Beware of the little green box

My friend, DJ Andi, asked me what is the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. Well, it didn't actually happen to me, but I was there to witness it and freak.

Let me set the stage:

• Carl, the kids, and I went grocery shopping
• J-man was about 4 and Bug was a little over a year
• We had finished shopping and were at the checkout counter
• Bug was in the little seat at the front of the buggy
• J-man and Carl were at the end of the register (where the bagger usually stands)
• I was paying

Carl and J-man were talking when I noticed that Carl was looking up at the ceiling. I thought to myself "what on earth is he doing?" J-man was looking up, too, but he had this weird look on his face. Carl keeps bending further and further back. I ask him "Honey, what are you doing?!"

Suddenly, Carl falls to the floor. He is having a seizure!

I have never been around someone having a seizure. I didn't know what to do. I felt SO helpless. I got on my knees next to him all the while yelling for someone to call 911. It was so scary to feel that helpless when someone you love is writhing around on the floor.

From nowhere a gentleman got on the floor with me and told me "he's having a seizure. He'll be ok". He put Carl's head in his lap, took one of the cashier's plastic nametags and placed it between Carl's teeth. Carl was bleeding a bit from where he bit his tongue, but that little bit of blood looked like he was bleeding to death!

I looked around to find my kids... J-man was frozen next to me. (If you were to ask him, I'd be willing to bet this is his first memory) One of the cashiers - a girl in her late teens or early 20s - was holding Bug. I felt SOOOOO helpless! I couldn't help my husband, I couldn't console my kids, I couldn't even HOLD my daughter... I was having a hard time keeping myself under control!

Finally the paramedics arrived to take Carl to the hospital. When they got there he was beginning to come around and was so confused. He wanted to argue with everyone and tried to tell us he was OK. We talked him in to going to the ER (like he had an option) Then I had to do something horrible... I had to put him in the ambulance alone. I had to take the kids home, get the groceries put away and get my dad to come watch the kids... all of this BEFORE I could get to the hospital to find out what was wrong!

That memory of watching the ambulance pull out of the parking lot and going in a different direction will stay with me forever. At the time, I didn't know what was happening to my husband... would I get to see him again? Was this the part of "sickness and in health" or "til death do you part" stuff they talked about in our vows? No matter what, I had to get to him.

Dad arrived in record time and I took off to the hospital. I don't remember much of that drive. I just remember praying and crying.

So. What was wrong?

We still don't know.

He had all kinds of tests run. You name it - they did it. Nothing. One doctor even said that 90% of us will have a seizure for no reason; our brain just mis-fires.

My thoughts? About the time this happened there were reports about some medication that was causing seizures. Carl takes BC headache powder like they are going out of style. To this day he takes 3-4 a day (if not more). He had been having some sinus issues and started taking the BS Sinus. I think that is what caused it. It was the only thing different from his routine or that he was eating/taking. It is the only plausible explanation. AND it was on the list of medications...

He has never taken another BC Sinus and has not had another seizure. He is healthy. Thank God. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my hubby. He's my rock. To see him that vulnerable was something I hope I never witness again.