Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Teaching not to panic.

Yesterday was mom's 65th birthday.  Happy birthday, Mom!  We made dinner and kept shooing mom from the table, not allowing her to fuss with anything.  My sister scooted out to get her kids home.  My brother and I were wrapping up a few things.  I was carrying my cake container to the car.  The girls (K and M) were coming through the front room.  K was to the left, M was to the right.  M's foot bent up under her or her feet have grown so much that her body hasn't caught up.  She went down.  I was feet away.  I saw her go down.  I saw her bounce.  I saw blood.  K got out of the way.  Mom yelled.  I yelled that she was okay, but blood kept coming.  I couldn't decide to put her in the chair or lay her on the floor, but decided for the chair.  I grabbed a towel, wet it a little and put it on her forehead.  I swore that it would be a band aid thing.

Oh, it wasn't.

I pulled the towel away and saw that there was about 1/2" gap, a big gash and I was seeing skull.

K said that she heard me gasp, saw me put the towel back on, scoop M up and told my brother we had to go.  He wanted to see.  I wouldn't let him.  I knew he would pass out.

Y'all, I saw what I shouldn't have been seeing.

Mom called the ambulance.  My brother was panicking.  Her mom was working and was in route from about 1/2 hour away.  I was on the sidewalk with M in my lap, rolled up and hugging her tight while holding the towel to her forehead.  I was rocking her back and forth.  There was nothing else I could do.

I knew that they wouldn't transport, but they came, gave her the once over.  Confirmed what I knew-- go for stitches.  The neighbor is an EMT, but we didn't even think of him.  My dad wanted to see her forehead.  The neighbor said no.

It could have been way worse.  Still.  That memory is well etched into my brain.

Because the ambulance was called, they called ahead and told them that we were coming.  I drove my brother and niece and was thankful that they valet at the ER.  Who knew?  Free valet.  My first valet experience.  I wished it were classier.

In the end, what I saw was the membrane covering the skull.  :shutter:  She got 4 stitches inside and 14 outside.  She has a line down her face.  From where she hit the corner of the antique desk, she bruised her cheek, went through her eyebrow and missed her hairline by probably an inch.  The suture tech was great and took great care in making sure that her 5 year old face will have as little scaring as possible.

We taught K a valuable lesson.  It's important not to panic.  Oh, I cried on the way home from the hospital.  Still, someone needed to grab her up to get her all pulled around.

Gack.  M will be okay.  Wow.  Happy birthday, Mom!  :S

3 comments:

Rach said...

That poor baby.

There need to be folks in the world who are grace under fire and then buckle after it's all over. That's B and his dad. It is definitely NOT me. My poor kiddos...

Bailey's Leaf said...

Yeah. I can hold together okay. I deal with blood way better than the unknown with lumps. :shutter: There was a child who walked past me last week with a bend in his arm where it shouldn't be. Oh yes, he was broken. A lot broken. :snarly face: Still, I can pull it around and do what I need to do. Transported my brother years ago to the ER. "Do you think my arm is broken?" "Um, it looks like someone was wringing out a kitchen towel. Yes, yes it is." Yuck.

ChupieandJ'smama (Janeen) said...

OH MY WORD. So glad that she is ok and that you stayed calm. I'm not sure I would have. I stay calm when J has an allergic reaction and fall apart afterward, but skull might put me over the edge.
HUGS!!