A Trooper in Triage

Sadly, we had to take our precious little Peanut on her first trip to the emergency room last Tuesday night.  Just to reassure all our family, everything is fine now.  However, whether it is a cut on the face (as was our case) and something much more severe, it is a scare that no parent ever likes to endure. 

So back to last Tuesday night.  It was a normal night like any other.  I was making dinner and plating food and taking pictures for the blog.  The Hubby was supervising Peanut upstairs in picking up her toys before we sat down for dinner.

I heard the Peanut come down the stairs and Hubby calling after her to come back upstairs to finish picking up her toys.

(Sidenote: Obedience has also been a prevailing theme around these parts lately.  Or at least getting Peanut to do as we ask and not as she pleases.  Ahem.)

Peanut made it down the stairs just fine. From Hubs view from the top of the stairs, he saw her trip on the living room floor, but didn't see exactly how she landed or what she hit her head on on the way down.  I heard Peanut start crying (but it didn't sound like one of those crys.....hopefully I am not the only parent who determines the seriousness of the situation by the sound of the cry) and I set my camera down to see what was the matter.  Hubs did the same in calmly walking down the stairs.

I turned the corner to see Peanut holding her forehead and blood streaming down her face.  Being the spastic I am, I panicked immediately.  Thankfully Hubs quickly took control of the situation, pulling Peanut into his lap and directing me to get some wet cloths. 

Once we got her cleaned up enough to access the situation, we both knew we needed to take her to the doctor.  Unfortunately, it was just before six o'clock and her doctor's office was already closed, so that meant going to the emergency room instead.

So Hubs bandaged her up and I quickly put our uneaten dinner in the fridge and we made the trip to the emergency room.

(Sidenote #2: I only remembered to grab my camera because I just had it out taking pictures of our dinner.  The primary reason for taking pictures of this ER visit?  Not for the blog as some might think, but for her photo books I have been diligently making for her.  The blog was just an added "benefit".) 

For the record, Hubs still thinks I am sick.  

But honestly, if the one thing I was able to document was what a trooper she was?  It was worth it.  I can't even begin to explain what a big girl she was.  And it wasn't just me thinking that, but the ER nurses and doctor said as much as well.  Please don't get me wrong.....I am truly not trying to brag.  Had she been crying the entire visit and been unpleasant during the whole episode, I wouldn't have given it a second thought.  She's not even three yet and that would have been completely understandable.  Had this happened to me?  I would have been crying during the entire thing, but our Peanut puts on a brave face that is much beyond her years. 

All that to say, she is still very much two years old (almost three) in other areas.  Not even ten minutes after sitting down in the ER waiting room, she was wanting to get down and play.  Of course we didn't want her doing anything remotely rambunctious, so keeping her still was a battle in and of itself.

ER waits are always long and it seemed to be even longer with a near three year old.

Sigh.  

Yes, Big Dolly made the trip with us. 

Her cut was about a quarter of an inch in length, which honestly isn't huge, but it is on her face and she is a girl.   (Boys tend to be more proud of scars don't they?)  They cleaned up the cut and stitched her up and she didn't cry once during the whole visit.  She sat completely still through each exam and procedure from the nurses and doctor.   For her "stitch" they used Dermabond, which essentially is a super glue for the skin.  I guess it's ideal for facial wounds as it minimizes scarring.  After they glued her up, they sent us home, telling us that the glue would essentially scab off like a skinned knee. 

Not so much when you are two.  We came home that night, had a late dinner and put her to bed.  She fell asleep almost instantly and then went all day Wednesday without so much as messing with her "stitches."  We put her to bed Wednesday night and Hubs went to check on her a few minutes later and she hands him her gob of glue stitch.

Yes, she picked it right off. 

The cut wasn't gaping open, nor was it really bleeding.  It was kind of weeping though.  I called the ER as we were trying to determine yet again if we should make another after hours visit.  Come to found out, since it had been more than 24 hours after the initial cut, they won't re-stitch/re-glue due to risk of infection and so forth.  We cleaned it as best as we could and she had a big ol' princess bandage across her forehead.  At least that's cool to a two year old.  We admonished her several times not to touch it and literally checked on her every two minutes as she fell asleep to make sure she wasn't messing with it. 

Thursday morning I called her pediatrician and they got her in soon after to Steri Strip her up.  Those things are like stickers, but in order to toddler proof, the doctor glued them on as well.  And as of 5 pm Friday, so far, so good.

These past four days have been long.  Really long.

Hopefully these strips will last.  Between wound monitoring, rambunctious minimizing, and obedience training....I don't think I can handle much more.  All that to say though (and I've said this before), this was so minor compared to what other parents have to endure and I am so thankful it wasn't worse.

Regardless of the challenges we have faced this week, God has blessed us so much.

.....and we are grateful.