It’s not uncommon in our house for Liam to come running into our room at 2 or 3am, and climb into bed with us. I used to wait for him to go to sleep again, and put him back in his bed, since otherwise, he just kicks and head-butts us all night, and we don’t sleep.

Lately he doesn’t stay asleep when I return him, or doesn’t sleep at all. Meaghan came up with the idea of putting his old crimb mattress under our bed, with sheets on it, and just pulling it out for him when he comes in. Recently, he has a need to hold hands when he goes asleep, so he is even close enough for that.

Yesterday (Saturday), Liam was sick, fevered, and even put himself down for a nap at 2pm. Bedtime was early, and he came into our room.

About 3:30am, after being woken by the cat barf’ing twice in the bathroom, we awoke this morning when Meaghan heard Liam seizing. He was convulsing, teeth going, etc.

The fact of the seizure was startling, but not entirely surprising, although this is his first we’ve seen. He did spill his juice everywhere on Friday night because what seemed like an arm spasm.

Teeth clenched, shaking, etc. wasn’t a grand-mal. I’ve seen epileptic seizures in adults before (among people who hadn’t had them in along time.

What was surprising, and caused us to phone 911 was that he was completely catatonic afterwards… his eyes would be open, with the eyeballs rolled up, or pointing wrong, and he didn’t respond at all.

We dialed 911 (emergency), asked for an ambulance, and ambulance dispatch called back 1 minute later asking for details. (I’d never experienced that before, I think. Fortunately, I don’t have much experience with 911)

Liam was breathing, although with difficulty as his nose was definitely all stuffed up, and his mouth was not open. I told Meaghan to get dressed, and told her that she was going with him, and I’d come by Vrtucar.

I got dressed after and waited for the ambulance. After they checked him up and hooked up the oxygen, and poked his foot to measure his blood sugar, I went to see about a vrtucar, and found that there wasn’t one that was nearby (15 minute walk, and I’d have to swing back to get his car seat), and then I realized that I didn’t want to drive. (When your child is ill, driving is really something you shouldn’t do. Not having a car is really not that big a deal in a medical emergency. You really don’t want to anyway) They ambulance hadn’t left, so I went too. They had me ride in the front. We arrived at 4am.

A doctor saw us finally at 8am, and … no big deal, home by 8:30am.

I was reading online at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/febrile_seizures/detail_febrile_seizures.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Febrile_seizure

and there wasn’t anything said about how long it takes a child to return to normal afterwards. I asked the doctor, and she said that up to an hour of being out of it was to be expected. Wow. (Yes, I edited the wikipedia page)