Another afternoon at the Emergency Room

3:45 p.m. the phone rings...."Mom, you need to check me out and meet me at the emergency room!" This was my 17 yr. old. I asked him what happened and he tells me that his younger brother had gotten hit on the head by another student with a book. He then tells me he had a seizure and his eyes are bloodshot. (I can hear shaking in his voice) My first thought was that my younger son had been transported to the hospital, but when I ask him where his brother is he tells me he's right there in the office with him. I ask him if I have to come there to check him out and he says he is going to leave right then to get him to the hopital as soon as possible and the office is telling him they are going to suspend him if he leaves. I tell him to give the phone to the secretary. I ask her if what my son is telling me is acurate (thinking he might be over reacting). She says that he appears to be fine and his irises look normal. (I'm thinking 'Irises? What do the irises of the eyes have to do with anything? Don't you look at pupils?' ) She says the bell is going to be ringing in 10 min. I tell her to just allow my children to be checked out now but to come immediately home so that I can look at him and see his condition.

I wait 10 min or so and call them on their cell to see where they are. Oldest son answers and says they are on the way to the hospital. Younger son is fading in and out of conciousness and is acting really weird. I tell him I'll meet him there.

When I get to the hospital he has already been admitted and doctor and 2-3 nurses are all over him. They are looking at his eyes, checking vitals and about to hook him up to an IV. They ask me if he is allergic to anything? Now I am beginning to worry. "No, he's not allergic to anything" "Is he on any medication?" I tell them one medicine he is on. My son is panicking because of the IV needle and is making no sense what so ever. The nurse says when he first came in he didn't know where he was. He thought he was still in the car. He can not follow the direction of her finger, or answer any questions coherently. Just looking at him you can tell there is something wrong. They finally get the IV in and we get him calmed down a bit. He says that he is cold and I comment that it stays warmer longer in GA. The nurse asks if that is where we are from, then asks my son what city? He has this blank look on his face. I ask him again "What city did we live in down in GA?" He still just stares. After asking another time or two he answers...."Redneck" I crack up! "Yes, honey, we are GA rednecks but what city did we live in?" He says "Near Alex" (this was his best friend in GA) Well at least I know he is thinking. I remind him it was Fayetteville, and he seems to acknowledge that.

They now take him to get a cat-scan. I take this opportunity to talk to my other son about what exactly happened. It seems they were messing around in the hall before class and my older son grabbed his brother and held his arms behind him and said "Ok, who wants a piece of him?" Brothers being brothers. My youngest sons friend takes his Geometry book and bops him on the head. Everyone tells me it wasn't that hard. But that's when my son just collapses. His brother had to hold him up. They get him to come around and he at first seems to be ok. He pushes his brother away and they all go to class. Shortly after that a boy from youngest sons class comes into older sons class and tells him that he needs to come get his brother. This child is apparently familiar with some medical training and tells him that his brother is exhibiting classic signs of a concussion. Older son gets his brother and they go to the office.
*side note here.....teachers, aware of what has happened, are trying to discipline these kids rather than take a concern for my son

concussion
n 1: injury to the brain caused by a blow; usually resulting in loss of consciousness 2: any violent blow

My son returns from the cat scan. He is acting better and we sit and wait for the results. While waiting we talk and he slowly begins to act more and more like himself. I think the fluids from IV helped, along with some rest. Anyway, the results come back normal and they say he has a concussion and just needs to be watched. I have to wake him every 3-4 hours tonight. But he should be ok. Thank you God.

So that was my afternoon. And the weekend has just started!