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My Valentines Day Gift….My Son’s LIfe! Reflections on Illness—Illness does not take a Holiday.–by riveroflifelisajoy
It all started on Sunday night. My son, 14 year old Daniel told me that he had a sore throat. He wanted to play tennis although, he said that the sore throat was there….looming in our midst.
I said, “I’ll take you to the HIP urgent care instead”…he said , “NO”!!!! I want to go to play tennis!!! Please MOMMY!!!!
So I took him. He played. He played… and he played. I left him for a little while and went to my house to check on my mother and start dinner.
I came back and Daniel was still playing. I went to the Cunningham Park Tennis Bubble.
He plays tennis 3 times a week now. When I attempted to go into the bubble a strange thing had happened. I had to go through the revolving doors that keep the Bubbles in order. It has two Bubbles at Cunningham.
But they are connected by “buildings.” The buildings are pressurized to keep the bubbles “up” I guess.
Well, in one bubble this night was a soccer group —and in the other bubble was the Youth and Tennis Academy Group of Southeast Queens—Daniel’s group.
Anyway, as I entered the area that separates the two bubbles I felt a strong gust of wind. I looked in the direction that the wind was coming from and I saw about 6 or 7 kids playing around with the exit door inside the soccer bubble!
I could not believe what I was looking at. The Bubble was being compromised by these kids…the air was pushing into the area where I was standing.
I was in shock at first, so I just stood looking ….then I heard banging! I turned to my right and saw that the door that leads to the tennis bubble had closed.
I saw a middle aged woman banging on the door. She was looking nervous and told me to open the door. I would not touch that door.
It had been shut by an automatic system to prevent the bubble from being compromised by the decrease in pressure from the soccer bubble where the kids were playing around with the outside door.
Suddenly the care taker, a young college student, came running from the revolving doors of the main building in the bubble complex.
I had hoped that he was responding to some type of alarm from that exit door that the kids were playing with. I told him what was happening and told him that this big door to the tennis bubble had shut. He looked at the door and explained what happened.
I looked back at the soccer bubble and saw that the door had finally been shut by the kids that had tampered with it. I saw a young lady at a concession stand and said, “What is going on? Those kids should be supervised!
Why are they playing with that door anyway?” The young lady stated that those kids belong to the adults who were playing soccer…” I turned back to the caretaker and told him what had happened.
He finally opened the tennis bubble heavy gauge stainless steel door. When he opened that door is when I realized the power of a pressurized area!!! Oh, my!!!! Standing between the two bubbles was a powerful experience.
It was like a WIND TUNNEL!! Then I really got angry…realizing the danger that unsupervised children could cause for themselves and others! What a mess!
I went inside the tennis bubble and Daniel was happy and playing…not aware of the danger, or the situation. The heavy gauge stainless steel had done its’ job.
When we finally arrived home, I asked Daniel how is your throat? He said “Still sore.” He went to bed. He woke up the next morning weezing.
I had looked at him and did not like the look of his skin. He looked greyish. I took him to LongIsland Jewish Hospital. They just observed him and said that he could just drink alot of fluids and stay home.
He went home. That night I took him back to the hospital with a low grade fever. He stated that he was so very hot. The emergency room told me that everybody was coming down with the flu. —-But Daniel had had a flu shot.
Daniel had a flu shot back in October. Then they said it was viral. These terms can be so confusing! The next day Daniel did not feel any better.
He was weezing still. I made an appointment with his doctor. His doctor thought that it was a basic cold.
Nothing to really concern yourself….You know kids of his size and age…it’s like an adult….they get over it. He can go to school. He went to school on Wednesday. In the evening after school Daniel’s condition had changed.
I had brought him some special food from my job. I called him to come and take some. He only looked at it and then retreated back upstairs to his room.
He stayed upstairs and did not come down. I was cleaning and heating up the food in the oven. I was having small talk with my mother.
Suddenly, I called Daniel to come get his food and he said, “No, I’m on the toilet.” I said are you alright? He said, “NO, I think I ‘m going to throw up!” I went upstairs and stood outside the bathroom door.
“What is the matter?” I said. He stated that he just felt nauseous. He stayed like that for about a half hour. I told him to lay down and I would bring a bucket for him to his bedside.
I thought it strange that it would take so long for that sensation to go away. I didn’t know what to do. Daniel has that Seizure problem too. I thought maybe something was coming on.
I was not sure what it would turn out to be at this point. He laid down. I made some camomile tea with a little milk. I thought that might start the process to relief.
He took a sip. He did not throw up at all…not ever….not that night! Strange, very strange. He laid very still and did not move. He told me not to talk. Finally, he went to sleep.
When I woke him the next day, he was having shortness of breath, and dizzy/lightheadedness. He took his nebulizer and I told him to get dressed. This would be our third visit to the emergency room at Longlsland Jewish Hospital this week.
This week…..Valentines Day….and my birthday on the 15 of this week too!!!! Ugh! I never get a gift for my birthday, or a Valentines card.
I do not really care at this point. All that mattered, and mattERS…is Daniel. Daniel’s health and well being.
So yesterday Valentines day my son Daniel and I spent Valentines day in the emergency room of LongIsland Jewish Hospital!!! From about 8:00 am until 4:00 pm.
My child Daniel had heavy congestion, and light headedness. The doctors acted quickly to decrease the congestion and shortness of breath. Daniel was given I.V. solution intervenously, and nebulizer treatments and some other medications to help his lungs to decrease the reactions to the flym.
My child had been to all the doctors during the week, but some how situations still took a negative turn. Thank G-d for the emergency room doctors at LongIsland Jewish Hospital.
They would not allow him to go home until his heart rate was correct, and the breathing was correct. His nausea went away, and he could eat again.
Although I do not receive romantic gifts for my birthday on February 15, or Valentines day….I RECEIVED MY SON’S HEALTH AND WELL BEING FROM LONGISLAND JEWISH SYNDER CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTORS! —for which I am truly thankful for.
G-d bless those doctors who really took the time to look at my Daniel and evaluated him. Holidays, and birthdays mean nothing to illness. As always, I must remain ever mindful that the story is not about me!
Life is about living and giving to others….and I learned that yesterday. If you ask me my choice of gift I would prefer for Valentines Day—-I will always chose to save the life of another humanbeing, or a family member.
My dear Daniel has suffered so much in the past few years….no sane mother wants her child to experience pain and sickness.
I am truly, thankful for my birthday gift!!!!
Thank you doctors at L.I.J. Synders Children Hospital!!!
HAPPY BELATED VALENTINES DAY TO YOU AND YOURS!!!!
—–riveroflifelisajoy!
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