First Trip to the ER...Not For the Faint of Heart!

I knew that our run of no stitches, broken bones or ER trips would come to an end sooner or later.  And considering the adventurous group of boys I have I am actually surprised it wasn't sooner!  Well today was that day.  We were swimming at a friends house when Carter unsuccessfully attempted a back flip off the diving board resulting in a back flop.  My response, "Carter, let's not do any more back flips, they make me nervous and dad's not here to put you back together if you break."  JINX.  What happens next???  Carter does a front flip (which he has done hundreds of times mind you) and doesn't clear the diving board.  I'm not sure how it all happened, all I know is he came up out of the water with blood running down his face a little disoriented.  I swam over and grabbed him and helped him get to the stairs.  I SOOO did not want to look at it.  Thank goodness my good friend Amy is not as squeamish as I and looked at it for me.  She quickly responded, "How about I watch your kids for the afternoon!"
"He needs stitches?"
"Yep!"
At which point Carter started to fall apart.  We got out of the pool put a towel on Carter's head, I threw my dress over my suit and we were off.  I called Jared on the way to the hospital.  He asked how deep it was.  "I don't know."
"What? How do you not know?"
"I didn't look at it!"
"What?"
"I wouldn't be able to drive if I had looked at it."
"Just pull over and look at it."
"Amy looked at it and said it needed to be stitched and I trust her."  I didn't plan on looking at it...ever.

As soon as we got to the ER I realized Carter didn't have shoes or a shirt, oops.  Didn't think to grab his clothes.  They got him in pretty quick and while the nurse was getting his vitals and history he commented that if it was under the hair line they wouldn't do stitches but would staple it.  Carter's eyes got HUGE.  "Staples??"  I had the same reaction...in my head.  I don't think I would have been able to look at him if he had staples on his head.  Fortunately (or unfortunately) most of the gash was on his forehead rather than under his hairline so stitches it was.

Once we were in his room curtained area, they turned the TV on for Carter which was a lifesaver.  He went into that slightly frightening comatose stage my children enter while watching TV and stayed there until the lidocaine kicked in.  It was a beautiful thing.

When the doctors came in and took a look one of them commented that there was a hole in the galea, note to self - ask Jared what hole in the galea means.  Turns out it meant that the laceration was through the muscle, clear to his scalp...just in one small spot but still!  My stomach started doing somersaults.  The resident turned Carter towards me to show me the laceration and explain to me that it was a good cut (whatever that means).  I tried to quickly turn my head away but it was too late.  I had seen it.  I checked myself.  I wasn't lightheaded, I wasn't nauseous and I was still breathing and conscious.  I did however have to do a lot of self talk to keep my cool and not end up on the bed in the room next door (something that may or may not have happened when Gage got his tonsils out) or passed out on the floor (something else that may or may not have happened with a previous suture experience.

Jared showed up after a while (and brought a camera with him...it was killing me that I was there without a camera to document this experience!).  Carter was super brave and saw surprised at how easy it was.  Knock on wood but maybe next time he won't be so scared.  Although I have to admit, the idea of stitches is much worse than the actual thing!

3 hours, 4 deep tissue plus 13 surface sutures later and we're as good as new...with a little bit of a lingering headache to remind one to flip further away from the diving board next time!

It made me smile that my not so little boy still wanted to hold my hand.  And it may have made me feel better too... Love this kid!

I am totally avoiding looking at this photo while I type.  It makes my stomach turn.  And according to Amy it looks a lot better washed out than it did at the pool.  So grateful for good, unsqueamish friends!

Finally got a smile out of him...after the lidocaine kicked in!

Yes, I let the resident stitch him up...it's hard to ask for someone else when your husband is a resident.  Hope he did a good job!

No shirt, no shoes...no problem.

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