuringly, that I already have in mind to find some way to get a thank you note and gift to him by Christmas.  We were really impressed with his manner and attention toward her here at the house, in the ambulance, and even still with her doctors after he'd gotten her to the ER.

Just so, so thankful everything ended up ok.  Thank you, Lord!