Thank goodness we had a beautifully calm morning today. I needed a bit of calm after yesterday...
It seems that emergency room visits are becoming more common for my family. I went 30 years without seeing the interior of an ER, and now I've had two visits in the past two years. I spent the day after Thanksgiving 2007 in the ER and several hours in the ER yesterday with my son. He's fine and all is well, except for perhaps my stress levels.
We were at school in a 4-H meeting. My son, and another four year-old*, after just being asked to get off of a table because it wasn't safe to climb on them, climbed up on another table and managed to flip it over. Unfortunately the table landed on my son.
I heard the "crash" of the table landing, turned around, and ran over to him. He immediately started wailing about his hand. It looked OK and he could move all of his fingers, so I immediately felt a sense of relief. That's when I saw his forehead. Dear Lord! He had a goose egg (a hematoma according to my EMT hubby) the size of a golf ball with a inch and a half horizontal cut (contusion) right across the middle. That sucker was the biggest bump I had ever seen. That's when I got worried.
I scooped him up, got him into his coat and snow pants, hopped on a friend's snowmobile , and rushed to the Medical Center; working hard not to freak out the entire way. (Which luckily was only about a half a mile.) School had called so the doctor and nurse were expecting us and had ice packs ready. S was still crying when they took him in for X-rays, so the X-ray technician asked me to sit him on my lap and hold him and then assured him, "If you can hold your hand really still so we can take some pictures, you can have a sucker."
That's all it took; he was able to calm down, and they got three good images of his hand. (Silly me forgot to take pictures of the X-rays - guess I was preoccupied.) I was so relieved when she told us nothing was broken. The doctor kept us at the ER for a while so she could be sure he didn't have a head injury, and then she sent us home with instructions to wake him up every two to three hours all night long. If we couldn't wake him or he couldn't answer simple questions like, "What is your sister's name?" we were to call 911.
My wonderful husband took that job. Probably because he knew I would stress out and overreact about something and end up waking him up to double-check anyway. Apart from two big purple bruises, S seems no worse for wear. He tells me, "Tables can tip over and hurt," so I am hopeful he learned a valuable lesson yesterday. I'm also hopeful that I won't be in another emergency room any time soon despite the doctor's warning; "As the mother of a son, this is most likely not your last visit to the emergency room with him." I can hope though, can't I?
* T had a small bump on the back of his head and is also just fine.
It seems that emergency room visits are becoming more common for my family. I went 30 years without seeing the interior of an ER, and now I've had two visits in the past two years. I spent the day after Thanksgiving 2007 in the ER and several hours in the ER yesterday with my son. He's fine and all is well, except for perhaps my stress levels.
We were at school in a 4-H meeting. My son, and another four year-old*, after just being asked to get off of a table because it wasn't safe to climb on them, climbed up on another table and managed to flip it over. Unfortunately the table landed on my son.
I heard the "crash" of the table landing, turned around, and ran over to him. He immediately started wailing about his hand. It looked OK and he could move all of his fingers, so I immediately felt a sense of relief. That's when I saw his forehead. Dear Lord! He had a goose egg (a hematoma according to my EMT hubby) the size of a golf ball with a inch and a half horizontal cut (contusion) right across the middle. That sucker was the biggest bump I had ever seen. That's when I got worried.
I scooped him up, got him into his coat and snow pants, hopped on a friend's snowmobile , and rushed to the Medical Center; working hard not to freak out the entire way. (Which luckily was only about a half a mile.) School had called so the doctor and nurse were expecting us and had ice packs ready. S was still crying when they took him in for X-rays, so the X-ray technician asked me to sit him on my lap and hold him and then assured him, "If you can hold your hand really still so we can take some pictures, you can have a sucker."
That's all it took; he was able to calm down, and they got three good images of his hand. (Silly me forgot to take pictures of the X-rays - guess I was preoccupied.) I was so relieved when she told us nothing was broken. The doctor kept us at the ER for a while so she could be sure he didn't have a head injury, and then she sent us home with instructions to wake him up every two to three hours all night long. If we couldn't wake him or he couldn't answer simple questions like, "What is your sister's name?" we were to call 911.
My wonderful husband took that job. Probably because he knew I would stress out and overreact about something and end up waking him up to double-check anyway. Apart from two big purple bruises, S seems no worse for wear. He tells me, "Tables can tip over and hurt," so I am hopeful he learned a valuable lesson yesterday. I'm also hopeful that I won't be in another emergency room any time soon despite the doctor's warning; "As the mother of a son, this is most likely not your last visit to the emergency room with him." I can hope though, can't I?
* T had a small bump on the back of his head and is also just fine.
Oh poor little fella! Unfortunately it's likely to be the first of many visit, something about boys and emergency rooms that just go so well together ;)
ReplyDeleteUgh how scary! I'm glad he's ok!
ReplyDeleteHead bumps are a worry....glad all's well....for both of you!
ReplyDeleteGlad your son & friend are both okay. Head bumps are really frightening when a huge 'egg' rises so quickly!
ReplyDeleteI am glad he is fine. I hope you have a relaxing weekend. Take care.
ReplyDeleteGlad he is well....ER's are always scary places.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad he and his friend are ok! How completely scary for all of you. Take it easy this weekend : )
ReplyDeleteEvery mother knows that panicked feeling, how we would so take double the hurt to spare our children. You did a great job getting him to help right away. I'm so glad it wasn't anything more serious.
ReplyDeleteYour the second blog mommy who had a blog post about their son in the ER yesterday. There must be something in the air. I hope his boo-boos are better soon. That experience must have given you a few gray hairs.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you had such a scary E.R situation. That is never fun. What a great husband to take night duty. Get some rest!
ReplyDeleteglad to hear he's ok.
ReplyDeletemy daughter had 4-H on Thursday and a similar thing happened, except the table did not tip over. But the leaders son had climbed up on one of the foldable tables and she asked him to get down. He did but when her back turned, he was back on it. Now I'm not one to discipline kids when the parents are right there, but his mom was preoccupied with the meeting. So i walked over, took him in my arms, and strictly told him he was not going to climb on that table again! He listened to me but now i can tell him a story about a boy who actually had the table fall on him and ended up in the ER, if he ever tries it again.
I am so glad you are able to report that all is well. Those visits to ER are very nerve racking and as mothers of sons, yes, we all get our turn.
ReplyDeleteI have the greatest respect for the ER crews. Amazing people who do amazing things.
Thank you for another of your fabulous photographs. You have a very good eye.
i had three boys and i called them the flying kamakazi brothers. someone was always in the er and i started getting paranoid they might think i was abusing them, no, they are just boys. i cannot remember the number of stitches, broken bones, etc. i grew up with sisters and rasining boys was a ah hair raising experience!
ReplyDeletep.s. so glad your little man is okay.
ReplyDeletePoor little guy; I did something similar when I was the same age. Today I've got this scar on my forehead and everybody asks about it. (some of the kids I teach think it's cool!) In any case I hope he's feeling better soon. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteI have four boys, so I'm sure we're in for a few of these scares as the years go on. I'm so glad your little one is alright!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Cafe Jessica!
Oh dear, I'm so glad he is ok!
ReplyDeleteOh my word. What a scary experience. I am so glad your little man is ok. It is heartbraking when they hurt themselves. I am not good in an emergency. I panic and sometimes pass out if there is blood.
ReplyDelete