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I don't handle blood streaming out the back of my son's head too well. Update!!!!

Posted : 4/17/2007 6:29:24 AM

So...I am quite possible the WORST reactor on the PLANET when it comes to seeing my child bleed.
My son, Gaven, suffered his first accident that required staples last night.

Gaven is seven years old and we are gradually allowing Gaven to be more independent. He, for the most part, bathes himself at night because we have taught him how to properly clean himself and how to work the knobs on the tub (don't worry, I ALWAYS go in and check him). Well, last night I started his bath for him and went downstairs to get him. When I called for him, he ran upstairs without his pajamas. I went down to get his pajamas and told him to get into the tub.
So, I am coming back upstairs with his pajamas and I hear a crash and THUNK! in the tub. I said, "Oh, F@$&!" and started to run. He instantly started crying and screaming like I've never heard my child cry and scream. He stands up and I'm for sure he broke a bone or something. He didn't, 2 seconds after he stood up, the blood started just running out the back of his head. And he screams,"My head. I don't want to die!!" He held onto the towel rack in the tub to get in and he fell back and hit the back of his head.

I did the worst thing a mother could do when I first saw the blood and I yelled out and almost passed out. I got all hot and woozy and then I felt like I was going to cry but I knew I couldn't because I didn't want to freak him out even worse. I told him that he wasn't going to die and I grabbed a rag and asked him if he was ok to stand up.
My fiancee was gone taking my other son up north to his occupational therapy appointment so he was an hour away. He took my car because it's better on gas.
I feel like an @ss but I called 911 because I knew that I was not going to be able to drive. They came and my son asked them if he was going to die and we all told him that he wasn't. He then started crying saying he didn't want stitches and they looked at it and the guy mouthed to me, behind my son's back, "Oh, yes, he's going to need stitches".

I had dressed him real quick before the ambulance got there and he had blood ALL OVER HIM. It was awful.
He did good at the hospital with getting the staples put in his head.
I had to sponge bathe him when we got home because the dried blood on his back and tummy were itching him.
He's staying home today and what's weird is, they didn't patch it up. He just has the staples in the wound and you can see them. The doctor didn't seem too concerned that it would get infected or anything. He said that after 24 hrs. we can gently wash it with soap and water.
Oh, and we got a CTscan of his head and that's alright.

I guess I don't handle these situations well. I always thought I could handle seeing blood, but it never occurred to me how different that might be when the blood is coming from my own son.

GAH. I need some thicker skin because this is, I'm sure, the first of many accidents my son will have.

Benedict

Posted : 4/17/2007 6:41:02 AM

Oh no! What an ordeal!

I don't blame you for reacting the way you did. Accidents are going to happen but that doesn't mean you have to be as cool as a cucumber when you are watching your child bleed. I can't even imagine.

I'm sure he'll be fine. It sounds like he got a pretty good scare, poor guy, but the CT scan being clear was the main thing. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a raging headache for a few days though.

Best wishes for him to heal quickly, and for you to have your pulse return to normal!

Kate

chewbecca

Posted : 4/17/2007 7:18:16 AM

thank you.

He got four staples in his head, which really isn't a lot. And I know that head wounds ALWAYS bleed worse than what they actually are.
But it was about a dime in size and a 1/4" deep the ambulance guy said when he called it in.
I gave him some tylenol before bed last night and I have a script for an antibiotic to give him so that it doesn't get infected.

I stayed with him when they put the staples in and I held his hand and told him that if it hurt to squeeze my hand and that he'd be OK. But I turned my head the other way when they put the staples in. Bleh!

After I called 911 and got my son dressed, I called my soon to be father-in-law and I hurriedly said, "Don, I need you, Gaven cracked his head open", I told him the hospital we were going to and he said, "I'll be right there."
I called my fiancee and told him everything, but LOVELY t-mobile dropped the call so all he got was, "Gaven fell" and then the phone disconnected. But I didn't know that because it was DROPPED. When he got to the hospital, he goes, "I drove over 80 miles per hour to get here! IS HE OK?!?!"

My father-in-law is, like, the awesomest guy in the world and when he got there he was calm and told my son how when he was his age he had gotten kicked in the back of the head by a horse and had to get stitches. I'm pretty sure he made it up or at least exaggerated the story, but it made my son feel better.

g33

Posted : 4/17/2007 8:40:44 AM

Aww, poor baby!!! I'm sorry you had to go through that!! I'm sure as a mother it's hard not to totally freak out when you see your child get hurt. I remember once my cousin really had to hold back a scream when her daughter injured herself, to avoid scaring the crap out of the child. It's hard! I'm glad Gaven is OK.

rwbeagles

Posted : 4/17/2007 8:52:30 AM

Ya know I just read that and got woozy lmao!
We've had a broken leg here....but no streaming blood. I think I'd have done the same thing! Poor thing probably has a mondo headache? Skin staples are so evil looking!

Sending some get well soon wishes to him!

chewbecca

Posted : 4/17/2007 8:58:06 AM

thanks, guys.
Actually, we're getting ready to go off to walgreens for his script, but he said his head doesn't hurt.
He tries the whole "I'm a big boy" thing, though.
I have him resting for now. He's upstairs with me, watching tv.

I felt SO stupid for calling 911, but I seriously thought I was going to pass out. I got real hot and nauseous and dizzy. And NO ONE was home except for us. It took a lot for me to be able to even call 911 and speak coherently to the lady!

He got lots of stickers and he wouldn't stop talking after they put the staples in his head. He made the comment about how Frankenstein has 3 scars on his head from stitches. So I told him that he now has one so he's kind of like a jr. Frankenstein, but that we should keep it that way and not aim for 2 more to be like the big frankenstein.
We were all talking some crazy crap in the ER last night.

janobonano

Posted : 4/17/2007 9:45:28 AM

Wow! How scary! Poor little guy. Glad he's feeling better. Jr Frankenstien - that's funny!! Funny FIL, too.

tashakota

Posted : 4/17/2007 12:21:11 PM

When I was in third grade I fell through a glass storm door. Split my arm wide open down to the muscle covering the bone. It was my mom, me and my little sister at home. I remembering climbing out of the door and standing up, looking myself over, looking down at my arm in amazement and moved my fingers. The tendons moved back and forth! My mom almost went into shock. She started to call an ambulance but hung up saying they are too slow and called a neighbor to drive us. It didn't bleed AT ALL. So we spent 3 hours in the ER waiting for the surgeon to get around to stitching up my arm. I have a 6 inch scar on my left arm from that.

I'm glad your son is ok and i can not even begin to imagine how my mom felt that day. You were able to call all the right people though, so that's good.

KCSO

Posted : 4/17/2007 12:26:57 PM

Dont ever feel stupid for doing the best you could for your kid at that moment.

I'd like to share the single best thing I ever put in our emergency kit - those giant squares of gauze. Not only are they good for doing 1st aid, but they are amazing for putting over the owie so mommy doesn't have to look at it and keel over.

MissMandy

Posted : 4/17/2007 2:55:18 PM

Oh my Lord!! What a night!! I'm sure I would have flipped out too. Sounds like you handled the situation prefectly to me. Don't feel stupid for calling 911 - in fact, it's probably much better that you did, rather than attempting to drive to the hospital in a queezy panic!

Tell Jr. Frankenstien that we hope he feels better soon, the poor thing!!

chewbecca

Posted : 4/17/2007 3:05:34 PM

thank you, again!

He's been bouncing around the house. I'm afraid to let him out of my sight! hahaha.

lorib

Posted : 4/17/2007 3:06:49 PM

Even the tiniest head wound bleeds like crazy, so I can imagine how this looked.

As for the "Frankenstein" comment, that's a boy for you! They are seriously into the gross out factor. He will be a hero in school when he goes back!

I am glad everything is OK. Thanks goodness for your DIL and his help. DH is to be commended for gettting there so quickly. I am just glad he didnt' have to explain it to a cop!

alieliza

Posted : 4/17/2007 3:12:01 PM

Aye, Rebecca,
Im so glad everything is ok now, and despite the wound, gaven is ok!

paulaedwina

Posted : 4/17/2007 4:04:58 PM

I don't think you were stupid to call 911. It was a good call to realize you weren't in the right frame of mind to deliver you both to the emergency room. I had an incident a while back with a foster dog who got into a fight with one of my ridgebacks and bit the tar out of both my arms when I separated them. I called my neighbor because I recognized I was in shock and was concerned that, even if I could remember where the darned hospital was, there was no garauntee that I'd have the presence of mind to get there.

Good call.
Paula

luv_my_3_labs

Posted : 4/17/2007 5:59:23 PM

I'm glad your son is ok. I have three sons. The twins are four years younger than my older son. I have spent so much time in the ER when they were younger they knew us on a first name bases. I got so comfortable in the hospital setting I changed careers and now work in one. However, I still feel faint and sick to my stomach when they are hurt or in pain. Whether it's a broken heart or a hang nail, you will never have a thick skin when it comes to your children. I think you did a fabulous job on how you handled your first injury. Thumbs up to you[sm=wink2.gif] If your son is even a little like my kids your going to have some great stories to tell someday...