Summer Rain

I woke up late again this morning and had blueberry muffins, but I was almost late for work! Not a good thing today. We were off-and-on busy all day long. Thankfully, other than a lack of front-end managers, there were no other real problems. My relief was slightly late, but he said he got waylaid by a couple of old ladies looking for items on his way to the front.

The local weather reports have listed "scattered thunderstorms" every day for almost a week now. I hadn't seen a rain drop yet...until I got out of the Acme around ten of 6 after doing some grocery shopping. It poured on my way home, and I got soaked. I stopped under a tree on Kendall Boulevard in the hope it would slow down, but it never did. I got tired of waiting and decided to live with getting wet instead.

I had a message from Rose when I got in. Mom called her and told her something bad happened, but Rose didn't elaborate over the phone. I called Mom. According to her, my three-year-old nephew Skylar went into a grand seizure this morning. He was sleeping between my sister Anny and her boyfriend Mike. When she tried to wake him, his eyes were open, but he wasn't responding. Anny thought he looked like he was going to be sick, so she took him into the bathroom. He was sick there, but his limbs were all rubbery. Anny and Mike got him in the car to take him into the hospital. Three blocks from their apartment, Skylar went stiff and started to choke. They pulled over in North Wildwood and let Skylar cough up more gunk, this time frothy. Thoroughly frightened, Mike called 911 while Anny handled her son. Thanks to the popularity of the Wildwood Islands with young adults and teens, there are cops all over the islands in the summer. An officer answered their call in less than three minutes; an ambulance was there in less than five.

Skylar originally rode out his seizure in Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital in Cape May Courthouse, about 10 minutes from North Wildwood. Skylar gave them such a hard time after he got out of his seizure that they had to subdue him. A three-year-old waking up in a strange place and having no idea how he'd gotten there isn't a good combination with Sky's aggressive personality. Burdette Tomlin was going to let him go after they felt the danger had passed, but Anny said she'd rather wait for Sky's pediatrician instead. She was right. The pediatrician recommended he go to Cooper University Hospital's Pediatric Neurology department for further evaulation. He was there as of quarter of 7PM, resting. Mom says they haven't tested him yet; tonight, they're just observing him.

Actually, as scary as this was for Anny and Skylar, I think this might ultimately prove to be helpful for both. I'm wondering if Sky may have epilepsy. Mom told me she thinks Skylar there, not really looking or listening or moving, just a little stiff for a few minutes. She also said he's been complaining about feeling "hot and dizzy" a lot, often right before he goes stiff. I remember a few kids in Special Services who had epilepsy, and I studied it briefly when I took psychology classes in college, too.

Mom said she'll call again when they get through the tests and Sky's let go, which probably won't be until tomorrow evening at the earliest. I might see if I can get Anny's address (I forgot to write it down after she sent me that birthday card) and send Sky a get-well-soon card to cheer up him and his mother.

I went out to dinner at the Oaklyn Manor Bar down the street after that to cheer up ME. The Oaklyn Manor Bar is one of the few watering holes in the Camden suburbs. Most of the small towns around here are dry. (I think the only other "wet" town nearby is Westmont.) It was busy when I got in, but I knew it would be. Unless people feel like hiking to Philly and risking Mother Nature's wrath (the rain had stopped by this point, but it was still cloudy and damp), there aren't too many other choices. The menu is limited but tasty. I bought a chicken steak with fried onions that was very good, not too greasy and just the right size. (I ate the whole thing and didn't feel like a bloated whale afterwards, like I often do after I eat big restaurant sandwiches.)

After dinner, I was going to go for a walk, but it started to rain again and I cut it short. I made a brief stop at Uncle Ken's to see if Dad, Jess, and Jodie were back from Bethlehem. Not only were they back, but Vanessa, Brittany, Mark, Dolores, Dolores' grandchildren Blake and Mercedes, and a friend of Vanessa's named Tasha were all sitting on the porch, chatting as the rain fell. I talked to them for a while and finalized 4th of July plans (we're going to go to Uncle Ken's daughter Samantha's house in the mid-afternoon after I get in from work), then headed home.