Our first ER visit...

So it finally happened.... I've often wondered what it would be like and how I'd react if I ever had to rush one of my children to the emergency room. Well, last Friday evening it happened.
We had gotten home from the beach the night before, so Friday was a total lazy day. Aubrie and I were watching a movie and Olivia was supposedly  playing in the back bedroom. And then it happened...that horrendous scream, the scream that makes your heart stop but your feet start running. I swung open the door and Olivia was covered in pink goo, covering her face running down her little body. She was screaming, spitting and coughing.  I grabbed her and ran for the shower, I started screaming for Aubrie to find my phone and she came running in with it. Olivia had found the laundry pods I had packed in my luggage,  and i had forgotten they were there. I called poison control... our pedi had just given it to me 3 weeks before when at her well child check (if you don't have the number on speed dial you HAVE TO ADD IT TONIGHT!) A man answered told me I needed to flush her for 15 minutes and get her to drink something, he said he'd call me back in 30 minutes.  I handed Aubrie the phone and said when that rings you answer it okay.
Trying to flush her eyes was terrible,  the laundry soap is so concentrated that when water was added it was growing, I kept yelling for Aubrie to bring more towels.  Aubrie brought me a juice box and we tried to get her drink,  she took a little than she became lethargic.... olivia is never lethargic.
I grabbed her, the diaper bag and Aubrie and we left for the hospital.
Poison control called back just like he said and we were headed to the hospital, I told him what was happening and he agreed with the decision and said he'd contact the hospital now to let them know we were on our way.
That was the longest 15 minute drive... I kept asking Olivia to show me her blue eyes...i didn't want her to fall asleep.  Aubrie was singing twinkle twinkle little star...goodness, Aubrie was an amazing big girl that day.

We got there and almost immediately they had her back checking vitals... Aunt Alicia showed up and kept Aubrie in the waiting room. The nurse was on the phone with poison control going through the checklist of symptoms and the timeline...they took her vitals and decided to take her back for further monitoring.
The Dr came in with 2 nurses and decided to continue flushing her eyes. They flushed her than wanted to see if she'd eat anything to see if she'd throw up. They brought in chocolate ice cream and strawberry popsicles, she pushed both away. The Dr asked if I had the Disney app on my phone, thinking maybe Mickey mouse would get her to open her eyes. Gut wrenching.... she laid down and put the phone to her ear but refused to open her eyes.
They put numbing drops in her eye and immediately she opened them up! She still wouldn't eat, the Dr said he's not shocked being as the last thing she put in her mouth hurt her but asked me to keep trying. She half way watched/just listened to Mickey mouse. After about 30 minutes she decided she wanted some juice, but she kept saying "eye burn... eye burn momma" absolutely heart breaking to watch her.

She finished her juice and thankfully kept it and a few bite of ice cream down, than she laid down and fell asleep. I was kind of shocked...thats not like her. The Dr came back asked our she was doing and I said she's still acting strange, Olivia isn't like this... he said she's  just exhausted, she looks fine but we can monitor a little longer of you would like. To which I said yes. 

As she slept I started called opthamalogist in the BR area, I wanted someone to look at her asap. I called one Dr and she immediately called me back, sadly she was on vacation but gave me the name and number to 3 other drs.  I called the first 2 and the after hour call center refused to put me through to the on call Dr because Olivia was not a patient. To say I was pissed was an understatement. I called back the first Dr who was willing to help but on vacation... she was floored. She gave me the names of 2 more drs. When I dialed the last number the same stinking call center lady answered the phone, I was pissed... I hung up. 

I walked out and to the nurses station and asked if they had an opthamalogist on staff that night,  they said no... and I proceeded to tell them what just happened. They were shocked. By this point I'm in tears... frustrated.  I wanted so desperately to be back in Blanchard because I knew there was drs back home that would help me.... 

About that time the Dr that had been watching Olivia came around, saw me crying and hugged me and asked " what can I do?"  I said, I want to have her eye examined... somethings not right... I know you said she's fine bc she's not crying but she keeps saying her eye burns and when they are closed shes okay but the moment she tries to open them she's crying in pain. And I mean on cue she woke and started screaming. So he agreed to flush her again and check her with a some dye and a uv light. 

In came 3 nurses and the Dr with 5 syringes of fluid.... it took them 3 to hold her down for the them to flush her... she was drenched in sweat...screaming... I stood in the corner fighting back tears and praying for God to protect my baby. They checked the ph level and it was starting to come down.  Once the dye went in and he used the uv light, he discovered she had a corneal abrasion... poor baby. 

They discharged Olivia around midnight but didn't give her anything for the pain or possible infection. The Dr said he couldnt  prescribe those kids of meds... but kept saying shed be fine come tomorrow. 

Needless to say that night was terrible... she was miserable.  I woke up Saturday morning determined to find someone to see her.  My friend Donna sent me the name to an eye Dr they had just used. I called and OF COURSE got the call center...but this time, I lied. I knew what I needed to say to get through.  And I immediately was put through to the on call opthamalogist. I told him the truth that we were not patients of his and what had happened and that she wasn't given anything.  He was shocked and very upset that we had gone through all this,  he agreed to call in an antibiotic ointment and a steroid and said he wanted to see her monday.... I guess he forgot Monday was a holiday so she saw him Tuesday.  

It was a very long and hard weekend... olivia would barely open her eyes... she was stumbling around bumping into things, falling down. There was lots and lots of tears. 

Tuesday morning we saw the Dr, he said she was looking good...still healing but good. We were to continue the ointment. 

Finally on Thursday we had a Crazy, wild and loud Olivia back! 

To date this is the worst parenting moment I've had... and a lot of guilt comes with it. I know accidents happen, that's why they call them accidents but it doesn't make it any easier. I say all this to hopefully prevent someone else from going through this and to remind you to please put the number to poison control in your phone.