The Bad, the Bad, and the Ugly

This blog is all about my first year, my monumental moments, so that we can all look back and watch me grow. In an effort of full disclosure I am going to write this blog. Momma wasn't sure she wanted me to tell the story, but it was after all, a big moment in my life.

It all started on a regular Friday morning. Momma was busy running around trying to get us off to Stroller Strides. After getting me dressed, she fed me, and I fell sleep, so she put me in my crib. Then she was chasing down Lilah trying to get her dressed, hair combed, and to the car. Lilah was insisting on taking her stroller to play with after class and Momma agreed, mostly just so Lilah would head towards the car. She opened the door to the garage and told Lilah to take her stroller out to the car. Then she came back in the house for me. She was rushing because class started in 5 minutes and she hates to be late. She came out the door to the garage, yelling at Lilah to stop playing and get in the car. All the sudden her foot hit Lilah's stroller which was parked right outside the door. She manged to get her other foot down, but it hit the lip of the small step up and rolled. And down we went. It all happened in just a blink, but I felt myself in her arms and then I was falling. BAM! My head hit the concrete. I landed in between Momma's arms. I started screaming instantly! It really hurt. Momma screamed out and then started panicking. She checked my head, I think to make sure I wasn't bleeding and then scooped me up and took me into the house. She was pretty much hyperventilating and just kept saying "Oh no!" and "I am so sorry." She was making phone calls, but I couldn't really pay attention because I was crying too hard. The phone call to Daddy helped calm her down. And once she was calmer, I was too. I don't even really remember what Lilah was doing. She just took it in stride and came back in and started watching her shows. Then I started to get really sleepy. My body just wanted me to go to sleep. I heard her talk to the nurse at the doctor's office and agree to take me into the emergency room. She got me into the car and we took Lilah up to Daddy's office. Then we headed to emergency. Momma kept talking to me and poking and prodding me. I think she was trying to keep me awake. By the time we got into the emergency room I was awake again and my head was still hurting so I started crying hard again. Then next thing I knew I was being checked out by nurses and doctors. They all kept asking Momma the same questions and she was giving them good answers so they didn't seem to concerned, but they sent me to get a CT scan.

Then the doctor came in to tell Momma the bad news. They found a scull fracture on the CT scan and needed to keep me overnight for observation. The doctor said that it was a non-compressed fracture, which was a good sign. But if any issue were to arise they were not comfortable at that hospital to be able to treat me, so they were going to transport me to a children's hospital all the way over on the other side of town. I stayed awake through the whole ER experience and was smiling at everybody who came to look at me. Before I knew it, Daddy and Lilah came to bring Momma an overnight bag and say goodbye. While Daddy talked to the nurses and doctors about the necessity of moving me, some nurses put in a big needle into my arm and took blood. Then the put in this awful thing on my hand that they called an IV. Daddy took this quick picture of me as the the ambulance drivers loaded me up.

I fell asleep for some of the ride, but when I woke up I was totally fascinated because I could see all the cars out the back windows. I could tell Momma was tired and upset, but the ambulance guy was really friendly and kept her talking. The we were admitted to the ER at Cardon's Children Hospital. Momma took some pictures. It was hard to see the bump on my head because it was the whole side so the only way to see it was to look at me straight on. It was one big bump!

I was pretty hungry but they had me so hooked up to wires that Momma couldn't get me positioned well so that I was comfortable and would eat. We sat in the ER for almost two hours before they finally moved us up to our room.

Blood pressure, pulse ox, IV - too may wires! 

Once we were in our room, things settled down a lot. The nurses were awesome and loved to fawn over me. Of course I made sure to keep them coming back with my smiles and cooing. They all loved me. We settled in pretty quick, I ate, and took a good nap. They took off all the wires except the IV unless they needed to do a check. Momma took this picture of my feet because it looked like I was in prison. I think she felt that way. I really didn't mind one way or another.

Daddy came to visit for a little while and then headed home to be with Lilah for the night. Momma didn't sleep much that night and kept checking on me. My swelling got a little worse overnight and I could tell it worried her. But after a good visit with the pediatrician, she was calmer again. She was hopeful we would be out by lunch time. Daddy came back mid-morning. We only needed clearance from the neuro-surgeon. The hours ticked by. I kept flirting with nurses. The attention was really great. I was feeling totally normal as long as they kept the Tylenol coming.

Then we finally saw the doctor. He said that the first hospital had done a horrible CT scan and he needed to do another one before he could release me. After an awkward interview with CPS that was mandatory, Daddy had to go home to have the house checked. Then he headed to the airport to pick up Gram who was coming in the for the week. She had to come to the hospital with Daddy and we continued to wait. They finally got me down for my scan around 4:30, then we waited some more. The doctor came in to say that yes, I still had a fracture and did have a small amount of bleeding. But there wasn't anything that concerned him too much and I could go home. He gave this scan picture to Momma and Daddy. I think they were curious to see it, but wished they hadn't after they actually saw it. The two lines on either side is normal, but the big one right down the center is not.

Finally after all the reports were entered and everything was clear, we set off for home. As we left the hospital the winds were kicking up and we got to drive the first little bit home in a dust storm. I was so glad to get Momma home because she was a wreck, and now that she knows I will be ok, seems to finally be able to talk about the whole thing without getting weepy. My check up one week later went just fine and I have one more X-ray and doctor's visit before we get the all clear, but I am confident this will soon be a good story told around the dinner table. My first ER visit, my first ambulance ride, my first CT scans, and my first night in a hospital. And Momma hopes it will be my ONLY!