His Lucky Day
I was switching a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer when I heard a thud and a howl from the other end of the hallway. Slamming the lid on the washer, I poked my head around the louvered door and saw my son holding his chin, wailing with his head thrown back.
"What happened, buddy? Did you bonk?" I asked in a mild voice.
"YES! It HURTS!" He pulled up short at my feet and presented his chin for inspection.
Okay, ew. He was attempting to use a basket as a footstool to reach the yo-yo that I had put at the back of our kitchen counter, and it slipped. The resulting blow on his chin gave him a gaping, 3/4" gash on the underside of his chin.
I took him to the kitchen, where I calmly handed him two chewable tylenol, had him use a sterile gauze to put pressure on it, and found some cloth tape to make a makeshift butterfly. It stopped bleeding almost immediately, and although I was able to get a bandage on it, I knew we needed to get stitches. Bleh.
Attention, Parents Who Brag About Their Children's Health and Lack of Accidents That Require Emergency Room Visits: Ssssh! Parenting Gods are listening. Learn from me.
I called the appointment service center and they instructed me to go to the ER. Do not pass go, do bring $50 for the co-pay. I threw myself on the mercy of the advice nurse to send a message to our pediatrician, because she let it slip that they did have that dermabond stuff at the offices. Our doctor took pity on us, and was able to squeeze us in, on the understanding that we would have to go to the ER if he couldn't fix it with the glue.
As we arrived at the office, my son turned to me and said, "Mommy, this must be my lucky day!" I asked him why. He said "I get to push the elevator buttons all by myself!"
He stayed chipper and cheerful through the appointment, and we were able to avoid a trip to the ER. We stopped at the store for 'cool' bandaids to keep the stuff covered, and made it home in time for me to blog about it.
All I know is, I want to trade in my bad attitude. I will eat Peanut Butter Panda Puffs and drink Apple Juice every morning if it will give me such a rosy outlook. I want to see my grinning mug in the silver lining. I want this to be my lucky day, too.
Comments
As a mother of two boys, one of which had 2 sets of stiches, two staples in his head and two broken bones all before the age of 5 (the other one has only had one set of 6 stitches..two below the skin..joy) I can safely say that I know what a PITA it is to go to the ER. It's gotten to the point where I can tell just by looking if a cut truly needs stitches or not...And there have been times when we probably should have gotten BT a couple of stitches but I just dressed it up and it healed just fine (I think he has a small scar but boys like those)...We're very non-chalant about the whole "Oh [suchandauchakid] fell and hit his [somethingoranother] he'll need stitches." Then we eat dinner, go to the bathroom, load up activity books in the car, whatever else needs to be prepared for a trip to hell for hours and hours and then we leave. It's all quite normal for me...I have graceful children...don't ask about my husband though, I don't go there.
Posted by: turtlemama | December 2, 2004 12:35 PM
What a great mom you are. I used to panic in situations like that. But now that I think of it, I usually panicked after the emergency was over.
Well, Kudos for handling the situation so well.
Cas
Posted by: cassie-b | December 2, 2004 12:39 PM
I knew you must have a good reason for not posting yet, but I didn't expect it to involve injuring of a child. Hope little guy is okee dokee.
Posted by: Jazzy | December 2, 2004 12:52 PM
Zen Mommy Jenny...ommmmm, we chant....Calm and Serene Role Model for us all. And just the other post or so you were caffeine jumpy and everything. Dang girl, your radness knows no end.
Posted by: GraceD | December 2, 2004 1:44 PM
Awww, honey. Maybe next time he'll let YOU push the elevator buttons.
Posted by: Mir | December 2, 2004 1:46 PM
Isn't it amazing how well the little ones deal with everything. They don't have those thoughts of what can happen that us adults have. They usually charm the nurses in the ER while mommy goes and hyperventilates in a corner.
Posted by: Amy | December 2, 2004 2:29 PM
Oh my gosh! poor thing! I would have went nuts. You were pretty calm because if you panicked, your son would have panicked. Of course you know that, your a mother. I am glad he is ok and avoided the stitches. That would have made the poor boys day worse and yours! I hope it heals ok! God Bless!
Posted by: Mindie | December 2, 2004 3:30 PM
They can glue skin now? That's very cool!
A similar thing happened to my youngest brother, except he slipped in the bath and conked his chin on the soap holder. Two months after he healed he fell over at a supermarket on a badly layed tile.
I hope your little guy heals quickly. It's amazing how buttons make things better (not to mention cool bandaids)
Posted by: Bec | December 2, 2004 4:44 PM
Isn't it beautiful? My 7yo daughter refers to last year's hospital stay (via ambulance), when she got a transfusion and a colonoscopy, as "that time you let me watch Cartoon Network and eat jello all day!"
Posted by: Karen | December 2, 2004 5:55 PM
(Still "wow"-ing at Karen's 7 yo daughter) -- I realize this was not the focus of your post, but: have you actually tasted those peanut butter panda puffs? We got 'em once and that was enough. No one here liked 'em. Guess I'll just be stuck with that bad attitude of mine!!
Posted by: Mellie Helen | December 2, 2004 8:09 PM
I have been fortunate not to have to rush to the emergency room for sometime. It's been close though, we've knocked out a couple teeth (that were luckily already to come out), and the usual bruises and bumps. Not that we haven't had our share of stitches and casts in the past, but I hope they stay in the past.
Posted by: Jeff | December 2, 2004 8:37 PM
Owie! The poor lil dude. At least you bought the kick ass bandaids though, cool bandaids make everything all better :)
Posted by: Lindsey | December 3, 2004 6:12 AM
It was indeed your lucky day: you got to experience your little guy's boo boo through his eyes. What a picture you painted for us. I guess it's our lucky day as well.
I'm glad he - and you - are just fine.
Posted by: Carmi | December 3, 2004 10:04 AM
Attaboy!
Taking the "sandwich syndrome" as a man.
He got to push the buttons all by himself, that is what really matter, and on top, he got a scar to brag about to the other boys later in life.
Yup a supply of Peanut Butter Panda Puffs is in dire need for some grownups I know.
Posted by: Blex | December 4, 2004 9:34 AM