I've been to the ER before. When Hannah was six years old she had a bad case of what we thought was the flu. She ended up severely dehydrated and in the hospital with fluids pumped into her veins for over twelve hours. (She ended up testing positive for lyme disease...) That was a scary night.
When Patrick was fifteen months old he dislocated his elbow twice in one week. The first time, I was trying to figure out what was wrong, and managed to pop it into place completely by accident. The second time was worse and we had to make a trip to the ER to fix him up-which they wouldn't do until he had x-rays to check for breaks. He was in pain and screaming and that was just heartbreaking.
The visit for Willow was worse.
Yesterday James found himself at a truckstop with a great internet connection. So we spent the morning talking with him via our webcams. The kids were really excited and jumping around showing off, as they always do. Willow's favorite move involves jumping from the couch to the coffee table and back again. This time she missed. She took a flying leap off the coffee table, completely bypassing the end of the couch and took and header into the corner of a small end table a few feet away.
It was bad.
I ran over to her and picked her up, and the first thing I saw was a gaping hole in her forehead. I will never forget how that looked.
She was screaming, and there was this deep, bleeding hole. It doesn't look as bad in this picture I took at the ER, because when I first saw it the skin was flipped over, and here it has flapped back in place.
I ran and grabbed a cloth (Hannah's shirt) and had Teena hold it against her head while I ran to throw my jeans on (I was in a pj shirt) and grab my shoes. Hannah held her and tried to keep her from touching it while I drove the half mile to the hospital.
We waited about an hour before someone looked at her, and then we were told she would need stitches.
That was such a horrible thing. The nurses took her arms behind her and put them into a pillow case, and then wrapped her tight in a sheet. One nurse held her body and legs down whilst another held her head straight and then the doctor began to sew.
Willow screamed.
I cried and tried to talk to her so she would know I was there. I don't think she heard a word I said. She just kept screaming.
"Get me out of here"
"Please can I go home"
"Please don't hurt me anymore"
And finally just "Mommy Mommy Mommy" over and over and over...
It broke my heart.
Afterward they let me hold her, and she cried for a few minutes and then was fine. I, however, am scarred for life. LOL
She has already convinced me to buy her a new Littlest Pet Shop set, a new shirt, and her very own chapstick.
Today she looks much better.
Update:
She now has added Hello Kitty bandaids to the growing list of "things that will make me feel better"
