Date Recall

I'm sure most of us can recall the date of birthdays, wedding anniversaries or other major milestones in our lives.  But do you ever look at the calendar and recall other events in your life?

I've already mentioned that each December 31st I remember I found out I was pregnant with Taylor.  April 19th was the day my whole world changed by hearing the words "Your baby has what is called a congenital diaphragmatic hernia".  February 3rd is the date of when Taylor finally came home from the hospital after being there for 5 1/2 months.  And then there is February 16th.

Seven years ago on February 16th, the nurse and I just finished giving Taylor a bath.  My daughter, then just 6 years old, asked if she could hold Taylor while we moved his ventilator from his bedroom into the living room for a change of view.  While we were moving the equipment, Dani commented that he had started to cry.  Ok, no reason to panic because that had happened before.  Then she said that he looked kind of funny...maybe even a little blue.

I remember the nurse springing into action as though it just happened minutes ago.  She gently took Taylor and put him on the floor while calmly telling me to get the oxygen tank from his room.  I grabbed the oxygen cart with the ambu bag attached, turning on the oxygen as she bagged him and calmly talked to him.  We could hear the oxygen, but it didn't seem to be working.  We soon found out that there were two bags, but, of course, only one was attached to the oxygen.  Working swiftly the nurse bagged him while I put the oximeter on his foot.

What terror ran through my body when I realized his oxygen level was in the mid-30's and dropping.  Should I call 911?  Should I call my husband?  The thoughts were running through my mind while I fought back the tears and the urge to yell at Taylor to pink back up.  The level hit 30 and then slowly started to creep back up.  All this time the nurse kept doing her job of  bagging him and calmly talking to him as though this was an every day occurrence for her. Just as quickly as it started, we were back to a pink smiling baby.

It was a day I will never forget.  It is a day my daughter will never forget.  After recently running into the nurse I found out it is a day she will never forget.  We found out that it was her first emergency ever.  She had never had to do anything like that before, but the way she handled herself sure made you think she did it all of the time.  For that I am eternally grateful.

What dates do you remember?