The Story of Our First Trip to the Emergency Room (with a 3 year old)

So we've now had our first ER visit... it was pretty traumatic all around, but Froot Loop handled the whole thing like a champ! 

Yep. Froot Loop was chasing Cocoa Puff around and going in and out of a big box they like to play and hide in. Cocoa Puff was in the box and Froot Loop was climbing on top of it to jump on him. Sigh... brothers. It was also Cocoa Puff's naptime and he was getting very crabby. I was rushing to get his nap area ready and Honey Graham was tasked with bringing him to me. 

Well, Froot Loop knew he was doing something wrong (he KNOWS he's not supposed to climb on that box because he could hurt himself or his brother) and he bolted across the room. Just as Honey Graham was picking up Cocoa Puff, Froot Loop tripped and slammed his left eyebrow into our glider/rocker chair. 

I heard the scream. I knew it was bad. Froot Loop ran into the bathroom with me and I picked him up and set him on the counter. Blood. So much blood. I screamed at Honey Graham to bring me some ice and a some wet paper towel. After he did, I asked him to put Cocoa Puff to bed so I could deal with Froot Loop. Blood was dripping down his poor little face and his eye was already swelling. He was crying and every time I tried to clean him up, he'd cry harder, and that would bend his eyebrow more and make it bleed more. 

I immediately knew we'd have to go to the ER. It wasn't super deep but it was deep enough and it Just. Kept. Bleeding. Plus, Froot Loop was really upset that he had gotten blood on his brand new fireworks shirt I made for him. Poor kid. I told him it was just a shirt and it could be washed, and if it was still stained, I would always just make him a new one. That seemed to calm him down a little. 

I tried to put ice on his eye but he was freaking out about it and that made it bleed more. I was trying to get a good look at how deep it was so I could decide where we were going to take him. It stopped gushing and I got his clothes changed and kept dabbing at the blood on his face so it wouldn't drip into his eye. 

I was freaking out pretty good. I called my mom like 4 times but I couldn't get ahold of her. The nearest hospital is over an hour away and our family doctor, who is normally open on Saturdays, was closed for the holiday. Of course. 

We decided to drive him to the EMS building in town and see what they thought or see if they could do anything. We were deciding what we were going to do with Cocoa Puff when my Dad drove up. I forgot he was coming for lunch and do laundry! He parked behind our car and Honey Graham went to greet him and ask him to move his car because we had to take Froot Loop to the hospital. Well, of course that freaked him out pretty good but I was just about done cleaning him up. I remembered he has a carseat in his car for Froot Loop and asked if he'd drive us to the EMS station. He agreed and we went. 

They told us at the EMS station that there was nothing they could really do there because all the bandages they had were for bigger injuries and bigger people. They were very nice and helped us find a few nearby clinics and made sure he didn't have anything immediately urgent like a concussion or anything. I was texting with Honey Graham to find out where the closest place was that took our stupid health insurance and turns out the closest place was an urgent care clinic attached to an ER about 40 minutes away. 

At this point, it was nearly lunch time and we hadn't eaten anything all morning because of the July 4 parade. So we ran home and I grabbed a piece of pizza for my dad, a lunchable for the kid, and a couple random snacks for me to eat. Honey Graham, my dad, and I agreed that the best thing to do was for Honey Graham to stay home with the napping Cocoa Puff and my dad would drive us to the urgent care. I was shaking and nauseated and very upset so I couldn't drive anyway. 

Froot Loop was doing very well. I was trying my best to keep calm and keep him calm so I sat next to him in the backseat and kept talking to him and feeding him. I happened to grab a bag of blueberry pancakes and tea cakes from the fridge, and I took a nibble at them, but my stomach was not happy so I didn't really eat much. 

We finally got to the clinic and there was no wait. The nurses took his vitals and he did a great job with that. He played with the oximeter for a few minutes which was pretty cool. They got us set up in the suture room and eventually the doc came in. He looked at the eyebrow and apologized as he tried to hold it together. He said it was too big for glue and would need a few stitches. Ugh. Froot Loop started crying again and it started bleeding again. 

The nurses came back in and got the room set up... the needles and the stuff for the sutures. They also prepped the wound and got the bed ready for Froot Loop. I started getting more upset, but at least with my dad there it helped. I also knew I had to be strong for my little boy. Froot Loop was not happy about them cleaning his wound and started whining again. I had remembered to grab some MMs for him, so I told him that when this was all over, I'd give him some MMs. That made him happy. The doctor added that if he was getting MMs, he was going to come home with us! Froot Loop decided that he didn't want to wear his shoes, so we took them off and put them in my bag.

The doc came back in and we wrapped up Froot Loop in a big sheet so his arms wouldn't get in the way. My dad held Froot Loop's head, I leaned over his arms so he could see my face and the nurse helped with his middle so the doc could have clear access to his face. I was doing okay until he stuck the needle in the wound and Froot Loop screamed with all his might. I started shaking and just started singing to him. I don't know why and I'm not even sure what I sang to him, but I just sang and held him tight. They had to put several shots in there to numb him. Of course, that made it bleed even more AGAIN. So. Much. Blood. 

At this point he was freaking out and I heard his little voice quiver, "Mama, I have to go to the bafroom! I have to go to the bafroom!" Poor kiddo. He agreed to hold it for a few minutes until the doc was done. Such a good kid. 

He started to calm down a little bit as the anesthetic kicked in and we waited a few extra minutes to make sure it was numb. Then it was time for stitches. I held on tight again and started singing more as he inserted the needle into his eyebrow and started the stitch. It was gross and yet fascinating. Froot Loop started screaming and crying again but he was so brave. He was amazing. Somehow I kept it together for him. He ended up needing three stitches. 

After he was stitched up and it was all over, we took the sheet off and I gave him a little hug and kiss. He told my dad he really needed to go to the bathroom so Granddad took him off to the potty while I finished with the doctor. I felt the need to pick up the bloody gauze and tissues for some reason. I gathered up all my stuff and waited for final instructions from the doctor. 

The guys came around the corner back into the little waiting room and Froot Loop yelled, "MAMA, SPONGEBOB IS ON THE TV!" I told him he could go watch it for a few minutes while he ate his MMs and I finished with the doctor. He was pretty happy even though he had just gone through a traumatic experience. He's so brave. He's so awesome. He's so tough. When the episode was over a few minutes later, we gathered up all his stuff and the nurse came back with a few little trinkets for him. 

He did so great. We drove back home with a pit stop at the dollar store to pick up some children's tylenol for him. I also let him pick out a snack and a toy. He chose a light up cup and a big bag of MMs. I also found a really cute Finding Dory cup, so I got that for all of us to use. My dad found a little something for him too. 

Froot Loop didn't really want to eat or drink anything in the car, so we got home and got him set up with whatever snacks and drinks he wanted. He asked to watch Finding Nemo and Wall-E, so we got those ready for him. My dad stayed for the rest of the day and we all loved on Froot Loop. Honey Graham almost cried at seeing the stitches. Froot Loop was fine the rest of the day. He took his bath like usual and even went right back to picking on his little brother. He even got a time out for throwing toys at him! So, he's fine. He's his silly and goofy and mischievious self. 

Froot Loop had a great night sleeping. I gave him more tylenol before bed and he fell asleep quickly with his two glow sticks. He didn't wake up until 8:30 this morning! (Don't worry, we checked on him frequently throughout the night. I went in there when Cocoa Puff woke up to eat and Honey Graham checked on him every time he woke up too). His eye was very swollen today and he's got a pretty nasty shiner. 

I have to go back to our local clinic in 10 days to have the stitches removed. I'm not looking forward to that. 

He's been laughing and playing and causing his usual trouble all day today. He says his eye hurts a little bit, but that he's going to take care of it so that it gets better and doesn't hurt anymore in a few days. He's such an awesome dude. He doesn't complain much about pain. Either he's got a high pain tolerance or he's too busy playing to complain. Plus maybe he'll have a pretty cool scar to boot. 

I'm just glad he's okay. It's so scary when your kids get hurt or sick. 

How many times have you gone to the ER?