Yesterday started off as a pretty normal day. In fact I love Thursdays. I have a great schedule at school with two 45 minute planning periods back to back, and then I have a help session after school where I help teachers with anything having to do with technology. I headed down the yellow hall around 2:45 and ended up helping FOUR teachers within the hour before I had to leave to get my hair cut. I just love it when I am of good use to somebody- especially lots of somebodies!
Heather, my hairdresser, washed my locks and then proceeded to trim them. While she was trimming, my cell phone rang. I didn't answer because I just think that's rude. If the call is important enough I can call them back. I am not going to talk on the phone while Heather is cutting my hair. I was a little embarrassed that I had forgotten to turn it to vibrate. I told her, "I have no idea who would be calling at this time of day. It could be day care telling to come get my kids that they'd had enough of them." We both laughed, and she started drying my hair. She decided to curl my hair once it was dry and had half of my head curled when my phone rang again. I was still embarrassed that I had forgotten to put it on vibrate. How rude of me! Anyway, she insisted that I answer it, and it was Kevin telling me that the day care was trying to get in touch with us. Sarah had fallen and cut her head and would probably need stitches. Well, Heather quickly finished with my curls, I paid her, and we set up my next appointment.
I drove as fast as I could to get to the day care and called the pediatrician on the way to let them know we were coming and would be in need of their "after hours" services. Of course, wouldn't you know I got behind every slow person on Church Street. I could not get to my baby fast enough. When I did get there, she was getting the royal treatment. She was sitting in the director's lap watching Mickey Mouse videos on the computer and eating her second lollipop. I scooped her up along with Adam and Jackson and headed a few blocks over to the pediatrician.
It turns out that she was running to get a toy from under the swings. Supposedly one of her friends kicked her, but we think she must have gotten cut by the swing. She has a nice deep cut coming out of her left eye onto her cheek.
As soon as we walked in the door, the receptionist had the paperwork ready for me to sign and quickly took my copay. We sat down in the waiting room for less than five minutes before the nurse called us back. Jackson decided that he did not want to go and that he promised me he would take care of Adam and that they would behave. So, thinking, "Wow, they knew I was coming and they were ready for us, they'll get Sarah stitched up and out of there in no time", I left the boys in the waiting room to play with the "doctor toy" (you know, the one with the shapes that move along those tracks) and to watch the fish. Mistake #1.
The nurse said the doctor will see us shortly. I heard voices in the hall. I believed her. Thirty minutes later, Kevin calls to say he is home in the driveway. I tell him to back out of that driveway and come get the boys. Who knows what they are doing alone in the waiting room. After waiting an hour, the doctor comes in and looks at Sarah and says, "Yep, we've got to stitch that up". He says that he'll go get the room set up and call us back when it's all ready. I thought, "Good, he'll stitch Sarah up, and we'll be home eating dinner in no time." Mistake #2. I guess he forgot to mention that he was going to see the other patients waiting before he was going to stitch Sarah up. Another hour goes by. Sarah entertained herself with my phone and was not appreciative when I "borrowed" it to text Kevin every once in a while. He finally left and took the boys to Moe's to eat.
It was finally time to go back to the procedure room. Sarah immediately recoiled and started screaming as soon as we walked in. I must interject here to explain. Two weeks ago, Sarah had that surgery where she had tubes put in her ears and her adenoids taken out. The boys had dentist appointments on Tuesday and she sat trembling terrified of Dr. Beshears and the hygienists with their masks on. Those doctors and nurses at the surgery center told us she wouldn't remember a thing about that surgery. I do believe they were wrong!!! Doctors are now very scary to Sarah. I tried lying her on the table but she was trying with all her might to roll right off. I'd never seen her twist as much as she did. The nurse held her head and I held her hands while both of us were getting kicked by her feet. Once the doctor finally got it numbed- with a needle- YIKES! She calmed down enough for us to talk to her. The doctor covered her face up with a paper covering so that only the cut showed through the hole. That really seemed to help. She didn't have to see those awful things coming at her, and she could play peek-a-boo with me and the nurse. We started asking her questions, and she finally asked for supper and her bear. Poor thing. Traumatized and starving.
They did give Sarah some consolation prizes. She got TWO prizes from the prize box and another lollipop.
We got home about 3 and half hours after this huge adventure started. Sarah asked for a peanut butter sandwich and some milk. She ate it all and was ready to go take a bath and go to bed. I think at that point I may have begun to stop shaking and was ready for a bed myself.
Here Sarah is with a full belly and her bear making kissy faces at the camera. She is unfazed by all the trauma that just transpired.
She slept fine all night and seemed OK at breakfast. She did wince once with pain when Jackson started to get a little too close. I noticed this afternoon that her eyelid was looking a little purple. I'm afraid she may end up with a black eye or half a black eye before this is all over with.
She is supposed to go back to the doctor on Tuesday to get the stitches out. I am looking for any volunteers that are willing to take her to that appointment. My suggestion- wear padded clothes for the kicking and earplugs for the screaming. Lift some weights to build up your muscles for holding her down and you'll be fine. Oh, and if anyone has a plastic bubble we can put her in to keep her safe, we'd appreciate that, too!
