Scary Phone Call


Kids were eating breakfast. Crafty Daughter was at school. I was checking e-mail, of course. Phone rings. I see Crafty Daughter’s middle school phone number. It was the school nurse.

Crafty Daughter had passed out in homeroom. I asked how my daughter was. Nurse said she was resting in nurse’s office. Pale, but alert. My mind was racing, just racing. I asked about calling 911 and she said I should call our ped. Nurses don’t give out medical advice.

I quickly got dressed, got husband to stay until kids were on bus, and raced — in a controlled manner — to the middle school. When I got there she was sitting down. She looked pale, but not sick. After checking in with nurse, we headed out of the school. I shouldered her ten-ton backpack while guiding her to the car. Wondering all the while how she manages to carry this humongous backpack with her slight body.

Next stop ER. After fielding a call from the advice nurse and the ped doctor, I made the decision to go to ER. The ped office is full of sick kids and I had a feeling the ped would recommend an ER visit anyway.

3 hours, $50, one bag of saline, bloodwork, EKG and we were on our way home. The verdict: the incident was a one-off, but if it happens again she would need a specialist’s attention.

Crafty spent the rest of the day watching TV, eating, sipping water. By the evening she was begging to be left at home, but I erred on the side of caution and took her to basketball, Subway, library, and school for Bedtime Storytime. I let her stay in the car a couple of times while we were out.

Scary but she’s fine.

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