You know you've been in the ER a bit too much when you recognize the Dr. who comes in. As that is what happened to me today. Same Dr. as last year when we took Seth in for his finger, only then he had called in a plastic surgeon to sew his fingertip back on; today he stitched him up himself.
So what happened? Well, we had just gotten a lot of packages and had brought them inside. One had a lot of air pockets in it, which the kids (Ada & Seth) grabbed to pop for me. (I call them air pockets, as opposed to bubble wrap, as these are just like half a bread bag size and full of air. And there was quite a long chain of them.) Anyways, they ran off with it streaming behind them, and I heard them run into my room.
Soon after, I heard Seth crying. Then it registered that it was the really-hurt-bad kind of crying and I raced in there. As I come in the room I see him standing there with a good size gash in his forehead, and I kinda freaked out. No, I definitely freaked out. I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pressed it to his head to stop the bleeding, and carried him to the living room where I grabbed the phone and laid him on the floor.
Since I was freaking out, I called 911. The skin sliding everywhere thing really gets to me. (Here is where I should have paused and realized this was not a life-or-death situation and that after I got the bleeding under control we could take him in. But again, I was a mom in panic about her child, and seeing that gash above his eye was not giving me any assurances that he was ok.)
This was the first time I had called 911 to come to my house. I had called twice when working at Target before I got married, but that was different.
When I laid him on the floor I realized I couldn't keep the shirt on his head because it was half covering his face and he wasn't liking that, so I grabbed the nearest thing (Hayley's cardigan that she wears to church -- sorry Hayley) and pressed it to his head. Ada was in hiding this whole time, I figured regardless if she had done it or not, she was worried about getting in trouble. While on the phone with 911 I called her to open the door so the people could come right in, and she did do that for me. And the operator wanted me to get a clean towel, so I asked Ada to do that, but she was not understanding exactly what I wanted. Somehow the request for a hand towel from the closet was not computing with her, and she brought me a used one from the bathroom that I sent her back with. It was fine anyway, I don't think the operator understood that I had a good thing going with the cardigan, even though I had told her.
The cardigan held him together and a fire truck pulled up and a couple of firemen came inside. They asked a few questions and checked out Seth's wound and put a fresh bandage on it, and one of them held it there. Blake was right beside us in his exersaucer having fun. Once the fireman looked at it, I realized the wound was not as bad as I feared as I could tell from his demeanor that he had seen worse and this was a very fixable situation.
The other fireman asked where it happened, and went back to my room with Ada to try and figure out where he had hit his head. I think Ada did show him where Seth got his wound, but I'm not sure he knew for sure what he had hit his head on. And it's not like I had a full story at that point either.
The paramedics arrived and checked him out, and gave me the option of him going with them or us taking him in ourselves. (I had already called Jeremy at this point. And I added this, as I didn't want him to worry: "It's ok, it's not like he's going to die or anything." Jeremy told me after the people left that that was not very assuring... as in, what is on the next to dying list of things that could be wrong? Oops.) I said we'd take him in, since the bleeding had gone down and it seemed under control. She explained everything to Jeremy when he came, and he agreed that we'd take him ourselves.
Can't remember if they taped the bandage on before Jeremy arrived or not, but he was ready to go. So I had to sign a waiver for the paramedics, and then they left shortly after the firemen. Can't remember when in there I called Jess, but a little after I called Jeremy, and she came to pick up Ada. Thank you Jess!!!
So we grabbed a few things and hopped in the van, I sat in the back with Seth holding his head. In the ER we had to wait in line, and the guy ahead of us told us to go in front of him, that was so nice. He said he had a son himself. An act of kindness! I thanked him when we were done checking in. And actually right after Seth got done with his stitches he was walking by and asked how he was, and I told him how many stitches Seth got.
Ok, so we were in the ER room, and that's really where the waiting is done. Jeremy and I took turns holding the boys, and I fed Blake in there. When it was time for the stitching Jeremy took Blake out. They wrapped Seth in a blanket, and the nurse held his head, and I held his body. (Earlier the nurse had put some numbing gel on the wound.) And so the stitching began.
And it took all of my strength to hold him down. Reminded me of helping to hold Ada down when she got her stitches as a ten month old. The fireman had said an inch long gash when he saw it, that seems to be a good description. It was deep too. The Dr. put in two internal stitches, and then 6 outer ones. Boy, did Seth fight.
He cried, he called out for Mommy (and I was continually reassuring him that I was there), he called out for help, then when he decided I wasn't doing anything he started calling out for Daddy to help. He was also throwing out words like, "hurt" and then later "hug". And he even reached a screaming climax when he felt like his words and crying and struggling were getting him no where, he screamed a few times at the top of his lungs. Wow.
We finally got him starting to calm down when the Dr. was on the last couple of stitches, when he was saying "hug". And I was telling him I'd give him a hug, and asked if he wanted a bear hug, and he said, "bear hug". And then he was asking for a hug from Daddy, and I assured him Daddy would give him a hug, and asked if he wanted a bear hug from Daddy, and so he said bear hug again. Then he answered a few questions from the Dr. about hugs and stuff, and so he wasn't struggling at that point anymore. Which was good, because I was wondering how much longer I could hold the kid. You'd be surprised at how much torque a little kid could generate. (Was that an appropriate use of the word 'torque'?)
So when the stitching was done he was fine, and we unwrapped him and they put some ointment over the stitches and then a band aid. I cannot tell you how much better I felt when the stitches were in, it looked much better than the gaping wound. I was feeling a little shaky at the house, and I think my nerves were slowing settling over the course of going to the hospital and then going home.
Thankful it was not worse. Thankful that Jeremy & Jess were right there over the phone line ready to come help. Thankful that everything went ok, considering.
As to the cause, from talking with Seth & Ada, I don't think we'll ever have a complete picture of what exactly happened. But some of each of their stories matches up, and so I have a general picture. They both mentioned Ada hitting him, but it's unclear if that is with the plastic (as in just in fun, kinda throwing it at him) or if she pushed him or else the plastic was under his feet and she pulled it up from underneath him. I have a problem with the plastic even being in the story because I don't think it was involved, because there was none in my room when I entered and also when I checked later, which tells me they had dropped it in the hall. (Where it was when I ran back to get Seth.) And when we came home I finally did find where Seth had hit his head, and it was where I found him, farther in the room, not anywhere by the door. So, not sure what exactly went down, but what's done is done.
We picked up some lunch and dropped by Jess' to get Ada, and then to home to eat and Jeremy went and picked up Hayley from school. Jess had made dinner for us, how nice! That will be such a blessing tonight. And that was our craziness for today.
So what happened? Well, we had just gotten a lot of packages and had brought them inside. One had a lot of air pockets in it, which the kids (Ada & Seth) grabbed to pop for me. (I call them air pockets, as opposed to bubble wrap, as these are just like half a bread bag size and full of air. And there was quite a long chain of them.) Anyways, they ran off with it streaming behind them, and I heard them run into my room.
Soon after, I heard Seth crying. Then it registered that it was the really-hurt-bad kind of crying and I raced in there. As I come in the room I see him standing there with a good size gash in his forehead, and I kinda freaked out. No, I definitely freaked out. I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pressed it to his head to stop the bleeding, and carried him to the living room where I grabbed the phone and laid him on the floor.
Since I was freaking out, I called 911. The skin sliding everywhere thing really gets to me. (Here is where I should have paused and realized this was not a life-or-death situation and that after I got the bleeding under control we could take him in. But again, I was a mom in panic about her child, and seeing that gash above his eye was not giving me any assurances that he was ok.)
This was the first time I had called 911 to come to my house. I had called twice when working at Target before I got married, but that was different.
When I laid him on the floor I realized I couldn't keep the shirt on his head because it was half covering his face and he wasn't liking that, so I grabbed the nearest thing (Hayley's cardigan that she wears to church -- sorry Hayley) and pressed it to his head. Ada was in hiding this whole time, I figured regardless if she had done it or not, she was worried about getting in trouble. While on the phone with 911 I called her to open the door so the people could come right in, and she did do that for me. And the operator wanted me to get a clean towel, so I asked Ada to do that, but she was not understanding exactly what I wanted. Somehow the request for a hand towel from the closet was not computing with her, and she brought me a used one from the bathroom that I sent her back with. It was fine anyway, I don't think the operator understood that I had a good thing going with the cardigan, even though I had told her.
The cardigan held him together and a fire truck pulled up and a couple of firemen came inside. They asked a few questions and checked out Seth's wound and put a fresh bandage on it, and one of them held it there. Blake was right beside us in his exersaucer having fun. Once the fireman looked at it, I realized the wound was not as bad as I feared as I could tell from his demeanor that he had seen worse and this was a very fixable situation.
The other fireman asked where it happened, and went back to my room with Ada to try and figure out where he had hit his head. I think Ada did show him where Seth got his wound, but I'm not sure he knew for sure what he had hit his head on. And it's not like I had a full story at that point either.
The paramedics arrived and checked him out, and gave me the option of him going with them or us taking him in ourselves. (I had already called Jeremy at this point. And I added this, as I didn't want him to worry: "It's ok, it's not like he's going to die or anything." Jeremy told me after the people left that that was not very assuring... as in, what is on the next to dying list of things that could be wrong? Oops.) I said we'd take him in, since the bleeding had gone down and it seemed under control. She explained everything to Jeremy when he came, and he agreed that we'd take him ourselves.
Can't remember if they taped the bandage on before Jeremy arrived or not, but he was ready to go. So I had to sign a waiver for the paramedics, and then they left shortly after the firemen. Can't remember when in there I called Jess, but a little after I called Jeremy, and she came to pick up Ada. Thank you Jess!!!
So we grabbed a few things and hopped in the van, I sat in the back with Seth holding his head. In the ER we had to wait in line, and the guy ahead of us told us to go in front of him, that was so nice. He said he had a son himself. An act of kindness! I thanked him when we were done checking in. And actually right after Seth got done with his stitches he was walking by and asked how he was, and I told him how many stitches Seth got.
Ok, so we were in the ER room, and that's really where the waiting is done. Jeremy and I took turns holding the boys, and I fed Blake in there. When it was time for the stitching Jeremy took Blake out. They wrapped Seth in a blanket, and the nurse held his head, and I held his body. (Earlier the nurse had put some numbing gel on the wound.) And so the stitching began.
And it took all of my strength to hold him down. Reminded me of helping to hold Ada down when she got her stitches as a ten month old. The fireman had said an inch long gash when he saw it, that seems to be a good description. It was deep too. The Dr. put in two internal stitches, and then 6 outer ones. Boy, did Seth fight.
He cried, he called out for Mommy (and I was continually reassuring him that I was there), he called out for help, then when he decided I wasn't doing anything he started calling out for Daddy to help. He was also throwing out words like, "hurt" and then later "hug". And he even reached a screaming climax when he felt like his words and crying and struggling were getting him no where, he screamed a few times at the top of his lungs. Wow.
We finally got him starting to calm down when the Dr. was on the last couple of stitches, when he was saying "hug". And I was telling him I'd give him a hug, and asked if he wanted a bear hug, and he said, "bear hug". And then he was asking for a hug from Daddy, and I assured him Daddy would give him a hug, and asked if he wanted a bear hug from Daddy, and so he said bear hug again. Then he answered a few questions from the Dr. about hugs and stuff, and so he wasn't struggling at that point anymore. Which was good, because I was wondering how much longer I could hold the kid. You'd be surprised at how much torque a little kid could generate. (Was that an appropriate use of the word 'torque'?)
So when the stitching was done he was fine, and we unwrapped him and they put some ointment over the stitches and then a band aid. I cannot tell you how much better I felt when the stitches were in, it looked much better than the gaping wound. I was feeling a little shaky at the house, and I think my nerves were slowing settling over the course of going to the hospital and then going home.
Thankful it was not worse. Thankful that Jeremy & Jess were right there over the phone line ready to come help. Thankful that everything went ok, considering.
As to the cause, from talking with Seth & Ada, I don't think we'll ever have a complete picture of what exactly happened. But some of each of their stories matches up, and so I have a general picture. They both mentioned Ada hitting him, but it's unclear if that is with the plastic (as in just in fun, kinda throwing it at him) or if she pushed him or else the plastic was under his feet and she pulled it up from underneath him. I have a problem with the plastic even being in the story because I don't think it was involved, because there was none in my room when I entered and also when I checked later, which tells me they had dropped it in the hall. (Where it was when I ran back to get Seth.) And when we came home I finally did find where Seth had hit his head, and it was where I found him, farther in the room, not anywhere by the door. So, not sure what exactly went down, but what's done is done.
We picked up some lunch and dropped by Jess' to get Ada, and then to home to eat and Jeremy went and picked up Hayley from school. Jess had made dinner for us, how nice! That will be such a blessing tonight. And that was our craziness for today.
9 comments:
I'm thinking Ada had something to do with it, because when we got to my house, I asked her what happened to Seth, and she said "I don't know 'cause he was in my mom's room and I wasn't IN that room."
:-)
Never a dull moment in your home :) But so glad it was all manageable and that he's ok!!! Hugs to you, Mama!
So glad he's OK and you got help quickly! What an awful experience for you and for him! You never know what's going to happen with kids!!:)
Aw, what a great friend!!
Good news out of a distressing situation! Hallelujah! Our family also have a few incidents involving blood and stitches that have sketchy stories about what really happened…
Wow! So happy to hear Seth is ok! Poor little guy has been through the ringer! What a tough kid!
Ben said, "Hey, wasn't Ada responsible for his fingertip falling off, too?"
This is now part of your family lore. Seth will never let her live it down. :-)
Wow! Poor guy. So thankful it wasn't much worse. You handled it like a trooper.
Wow...what an event! I'm glad your little guy is all taken care of. Head wounds can be scary...Maddie ended up in the ER when she was 2.5 - fell off a couch on to a coffee table - gash in the forehead. Holding down your kid in the blanket burrito while getting stitches is no fun!
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