Yesterday it happened! One of my girls had an accident and not just a little one. A pretty good one that had me running to the emergency room. We had went swimming in Mattoon with Gigi and on our way home we stopped for groceries. Leah was helping me carry bags in the house when she tripped and fell shattering a bottle of wine and slicing her leg open. When she stood up both legs were covered and blood was spraying everywhere. I grabbed her, put her in the front seat told her to hold a towel on it and hightailed it across Lost Bridge to St. Mary's ER (which is about a half mile away, Thank God). When we got there I parked in the ambulance bay and ran in saying I needed help. They rushed to help me without pause. Lifted Leah and put her in a chair and got her to triage while I parked and brought the other girls in. On my way to the ER I frantically started calling friends that lived near by. Neither Mandi or Denise answered but Denise called back and headed my way. Thankfully she took Bug and Hattie home, stayed with them and got them dinner. Because of course, these things only happen when Daddy is out of town.
They had bandaged her leg but asked me to clean up the exposed area around the wound, her feet and other leg. They gave me towels and I got to work. There was a fair amount on both of us. They came in and asked a few questions and then explained that they would give her a shot of lydocaine and then stitch her up. Of course the word shot sent her in to a panic, but I got her to calm down and then they sent us to XRAY. They wanted to make sure their was no glass in the wound. Once we got to the Xray room, they began to unbandage her leg. She panicked that she was getting a shot started saying it didn' hurt anymore and it was all better and kept trying to get up and off the bed, so then the bleeding picked up again and was spraying everywhere. Somehow they got it slowed down and the Xrays showed their was no glass.
Back in our room the NP and the doctor finally came in and were about to get started. They uncovered it and declared "we have a pumper" blood was going everywhere and they said she had hit an artery which made me panic. I had never seen so much blood but they assured me it wasn't a main artery and she would be fine. The nurse had to change her shield there was so much blood. They started with water trying to clean it out a little. Then the lydocaine shot. She screamed and cried in a way had never heard before. I held her close but then I stared crying too. She calmed down but only until he started with the stitches. The doctor was great, asking her lots of questions. He asked her about kindergarten and she got sassy with him when he didn't remember that he said LSA. They had to stitch up the artery first and then 8 stitches on top. They had to put in anchor stitches because the wound is so close to her knee they are concerned about her potentially busting them out. I don't even want to think about that. Overall, she was a trooper. She hasn't complained about pain once since we left the hospital and has done well letting me change the bandages. I hope it continues to be this easy.
Lots of love and support has been flowing our way. Probably nearly100 facebook comments. My mom brought over some new movies and special snacks and candy hoping it would help her rest easily on the couch. Sanya, Lia and Ryan brought her a Barbie movie and a balloon. Ellen brought her balloons. Our babysitter Taryn brought her a stuffed animal and M&M's and then flowers were delivered from Grandma Tootie and Grandpa Dave as well. Oddly, people keep bringing me bottles of wine as well...and I'm not complaining!
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