He Passed Out.
When you are a mom, life is unpredictable.Never a dull moment.
Routine things become emergencies in an instant.
Let's take yesterday.
Took My Boy to get his quarterly allergy shot.
Sure it involves a needle, but he's been tough in the past.
He will say, "it tickles" when the sharp metal pierces his skin and fills his body with medication.
Say goodbye to booger-sleeve I think.
Because that and his forty-two sneezes in a row each morning are the tell-tale signs he's due for his next dose.
So we're in the office for the third time.
Because pills, eye drops, and nasal sprays just never did the trick.
We're lucky the shot is every 3 months and not weekly, god forbid.
So this time was a tad different, typically the shot is in his arm.
Laying on his stomach the nurse puts the needle in the gluteus maximus.
Per normal, he giggles. He doesn't appear scared in the slightest, plus cousin T is with us, he's being very strong.
All done, easy right? The nurse has him sit up and wait for a few minutes before letting us go, per normal.
Sitting on the edge of the doctor's table, legs dangling below, his head is in his hands.
I blink and there he goes.
Straight off the table, head first onto the floor.
His 71 pound frame smacks onto the ground with a thud and I gasp and head to scoop him up.
Limbs, dead weight.
I scream, "BUD!" and the nurse and the doctor run in.
They turn him over and his eyes are saucers, huge and scared, he's breathing, I'm crying.
The doctor talks to him calmly and takes his pulse, "he's okay," he says to me.
My legs shake uncontrollably beneath me and I fear I'm next on the floor.
I sit and the nurse asks, "has this ever happened before?" No. "I've never had a patient faint on me." I don't feel relieved.
My son stands with the aid of the doctor and then lays on his back onto the table, he's pale and in shock. They gather the tubes and give him oxygen and an ice pack for the second forehead that is growing below his hairline.
I'm finally thinking clearly and ask the doctor, "is this normal? Is he okay?"
"Yes, needle shock is common, though my nurse should have had him laying down afterwards." He shoots a glare.
He says he'll be back and comes and goes between patients for the next 40 minutes.
Color comes back to my sons cheeks and lips, he looks at me more clearly, he says, "my head hurts."
Tylenol is administered and he says he doesn't feel nauseous or has to vomit. Good signs that he doesn't have a concussion.
I hear the doctor tell the nurse in the hall, "he should have been laying down after the shot."
We're discharged, keep an eye on nausea or vomiting.
I get my son home, he's sleepy and weak, though he does have an appetite, good sign.
Over a treat of ice cream later in the night, I ask, "what happened?"
"The shot tickled, then it hurt, then I fell. It was weird. It scares me to talk about it."
I hug him and say it's okay.
I try to keep from crying. I try to be strong.
Being a mom is hard.
April 19, 2011 at 11:30 PM
wow, that would be scary. never heard of needle shock, but neural pathways are tricky things. My hubs fainted 2x after a (single incident) contact lens fitting and the eye doc said it's not uncommon! Who'd have thunk?
April 19, 2011 at 11:50 PM
Contact lens fitting, isn't that wild?! I feel like I will at blood draws, but surprisingly never have.
April 20, 2011 at 5:00 AM
Just happened to my 16 yr old at his last doc visit. Before this he loved watching them take blood, thought it was cool...until this last chick hit a nerve or something...
He didn't fall off the table but he shook (like having a seizure) and his limbs all drew up, SUPER creepy scary thing.
I immediately freaked the heck out, because I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT up close and personal.
NOW he is terrified of a needle which could make this happen again...
You are right, being a mom is tough business!
Hope your big guy has a quick recovery, does he get a day off school for his trouble?
April 20, 2011 at 8:21 AM
Oh Molly that's scary! Worse I think. :(
we are on Spring Break, so no school. Thankfully back to normal that night minus the Bump!
April 21, 2011 at 2:39 PM
aw, i'm sorry! I bet that was scary!
April 21, 2011 at 6:22 PM
so scary...glad he's ok
May 4, 2011 at 3:00 PM
Well I wanted to give your son a hug after reading that! I'm very glad he's okay.
May 4, 2011 at 6:50 PM
Aww, poor baby! That is so scary.
May 10, 2011 at 1:10 PM
I wish shots 'tickled' instead of out & out hurt! I had to get a Demerol shot in the tush last Friday. That shot BURNS LIKE FIRE going in! I wish that on no one.
Seriously, though, I hope your son is okay. Passing out is a scary thing. Poor guy!
typicaltype@hotmail.com
fashion in the forest
May 10, 2011 at 6:41 PM
I had allergy shots (one in each arm) every week for years so yes you are lucky they are only every three months. The passing out thing is something I can relate to as well. My daughter has never passed out but comes close every single time a needle gets near her. She had her ear pierced the other day and we had to sit in the floor of the store while she waited til she could see normally and not just black spots again. Her poor friend with us ran to get her a drink because my daughter had no color in her face. It's scary but I'm used to it by now. I'm so sorry that happened to your baby. I know you were so scared. Bless his heart. I'm glad he's okay though. Maybe, hopefully, things will go okay/better next time.
lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com
May 19, 2011 at 7:15 AM
OMG. I have tears in my eyes. Now I know what my mom went through when it happened to me in junior high and in college. She was with me both times (the first time was in a parking lot, the second time an ambulance came), resulting in major head/face/tooth injuries that still cause pain today. How can mothers get through something like this without losing it?
I choose not to vaccinate my children (for other reasons) but now I'm looking up this needle shock thing for my own sanity. All these years I was made to think I was just 'scared of needles.' How can you be scared of needles when you totally lose consciousness 10-15 minutes AFTER the shot is over and you are in a different location? To this day I still feel shooting pains in the injection site every now and then as if I'm getting the shots all over again. Anyway, this needle shock thing amounts to a major aha moment for me. I think my jaw is still on the floor. OMG...
You are a strong mama...thank you for sharing your story. You handled it well and I'm so sorry for what your son had to go through. It is a horrible terrifying experience that still scares me to talk about too.