Bad accident with DS at the pool!!
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| Fri, 08-18-2006 - 3:50pm |
We went to the pool around 10 this morning, and bought lunch from the snack bar around 11:30. I went to get Matthew out of the pool to come eat lunch. He was climbing up the metal ladder when his foot must have slipped and he came crashing down on his chin!! I saw his chin hit the top step with a WHACK, and his head snap back. I knew *instantly* that he hit hard! At first he just looked stunned, and I gasped and grabbed him, and then I saw the blood. He did, too. That's when he started crying. I held my hand under his chin and walked him over to where Michael and the kids were at the snack area (picnic tables). A lady saw me walking with him with blood all over the lower part of his face, and followed me, saying "Is he OK?" I just wanted to get him over to Michael (who was there, thank goodness. He usually isn't, but he didn't work today because he's on-call tonight).
Matthew (who's almost 8) was gasping for breath, and started kind of hyperventilating. I got to Michael with this lady following me, and another mom from another table came over, too. I was *so* glad Michael was there!! Michael looked before I did, and took one of the towels to dab away the blood so he could see. He was so calm, it made me feel better. He just tried to calm Matthew down, telling him he was OK, and he would fix him up "good as new." I got some baby wipes out of the beach bag, and people were kind of crowding around, which was annoying me, and I think scaring Matthew. Justin also started to cry out of sympathy, I guess. Everyone was asking what happened, and someone got the life guard and a First Aid Kit, which Michael did not want. I finally turned to the crowd and life guard and told them my husband is a doctor, and he's got it under control. I appreciate their concern, but it was like we were a circus exhibit or something!! Michael thanked the lifeguard for the First Aid Kit, but just held a handful of baby wipes to his chin. He had cut his chin on the underside, where the bone is. I asked Michael if he needed stitches, and Michael said "It looks like it," but not loud enough for Matthew to hear, LOL! We packed up our lunch, the kids, and headed home. Michael told me to keep pressure on his chin with the baby wipes, so I rode in the back of the van with him. He stopped crying on the way home. (And Justin kept asking if the trauma helicopter was going to come. Because of Michael's job, he's obsessed with that thing!! LOL!)
We got home and Michael cleaned Matthew up & cleaned his cut out in our bathroom, and had him lie down on our bed on some towels. Then he broke the news to him that he was going to sew him up. Oh, let me tell you, the piercing screams that came out of my kid!! None of my kids have EVER had stitches before!! We have been sooooo fortunate in that way! This is the first time! I asked Matthew what book he wanted me to read to him, and promised him ice cream if he held still, and then threatened him that we'd have to take him in to the ER and get some strange doctor to sew him up if he didn't let Daddy do it at home. But Michael is very good at distracting kids (practice from his job), and started telling him a story about some little boy dolphin who got his fin cut on a shell. The whole time he's filling the syringe with xylocaine and not letting Matthew see. Right when the story got exciting, he had Matthew close his eyes for part of the story, and got the xylocaine into him. He told him "It's going to burn for a second, and you're going to count to ten with me, and it will stop burning by the time we get to ten." And Matthew let out this high-pitched squeak with his eyes shut, but actually held still and counted!! Michael gave him 2 shots of xylocaine, but I don't think he felt the second one. And then he sewed him up, and I watched his handiwork, but I have to admit, tears were streaming down my face with sympathy for my baby!! :( I kept telling Michael "Do a good job, don't leave a scar" pressuring him. He looked at me like I was nuts, and said "Trust me!" LOL! I have never seen my husband stitch anyone up (I saw him practice on pig's feet in med school! Yuck!) so it was kind of interesting to watch, and he took his time and from what I can tell did great. He has enough practice doing it, so I don't think it will leave much of a scar. Besides, it's on the bottom part of Matthew's chin where he has to tilt his head up to see.
So Michael gave him 5 stitches! My poor baby!! He's never been hurt like that before. Michael is so unaffected, like "He'll be fine." And while I was watching and crying, he said "Do you want to leave and take a breather? Are you OK?" And it's like: No, this is my child too, and I don't care how upset I am, I'm staying right with him!! I think it bothered Michael for me to be sitting there sobbing. Oh well! Deal with it! And Justin was fascinated! He watched too! I can't imagine that at age 5. He's fascinated by that stuff!!
Anyway, Matthew will be OK, but we sure had a rough day. Michael put a big bandage across the bottom of his chin, and I took him out alone for ice cream. He's very proud of his "owie" now, and is showing all his neighbor buddies, and telling them how his dad sewed him up. Michael will take the stitches out in about a week.
What a rough afternoon! I feel kind of emotionally worn out. It's so hard to see your kids hurt. This is the first time for me! I can't believe how much of an emotional toll it took on me. I am just so thankful that Michael was with us today!! What good timing!
Sofia


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How lucky you are to have a dr in the house though
Oh gosh, how traumatic! Glad to hear he's okay and only required some sutures. I can't imagine being calm when your child is hurt.....my hat's off to you! (even if there were tears!)
Hope he heals nicely and removing the sutures are no biggie for him!
(((HUGS))) to Matthew & you!
How is Matthew this morning?
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