"Ranee Mueller" > wrote in message
...
> We nearly lost Amira to choking last night, and we're still shaken up
> about it. She is fine now, but we really thought she was going to die.
> She choked, entered into hypoxia and then a seizure. Rich knows what
> the stages of hypoxia are, though, and he said when he started CPR it
> looked like she was about 45 seconds into it. The only question we had
> was whether she had a seizure which sent her into the choking and
> hypoxia or if it was the choking which caused the hypoxia and seizure.
> Fortunately, it was the latter.
>
> I was hysterical at first, but pulled it together enough to talk to
> 911, who our kids' godfather called for us, the boys were all at the
> table and saw it happen, Elijah ran from the table in fear after his
> dad took her up to the airport office to meet the paramedics.
> Alexander is still really shaken up. I am extremely thankful to our
> godson who saw it and told us right away, we would have lost much more
> time, because we were trying to get the last of a late dinner put
> together and on the table for the kids, and the adults were all in the
> kitchen. We sent Matt out, because he is about 13, and we knew he
> could keep an eye on the kids, and we are grateful for him.
>
> She resuscitated in the van on the way to the office, on her own, and
> they say that there doesn't appear to be any damage to her heart or
> brain. She is cheerful today and being her normal friendly self. They
> took her and Rich to the hospital in the ambulance, and Arthur followed
> in our van with the carseat, with an extra set of clothes for her, some
> food for Rich and her soft doll. The did some tests, checked her throat
> and gave her some apple juice, both to hydrate her and for the pectin
> for her throat.
>
> She is understandably exhausted today. The doctors said that a
> seizure like that is like running a mile sprint, only in the 45 seconds
> or whatever it takes. We had her sleep in our room last night, for our
> sake more than hers, and she woke up early this morning, at 5:00 am, and
> never was I so thrilled to be kept awake by her. She was very thirsty
> and hungry, as she only had about two bites of food before she choked,
> and the apple juice at the hospital, so I gave her some water, and she
> fell asleep again. When she woke up, I had fallen asleep again, and I
> woke to her pulling on my toes, her little crib was at the foot of our
> bed, and my feet were out of the covers. Rich made hard boiled
> eggs, which are her favorite things, and she had a good appetite.
>
> When I saw her blue and non-responsive, I was terrified. In fact, we
> never saw her recover, and we didn't think Rich's CPR had done anything
> to her, because she still wasn't breathing and she was limp and blue
> when he left with her, but evidently he did dislodge the food, and
> keeping her upside down kept it from going down the wrong pipe again, so
> that was why she came out of it. I am so thankful. We are taking it
> very slow and easy today. I haven't been so afraid in a long time, and
> I don't think so gut wrenchingly so - even when we were terrified for
> Elijah it was fear of the risk of what might or could happen, I saw her
> and thought she was going to die, that we were going to lose her right
> there, in front of our other children. Rich had to tell me to back off
> and get out of the way, because I saw her and screamed.
>
> All of the boys got to see her before bed and kiss her goodnight,
> except for Elijah, and he was upstairs with Alexander sad and saying
> that Amira had died. Alexander got us and we went and reassured him
> that she was alive and sleeping in our room with us, and he wanted to
> go sleep with her to comfort her. Even I who knew she was alright had
> nightmares about it, that she was home and fine, and had her first meal
> and choked again and we couldn't do anything about it. So, I'm still
> pulling it together today and giving glory to God for his work in her.
> It was such a blessing to have her to cuddle with this morning, and to
> hear her laugh and see her smile.
>
> The boys and I prayed together immediately after Rich and Arthur
> left, which calmed us all down a bit. Rich was wonderful in how he took
> care of Amira and comforting me when he checked in from the hospital.
> The first passage of scripture I turned to in my Bible just flipping it
> over was Psalm 121:
>
> I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My
> help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not
> let your foot be moved, and he who watches over you will not fall
> asleep. Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel shall neither slumber
> nor sleep; the LORD himself watches over you; the LORD is your shade at
> your right hand, so that the sun shall not strike you by day, nor the
> moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; it is he who
> shall keep you safe. The LORD shall watch over your going out and your
> coming in, from this time forth for evermore.
>
> The ambulance driver told Rich he had probably saved Amira's life,
> and Rich said he knew that it was Someone else who did it.
>
> Regards,
> Ranee
>
> Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.
>
> "She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13
>
> http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
> http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

What a terrible thing to happen. I'm so glad it was a happy ending. It's
lucky that you had someone who kept a cool head and knew CPR. One without
the other is not a lot of use. Sending a prayer of thanks for your good
fortune.
Sarah