Carbon Days

It's a rare occasion that I actual post something but I had an experience with our dearest Emma yesterday that I never really anticipated. We all have these... You say to yourself, "That will never happen to MY children. I'll (fill in the blank with your wisdom)." To be honest, I thought the same thing before this and so here goes...

I bought a new computer. Yes, I work in IT and my technology was four years minimum out of date. I have been wanting a new computer and we always seem to have some big ticket item we buy at the end of each year so this year it was a computer. I was attempting to avoid complexity in attaching our multifunction printer to it by finishing terminating and connecting the ethernet cable we have on the third floor to the basement where the printer is located. This, versus bringing the printer up to the main floor to load the drivers (a requirement despite wireless access to the printer - apparantly wireless only works after you have installed all the drivers with the printer directly attached). I know this doesn't sound easier but I was thinking of all of the benefits of having that permanent cable in place and functioning...

Anyway, My Darling Wife was preparing for a Stamping event in the basement and Eldest Daughter (ED) said she was going to go see Daddy. So, at 12:15PM my wife calls me down to ask where I am and why I'm not with ED? I honestly didn't even know that ED was supposed to be with me. ED, on the other hand, became side tracked once out of view from Mommy and Daddy and had decided that she was sick. She found and drank 1/2 a bottle of children's Tylenol without either of us knowing. In the process she dribbled some on the medicine on her Mommy's book and got paper towel; moistened with water and cleaned up the mess.

Mommy found her cleaning up the mess... We called the Doctor and I was off to the local ER with my little girl! I arrived at the ER after getting behind every slow driver on the west side. The receptionist eyed me wearily; handed me admission forms and without utter more than a few words directed me to another area to fill out the forms. What do you write when you can't contemplate the fact that your daughter might be in mortal danger? I put down, "ED drank 1/2 bottle of Children's Tylenol" filled in the other personal bio data and returned to the counter. The receptionist took the form, read the problem; sighed in exasperation and called a nurse immediately. I have to admit that this was the first time I was ever admitted immediately to the ER and I have spent way more time there than I think desirable...

The doctor - an kind, older man in his grandfather days - examined ED and determined that, based on her body weight, she had consumed a potentially threshold dose (the point at which it becomes toxic and can cause damage to the liver or worse). He ordered a charcoal drink for ED and he and the nurses warned me it was nasty. They had ED change into scrubs and had me put some on. They had me give it to ED and told me they had mixed it with juice to help reduce the nastiness. ED drank it all! She flashed several big, disturbing carbon smiles and dribbled a little of it on her but she drank it!

I was given a tub in case it came back up and told to stay vigilant (picture it, a charcoal suspension on your carpets, in your car... It's not a pretty thought) . They told me she would need blood drawn in 2 hours to determine effectiveness of the treatment. They allowed me to take her home so she could nap. Two hours later and we were back for blood work. Then sent home for two more hours while they awaited results (and in case more intervention was necessary). Finally, at 7PM we got news back that her blood levels were normal.

I hope that was our last adventure of this type and none of you Readers need to go through this.