Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Arin's First Visit to the ER

So today we had a scary experience, and by we I basically mean I because Arin got over the situation about a minute after it happened...

We were outside and I was raking leaves and Arin decided he wanted to try climbing the front stairs like a big boy, standing up. The front stairs (concrete with about six steps) have a wrought-iron railing which makes this easy for him to do, and he's done it several times before so I just let him. Well, this time he got even more brazen, and was standing at the top and doing a little dance, edging closer and closer to the edge. Unfortunately, he was wearing his big huge boots which are hard to maneuver in.

I'm not sure if he meant to take a step down or it was an accident, but in the blink of an eye he was toppling forward, landing on his head on the middle step with his body tumbling down over it again. It was one of the most horrifying moments in my life, it was super slow motion as I saw it from the side and I was convinced that he was just going to crumple in a pile at the bottom and never get up.

Thank God so very very much that he did get up, started crying and he must have ran to me, I didn't notice because I started running as soon as I saw him heave forward. I held him and hugged him and saw that his cheek and eyebrow area had some scrapes on them, but other than that he looked ok, his neck was moving normally (I was sure it was broken until that point) and he was conscious and his crying wasn't crazy in pain crying. After a minute he stopped crying and wanted to get down so he could play some more, but I carried him inside to clean and treat his scrapes, which he did not like so much!

I thought everything would be okay, I'd just keep an eye on him... I mean kids fall all the time right? Then my sister told me that that's how Natasha Richardson had just tragically died, a day after her injury everyone thinking she was alright... And also another little girl and a softball made up a similar incident in the news recently. So, I shot over to Dr. Google and of course spent the next 2.3 minutes getting totally freaking paranoid.

I called the doctor, we've just switched Arin to *my* PCP and he's a family doctor not a pediatrician so he doesn't have a nurse line, which didn't occur to me until today and is a very big problem. I had to send some crap numeric page to some random doctor they had on standby or whatnot, and wait for him to call me. Who in their RIGHT MIND still uses numeric pages? You're DOCTORS, why don't you spend some of that money on MODERN TECHNOLOGY like VOICEMAIL. Thanks so much.

So basically, I told him how Arin was being cranky and seemed a little spacey and he said to go over to the ER. At this point of course my fears were confirmed that my baby was in mortal peril and I was crying and getting really upset/scared/paranoid. Julie was here thank goodness (though she started my paranoia) and my dad just showed up to take us shopping then and was like... stop being such a girl and suck it up, he's fine. Not helping, thanks!

Anyway, we went to the ER and got seen right away as we were the only ones there, thank goodness. The doctor was really nice and friendly to Arin. It was a little weird because he ONLY talked to Arin, he addressed all his questions to him. At first I was thinking... does he expect this little toddler to answer, or am I supposed to play puppeteer here? But, Arin checked out okay. And I have to mention, they gave me an ADULT johnny to put on him, and he was so utterly adorable in it, wish I could have taken a picture of it. I got him to lie down on the little bed on the huge fluffy pillow in his big gown and he looked like a little (scrapey faced) angel.

So, everything's okay, as long as he doesn't start barfing or walking funny or acting super nuts. I would have been okay going with my first instincts which were just, oh he's a kid it's normal to get a few scrapes and bumps and I'll just watch him. But I'm glad he got checked out because I would have gone crazy after getting those ideas in my head, you know? It was just a scary situation all around, and I'm sure you other parents can relate... I hope this is his last visit to the ER, ever! Until he becomes a doctor, that is. :)



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