Let's go back to last Wednesday or so, when he fell out of his bed - you know, this bed:
He whacked his forehead but good on the floor, had a beautiful goose-egg and a bruise to match, and was more angry than scared or hurt. A damp cloth and some kisses and cuddle time set him right, although I did watch him carefully the rest of the afternoon, just in case. Still, that didn't warrant a trip to the doctor.
Then there was our jaunt to the grocery store on Thursday when he was playing around on the grocery cart and whacked the other side of his forehead on the cart-handle, a good solid hit that gave him another bruise - for a couple of days, he looked like he had horns coming in.
Tonight, the combination of Bird, Noodle, a large piece of foam, gravity and some decorative molding went awry. Noodle was chasing Bird with the foam, pushed him (you know how boys play...or maybe you don't...if you don't go ask a mum with sons and she'll tell you all about how they try to kill each other on a regular basis...and not just sons...daughters and mixed siblings do it, too...or am I the only one whose brother used to use a choke hold on her? I am? I feel so special...so loved...), and down Bird went, smack into the dining room wall at Michelle's...and the lovely ( and apparently rather pointier than we realized) decorative molding there.
We didn't know Bird was hurt, at first...he was acting more angry that Noodle had pushed him...but when he finally came to collect a kiss from me, I noticed blood on the collar of his t-shirt. Not much, just a tiny bit, but enough to prompt a quick inspection on my part.
At first, I only found a little puncture, but with Michelle's help and a good deal of wiggling on Bird's part, we found another puncture - not bleeding profusely, but seeping steadily, turning a chunk of Bird's hair red - it matched the color on the top of his head beautifully, I might add.
After a bit of discussion and some careful thought between us mums, I finally decided that maybe I ought to take him to the hospital. Please don't lose your mind about this - we are very casual about small hurts, even bleeding ones, as it doesn't serve anyone to panic or run to the hospital every time a child had a minor injury. I knew he hadn't lost consciousness, nor did he have an altered personality (hmm...he was rather well behaved at the hospital...) or nausea or blurred vision. I know what to look for, and he didn't show any signs of having received grievous injury (the wound was tiny, a few millimeters at most)...so it was really debatable whether I should take him or not.
Then came the question of whether I should take him to the hospital nearest Michelle's house or the one nearest my own house (more than an hour's drive away). I finally settle on the one nearest Michelle's - I know T wouldn't want to go to the ER with us (he really doesn't do hospitals) and I couldn't see any other reason to drive all that way to a busy ER near home when there was one close by.
Good choice - the Emory at John's Creek ER was clean, quiet, courteous, and quick - we were in and out in two hours, a nice turn around for us...and I know that we would still be waiting in the ER at NE Georgia (they're busy, busy, busy...and tonight being Cinco de Mayo and the population around NE Georgia being largely Hispanic, well...).
I had to explain to everyone who saw him that the red on top of his head was hair coloring, not blood...he wasn't attacked with a nail gun, folks!! Next time, he's getting purple or green...
After careful examination, the doctor explained that they could close the wound with a staple, but since it's on the back of his head where no one will see a scar, they didn't really need to. It was small enough to let heal on its own, although large enough that they said I made the right decision to bring him in - so I could simply have come home, but I'm OK with making the choice to go to the ER anyway...better safe than sorry, and he got to charm the socks of the admitting nurse, the triage nurse, three doctors, two more nurses and a young woman who was either a student or the youngest doctor I have ever met - just about everyone working in the ER popped in for a visit...must have been a slow night. Either that or they were ogling the really loud yarn I was quietly crocheting while Bird figured out the TV controls and found "How It's Made" to watch.
They would have stapled him if I asked, and I think they were expecting me to demand just that, but I told the nice doctor (cute, youngish, about six foot and slender with laugh lines around his grey-blue eyes, short cropped sandy blond hair with a little grey...not that I was looking...) that I wasn't pressed about it and if he thought no staple was needed, then no stapling would be done. I think they must have folks in there who get very uptight, because both he and the nurse looked stunned. Eh, scars add character. Heck, I'm covered in 'em, and I'm a character right? Right??
They put a compression bandage and a net cap on Bird - I took pictures as soon as we got home but I'm too tired to post them right now - and we were on our merry way. I drove through Mc Heartattacks and got the little guy a treat...he was amazing, letting the various people poke around his head while he was bent over like a supplicant to a pretzel god, and never even flinched when they put antibiotic goop on the ouchie and bandaged him up, so I figured some fries were in order. He was happy to have them, ate them all up.
He's asleep, now - he played a little in his room when we got home, then pulled the cap and the bandage off because they itched, so I covered his pillow with a clean towel and down he went. The doctor said that would be fine, that the wound may seep a little for a day or two but it was no biggie, and it's OK to wash it and let it heal up on its own...which I would probably have done anyway if it had been a millimeter smaller. Oh, well.
Thank you, Georgia tax payers, for footing the bill - we have state coverage for our little guy since we can't afford insurance on our own, and anyone who pays taxes in Georgia funds it. I usually resist using it, since I know how much care costs...but again, sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry.
I'll post the pictures of the white web smurfish cap tomorrow - for now I am finally tired enough to lie down and actually sleep rather than dwell on the Evil Genius' noggin bashing adventures and what he'll damage it with next...so g'night, and if I post tomorrow, it'll be later than usual...I'm sure you understand...
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