So today, I am taking Mama Kat's challenge and writing on prompt #2. This is also inspired by Jennifer from Momma Made it Look Easy's recent post of her daughter's burn and her writing workshop post
2.) Explain a time there was an emergency. What “mode” did you go into? Freaking out, calm and collected, etc.
This past December Leah burned her arm badly. I had just returned back to work from maternity leave, just getting into the swing of things with an 8 hour work day, a 2 yr old and a newborn. Andrew was at work, and I was making dinner for Leah. Tonight was hot dog night, and she was super excited about them. All I wanted was some hot chocolate. I heated the water in the microwave for my hot chocolate, removed it when the timer dinged, placed Leah's hot dogs in and turned around to grab a mug. Well, Leah thought her hot dogs were done and reached up to grab her Princess plate from the counter. The plate hit the cup of my scalding hot water which spilled all over the counter and down her arm. She screamed and slipped on the water. I thought she hit her head until I bent down and noticed her arm alreadying swelling.
Turn on mommy mode. I had to help her now. I ripped her clothes off, grabbed a towel and soaked it in cold water to take all the burn out of her arm. I wrapped the towel around her arm with another cooling in the sink all the while telling her it was going to be ok. My inner self was not ok. Inside I was bawling, freaking out and feeling my daughter's pain. I would like to think it didn't show, but my hands were shaking so much it was hard to hold onto anything. Everytime I changed the towel on my sweet girl's arm she would respond "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much" through her tears. Always polite, my little baby.
Somehow I managed to wrap her in a towel and call my husband to come home now (we only have one car). I also called my father-in-law who is a manager at a resturant and knows how to manage burns. We determined that she needed to go to the hospital and quickly. Oh yeah, forgot to mention the newborn who has awoken in her swing and is crying along with the two of us. I couldn't go to hospital because Audrey didn't need to sit in the emergency room. It broke my heart. Once we got Leah bundled up as best as we could and on her way to the emergency room, I broke down. I sobbed and craddled the only baby left at home. I sought comfort on facebook and the prayers and kind words that flowed in helped calm my nerves.
Why did Andrew go with her and not me? Because he is better at these kind of things, and he really is. He remains calm all the time. I freak out. I try so hard to keep it together for her, but I can not stand to see her in pain.
She did wonderful at the hospital. She had first degree and some second degree burns. She kept repeating "doctor make it all better" That saying continued everytime I asked if she was in pain. They gave her some morphine for the pain and sent her to the burn unit to have it scrubbed and treated. While the morphine was kicking in, Andrew snapped some pictures.
Don't you love the fact that her clothes don't match at all. The cast was so she wouldn't pull the IV out.
While she was on morphine Leah:-said "Leah wanna spin!" and she did
-heard other kids crying and looked seriously at Andrew..."I hear people." "Shush people."
-whenever the doctor appread proudly screamed "Doctor make it all better!"
-wanted to play with the bubbles on her arm
-thanked everybody and repeated Yes at every question asked
Needless to say, we both survived the ordeal. She still has scars, but the doctor said she would grow out of them pretty quickly.
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Wow. That is way scarier than the burn experience I had to deal with earlier this week. I freak out all the time about stuf fon the counter. My daughter never really tried to get anything, but my son does all the time. I'm scared to death he is going to pull a knife or something equally dangerous down on tope of himself. Last night it was an 8 pack of those mini Sodas (sprite). Luckily he was fine.
ReplyDeleteYeah...it was pretty scary. I now notice everything that is close to the edge of the counters, like knives and siccors and such. I am also super aware everytime I am cooking in the kitchen. Hopefully it won't scar her for life though.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh. That was a really sacry situation. I think you did great! I'm so glad she's OK and won't have any lasting scars. It's rally cute that she kept telling the Doc to make it better!
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