(Actually, writing this at 00:47, but it's still Monday really)

[ailbhe]

So the terrifying thing Linnea did today was...

(Everything is fine now)...

I looked at her mouth and saw blue goo, and established that it was blue icing from a cake-decorating pack of mixed colours, and had her fetch the pack and put it in the bin. Some time later, I glanced under the dining table and saw an empty Calpol box (brand name paracetamol/acetaminophen) along with two opened but unfinished packs of jelly, a pack of wholemeal mini pizza bases, some wholemeal pitta breads, etc. The Calpol box was empty and the sachets were in the bin. I thought, but was not sure, that it was the pack I bought for Astrid the day of her vaccinations, none of which she had needed, so it would have been full - 12 x 5ml sachets of 120mg of paracetamol each.

I phoned NHS Direct (I was so frightened I had to look the number up, usually I can remember it) and fished the sachets out of the bin and counted them; 12. All opened, not all completely emptied. I also managed to impress upon Linnea and Emer how important it was to know the truth and got them to agree on a story, which was that Linnea had had them all ("Emer did it! I'm not lying!" wasn't as convincing as she'd hoped.)

It took a long time for me to establish that she hadn't taken a potentially fatal dose. She wasn't passed out in front of me, and on some level I must have known she wasn't that sick, because I didn't call 999. But I wasn't totally thrilled anyway.

They had to ask questions about her body temperature and alertness and rashes and so on. I tried to answer them. I really, really understand, now, why people dial 999 and say things like "I don't know where I live! Just send an ambulance now!"

I weighed her. I had the packets in front of me so when they asked what she had taken I was able to say Calpol sachets, 12 5ml sachets at 120mg of paracetamol each, that's 1.44 grams. They asked how big she was and I was able to say "I can chase her down and put her on the scales."

I took her trousers off for the scales, because they were her heaviest garment. She weighs about 22kg, apparently.

The dangerous dose is apparently 150mg per kilo. She'd had less than half that.

OK.

Except, keep an eye on her. Give her milk to drink - oh, wait, no, don't because what you're looking for is vomiting or stomach pain or stomach upset or headache, all of which dairy intolerance could present as.

If any of those show up, go straight to hospital.

---

So I hung up, and had her drink plenty and eat lots, and we went to her swimming lesson, even. And then before I could eat my dinner I phoned NHS Direct back to ask when I could stop worrying, and they said "Oh, hours ago, symptoms would have shown up by now."

Oh, but first they asked if I thought she'd done it to cause herself harm.

---

I do not want today to have happened. I don't WANT it.

And I wish Linnea wanted to sleep in my bed where I could tell she was there, all night.

I was trying to think, while I was fishing packets out of the bin and waiting for the how-do-you-spell-that and what-postcode-is-that questions to end, what I would say to her if I had to tell her she was going to die.

I couldn't think of anything.

Comments

i mean this to be reassuring but i'm not sure i'm managing

[kalmn]

i take a lot, a *lot* of meds with acetaminophen in them. because of that, i know some things about acetaminophen overdose. if she had caused herself any harm at all (rather than just causing you mental harm) you'd have been at the hospital fairly shortly, and if they had not been able to fix it, which they might have, here in the states they'd get you a social worker who would help you figure out what to say to her other than how much you love her which i know both you and she know.

*hug*

Re: i mean this to be reassuring but i'm not sure i'm managing

[ailbhe]

I think part of it is that I'm not at all sure she knows how much I love her. But perhaps I'm wrong.

This was a reassuring comment, though, thank you. I wish I'd been together enough to ask for timescales at the first phonecall, rather than the second one, which was 8 hours later.

icon-appropriate

[almadsfeika]

Lots of OUCH in there.
I think you dealt with the situation admirably.

Re: icon-appropriate

[br3nda]

terrifying. I'm glad she's okay now.

Are they tablets in blister packs (that taste foul) or the sugary flavoured syrup version?. My husband drank a full bottle of paracetamol as a toddler too, because it tasted so nice. Scared the crap out of his mother.

[rmc28]

Oh my goodness, that is so scary. I'm so glad she is ok.

I hope she will have learned from your taking it seriously; or that you can make it a learning experience.

[ailbhe]

I have no idea - I thought she understood it years ago, when we last bought Calpol, but no. However, I have decided to check all the children's medications and make sure we only ever have half the lethal dose for the youngest ambulant child in the house, even if that means throwing half a bottle down the sink and resealing it.

[passerine]

*hugs for you and for Linnea*

I am so, so sorry you had to go through that.

I still have terrifying memories of Tori in the PICU after she got into her dad's medication. I think kids-getting-into-medicine is one of the most terrifying things it's possible to go through.

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

Oh, how scary for you! I'm so sorry you had to go through that. (And yes, I've been there on the line with Poison Control trying to estimate my child's weight......)

[ailbhe]

I want the version with the immortal child, please. I can't cope with this. It's 1:15 am and I'm still miserable.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

That's all kinds of terrifying! *sends you soothing vibes*

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

I just went and rechecked all the info and calculations because paracetamol overdose is a bit of a trigger issue for me, and the thought of being given wait-and-see advice if it was a dangerous dose was almost enough to make me throw up, even though I don't even know you/her, because a potentially fatal overdose IS treatable if caught early and symptoms wouldn't necessarily show up immediately.

But, having checked, I concur - she'd have had to have taken about twice as much to be at risk.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that!

[ailbhe]

I only knew that with my *head* all day, you see; my gut wasn't in the least sure of it.

I've read a lot more about it this evening and am rapidly feeling much better. (Rapidly is subjective - it's almost 2am).

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Sending hugs... I am relieved for you that all is well, but how terrifying!

[trinker.livejournal.com]

AAAAHHHhhhh!!!

I'm so glad it wasn't worse. And if I'm feeling like this, oh, Ailbhe, I wish I could wave a magic wand and do something for how you're feeling. They have such clever, inquisitive fingers, and no fear, these little ones. And most of the time I love that, until times like this. Redoubling childproofing efforts over here.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

That is definitely terrifying! Lots of *hugs*.

[treadpath.livejournal.com]

How terrifying!!! We've had to call Poison Control a couple of times now and it's never a good time and it always takes me HOURS to calm down after. *hugs*

[jexia]

Terrifying, you poor thing. So glad it's okay.

[rosefox]

Much much sympathy. I'm really glad she's okay. I can't imagine what that was like, for you or Linnea or Emer. What on earth was she thinking? She must have known it was wrong, or she wouldn't have lied about it. So baffling.

"She must have known it was wrong, or she wouldn't have lied about it."

[erik]

Well, yes. But she probably thought it was wrong the way eating half a pot of jam is wrong. That is, "mum will be angry" not "I will die."

[erik]

Oh dear. I'm glad everything turned out ok. I can only imagine how scary that was.

[nakedfaery.livejournal.com]

They actually asked you whether she'd done it to cause herself harm? Gosh :-/ I always thought when kids did stuff like that it was just because it tasted nice.

[sidheag.livejournal.com]

At Linnea's age, usually, I would think. But I don't think it was a silly question. I was certainly less than 10 when I first thought seriously about suicide. This *is* something that should be talked about in the morning, I think.

[batswing.livejournal.com]

How utterly terrifying. I'm so glad she's ok.

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

God that's so awful. Well done you for coping so brilliantly. I'm so sorry that happened.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_moggy_/]

Oh how scary. You did incredibly well.

[sidheag.livejournal.com]

*Hugs*. Locking medicine cabinet!

[ailbhe]

We have one. She's better able to open it than I am.

[hfnuala.livejournal.com]

Jesus, how awful for you.

[1ngi.livejournal.com]

blimey - glad to hear that she's ok. Now wanting you to be ok. Sending this *hug* seems so very small.

[quentinwrites.livejournal.com]

Oh you poor thing, that must have been horrible. I'm glad she's all right. *hugs* if you want them.

[megamole.livejournal.com]

Argh.

[geekette8.livejournal.com]

Oh, my goodness. You poor thing. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make that not have happened for you. *hug*

[the-changeling.livejournal.com]

You may get a referral through to the GP, and so they might contact you to check she is okay etc.

Just be aware of that.

*many many many hugs*