Warning: This post contains graphic content and may not be suitable for viewers squeamish at the sight of blood or toddlers in distress. It seems that I'm failing miserably at keeping my children's faces away from inanimate objects. First, Liam's face met a piano bench in October, and two months later on December 16, THIS happens:
Aiden and I enjoyed a shower together while Liam was at preschool. Aiden was having the time of his life drawing circles on the steamy glass. I turned the water off, wrapped Aiden in a towel (arms bound) and then wrapped myself up. I called for him to turn around and waddle to me, but I didn't realize he had chosen that time to go pee-pee on the tile floor which caused him to lose footing as he turned. I saw it all in slow-motion; I knew he was going down and I couldn't quite get my hand down in time to block his head from hitting the sharp tile corner on the bottom of the shower.
I peeled him off of the ground, and that's when I saw the blood, streaming down his little face. I scooped him up in my arms and rushed him to the sink, screaming for Wes who was working in his office in the basement. I rinsed off the blood and saw how deep the gash really was and knew instantly we were going to be visiting the ER. We grabbed a handful of washcloths and gauze to put pressure on the wound, and I drove while Wes held Aiden in the front seat. Aiden calmed down fairly soon after the incident with the help of distractions.
Our first stop was the Urgent Care Clinic who told us there would be a thirty minute wait. Back into the car to drive another ten minutes to the Park City Medical Center ER. They took us directly to a room and took Aiden's vitals. It was a blessing he didn't lose consciousness or get a concussion. The cut was clean and straight, unlike Liam's jagged cut in October. The big questions would be whether or not to do traditional stitches or use surgical glue, and also whether or not to use Ketamine to put him to sleep for the procedure. I didn't want my baby to suffer.
We got a second opinion from Dr. T and finally decided to put him out. They told us the glue would sting a lot as it dried and Aiden was already terrified. Ketamine is supposedly the safest anesthetic on the market, so we decided it was the best choice. One of the hardest moments of my life as a mother was holding Aiden in my arms while he slipped away from the drugs. I do not wish to repeat.
Watching him try to wake up was heartbreaking. The first thing he said was "hi," then "cold" and "hard." I know, baby. The docs made it all better.
I wish we had put more thought into the stitches vs. glue debate. Thinking back, I think tried-and-true stitches do a better job holding skin together. The glue dissolved after a week, leaving a gaping cut. We had to tape it back together with butterfly bandages and then use ScarAway to fix the hole. Why do I always feel like I just spent a fortune for something I could've done myself after leaving a hospital? Of course, I didn't feel that way after childbirth. That epidural at the twenty-fourth hour was worth every penny!
A little over a month later and it's looking great! I'm thankful it wasn't worse than it was and that it seems to be healing with very little visibility. Facial injuries are terrible! I'm hoping that it will eventually disappear into his hairline and turn white. I wish I could keep these boys in a bubble, but I just can't. All I can do is my best to prevent these things from happening. Welcome to the life of being a boy mom!
2 comments:
Poor little bugger. You handled it perfectly. We age 10 years in one day every time something like this happens.
Good job Aiden...
You won't even have a scar to later brag about being in a knife fight to your peers.
Unka Travis scar on his chest he always use to tell people he had heart surgery. I think your dad has a scar on his back that he told others was a bullet wound. But, you look like you are good to go, you ole Warrior you...
Post a Comment