Big Scare

Brooke felt sick on Thursday morning so I let her stay home from school. B was home with her, but sleeping since he had to work that night. I had to take a class at Gulf Coast that morning, so I went on into work thinking she would be ok with dad for a few hours. Around 11, Brooke called me saying that she couldn't feel anything. I called her Nana, Nana went over to check on her....Nana called me back and I hear Brooke screaming in the background in pain. I call her Dr and get her in to be seen...while in the waiting room, Brooke's hands curve inward, stiff as wood...all pliability is gone from her hands. You can't even feel the soft tissue on her hands. Her thumbs are pressed to her palms, and I can not pry them back into place. After we show the Dr what is going on, and after which I have become increasingly freaked out and panicky, Brooke doubles over in pain and clenches her entire body against mine as she holds on to her ear. I scream for MaryJo ,*my MIL, who also has fear written all over her face*, to go get the Dr again. He says that he has called ahead and wants to have her admitted to the hospital for some neuro tests.

??? moment of inner freak out


Brooke holds her hand to her ear and screams again in pain....I have never heard her scream like this. I've never seen either of my children in this much pain and the sound rips at my heart, my lungs, my stomach...my very soul.

She then holds her hand out and screams, "IT'S A BUG!"

A tee tiny water bug that has fallen from her ear.

She and her brother had been swimming in the backyard the night before. What we thought was swimmers ear turns out to be a bug that had been stuck inside her ear for nearly 24 hours. (OMG and ewww...there, I said it for all of you) It left numerous scratches and was apparently causing her little nervous system to react very strongly to the fact that something foreign was inside biting and scratching her ear.

CT scans and blood work up later, we know that she is perfectly fine. Thank God:) We did spend the better portion of the night in the hospital before her neurologist came by and told us we were free to leave....and to wear ear plugs next time in the pool! The kids did have fun in the hospital though....Brooke said she felt like a princess having her meals delivered, eating on a "fancy table" in her bed, and watching TV in her bed.

Both kids put in their orders for hospital beds and pull out table for their own rooms.

I'm assuming they also expect room service.



We were both super tired by this point.

Brooke tried to look very sick....but instead looks very mad:)

Thank God Brandon went in with her to have the IV put in....I'd heard in screaming in pain more than enough for one day!...more than enough for a lifetime!

This is the life...well, minus the IV, the cold hospital floors...the wailing of the fire alarms going off on our corrider...the weird hospital food...

Thank you God for watching out for my baby girl:)