Mama Gets a Ride in the Ambulance

Chapter 37 from Seizure Mama and Rose by Flower Roberts

Our whole family went to the mountains for the weekend. The weather was lovely. We were all so happy to see spring arrive. It was like a celebration. We wanted to stay out in the sunshine all day long.
Rose and her brother were playing catch in the back yard. There was a lot of missing the ball on Rose’s part, so there was a lot of running involved. We were just about to pause the game for a rest when Rose dove into the grass. We all gathered around her while her dad went to get the emergency bag.
We used one type of emergency drug after the first seizure. We used a double dose of the second type after the second seizure, which was longer. When the third seizure started, we called 911. Rose was heading into status epilepticus. We weren’t sure we could safely use any more of her medications.
Her seizure activity diminished before the EMTs arrived. Rose was still unconscious and bluish, so we figured it was a good idea to transport her for oxygen and maybe some injected anticonvulsant medications. It’s always a comfort to have some professionals around. Well, for the parents it is.
Rose has never been thrilled to wake up to the strange faces of folks in uniform. Some of these occasions have been traumatic for her. It’s always best to see a familiar face after a seizure. It cuts down on the post-ictal confusion. Sometimes she can’t see for a bit after a seizure. I know that is scary.
The nice young men loaded Rose on a stretcher and bounced her down the backyard and into the ambulance. I tried to explain that Rose would need me when she came to. I was informed that only the patient could ride in the back. It was against regulations they said. Rose was not a minor. What could I say?
Just as the ambulance doors were closing, there was a loud, She-Hulk shriek from the vehicle. Then there were sounds of a ruckus inside. Sometimes Rose wakes up meek and pitiful, while other times she comes to like a raging bear disturbed from hibernating. We knew quite well what was going on in the back of that ambulance.
The ambulance doors flew back open. One of the nice young men was waving me over yelling “Mama, mama, mama!” I had no choice but to go against policy. I couldn’t let Rose hurt the poor men. So I climbed up into the back for my first-ever ride in an ambulance.
I do hope it will be my last. The benches alongside the stretcher were very narrow and unpadded. I bounced along holding onto Rose and the stretcher. She was still trying to hit people. I had to get in her face and sternly say “No Ma’am!” several times. This lets her know I mean business and that she is being rude.
We spent a few hours in the Emergency Room of the nice new hospital. Rose rested. She was given something to stop the vomiting which sometimes happens during or after a seizure. Glad that didn’t happen during my ambulance ride. That would have spoiled it for sure.
Seizure Mama speaks to parents:
The various emergency departments have their own rules of engagement. They have to follow their procedures once they get involved in your child’s case. They will be liable for mistakes made. If you do not agree with what they are doing, you can decline treatment and transport. If your child is no longer a minor, then your child has to refuse or agree to treatment. Sometimes this involves waiting for the patient to regain consciousness.
Be thankful for the back-up, but remember that you know more about your child’s particular condition than the medical workers do. You and your child will have to live with the results of mistakes. Do not let an overzealous EMT bully you. Stand firm with a smile.