2nd June, 2011- Arriving in ED

I thought Max's breathing was a bit shallow so I drove all the way to the hospital with the radio off so I could hear every breath. I contemplated calling an ambulance but figured since I was on my way it was probably easier to just keep driving. I still thought I was being paranoid- maybe it was that denial that kept me sane and focused enough to drive. We arrived at the hospital at 930am. The carpark was full and there were cars everywhere! I parked illegally and got him out of his car seat. He didnt wake up when I picked him up and he was floppy. I put him over my shoulders and ran! When I got to the triage desk I almost threw him at the nurse and tried to briefly explain what was wrong. A similar thing happened to my niece when she was a baby- she spent a week or so in hospital on IV antibiotics but was ok! The nurse whisked him away and called the 'resus team'. Within minutes Max was on a bench surrounded by doctors and nurses. Shortly after, he was hooked up to machines with wires and tubes. They knew instantly what the red spots were but couldn't access a vein quickly enough to check his blood. They had to drill a hole in his shin to get blood from his bone. I will never forget that moment when the drill started and my baby screamed. In a small sense, it was nice to hear him protest but my baby was in pain and that broke my heart. Not long after this the doctor said they were planning to intubate him and transfer him to intensive care.