Monday, October 11, 2010

Keeping the E.R. busy!

My kids are sure trying to do their part to make sure the E.R. doctors stay busy. We had quite an eventful Sunday yesterday - it started off actually better than most and we managed to stay in Sacrament Meeting until after the sacrament had been passed. I did end up making my way out to the hall with all three girls - just like we normally do. And just like usual - Abby thinks that the long halls at church are especially fun to sprint up and down. On one of those long sprints up the hall as she was dodging mom who was trying to help her remember to be reverent, she tripped and I watched with two babies in my arms as she headed straight for a corner with her forehead. I couldn't put the babies down in time though and felt helpless as I couldn't catch her, but I was right there after she hit to pinch the skin closed again. I ran into the bathroom with her and got paper towels as it was REALLY bleeding. A friend had gotten the twins by then and helped me to get a doctor in our ward to come and look at it. I knew we were making another trip to the hospital though, even before he said anything. I couldn't put her down so I asked my visiting teacher to drive us to the hospital and other ward members offered to take the twins up to my parents house. So off we headed to the hospital. Abby was in quite a bit of pain and she tends to get hysterical quite easy, so it was a loud drive. I was feeling awful - because I wasn't able to catch her and because I shouldn't have let her run in the first place. She tends to get away with alot more than she should because the twins take up alot of my attention. Anyway, we get to the hospital and they let us right in. They put a cloth of some sort of numbing gel on Abby's head and we had to wait 20 minutes for that to start to work - thank goodness for whoever donated the books to the hospital, I have never been more grateful for something to distract both Abby and I. Then the doctor had me hold Abby still while they gave her some shots to numb the area even more. I consider myself pretty strong - I can hold two wiggly babies quite easily now, but I was no match for Abby when she didn't want that needle by her head. It got so bad that they finally told me that if I couldn't get her to hold still, they were going to have to strap her to the bed. This is when my prayers got even more desperate - I didn't want this experience anymore traumatizing than it had already been. This is when the miracle happened - I don't know if I have ever had a prayer answered so soon and so clearly, but Abby immediately started to fall asleep. She slept through the rest of the numbing shots and all through the stitches. The doctor was incredible - it is not a very clean cut (meaning it is jagged), but the doctor stitched it up really nice. Abby is now the leader in the family on the stitches count for one injury (Miles is still one stitch ahead on total stitches) - with 13 stitches. As soon as she woke up - literally right after the doctor had tied off the stitches, she was right back to her normal (very talkative) self, telling all the doctors and nurses all about her Halloween costume and the dogs at preschool. When we got home that night - she had a get-well card from a friend in her Sunbeams class - it had a sucker with it - as she was eating it today, she told me - "Mom, did you know that suckers make owies (sp?) all better?" Thank goodness for suckers (and doctors)!!! And here is a closer look...
Not only did Abby get a sucker - but my visiting teacher (who had taken us to the hospital) stopped by on her way to work this morning and brought Abby a big bag of marshmellows (her very favorite treat). So we have literally had marshmellows for breakfast, lunch and dinner today. Her are the marshmellows at breakfast (in the hot chocolate).
This is how we enjoyed the marshmellows at lunch - in a peanut butter and marshmellow sandwitch.
Tonight after dinner for our FHE treat we had seven layer desert (it has marshmellows melted on top, but you can't really tell from this picture).
The next miracle I am going to ask for is that Abby will wear the same outfit all day long. If you look back at the pictures, you can see that she is wearing something different at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I promise it is the same day though (notice the hair is the same) - no wonder I can't keep up with the laundry. We are now hoping to stay away from the doctors for a while - I don't know how much more my nerves can handle these accidents (and kids are getting expensive - after rent our copays were the 2nd biggest expense last month and then the medical premium was the 3rd biggest expense!!!).

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Are you kidding me?! I have never been to the emergency room with a kid (except when Olivia had meningitis as a baby). Good luck keeping up with your kids.

ibshell said...

you have spent more time in the ER w/ five children than I ever have w/ seven! You are amazingly patient!!