Baby's 1st ER Visit

We've always told Thea no ER visits until after you're five years old. Somehow I missed out on conveying that important piece of information to Micah - and tonight we went to the ER for the first time and he got a few stitches in his forehead. It all started with his standing on the sofa and trying to jump or walk, and going off the edge and right into the edge of the coffee table - not the first time this has happened, but this time he conked his head just right and there was a little gash on his forehead. It looked tiny enough, but since it kept oozing, I wanted to have it checked out, especially since it was on an area on the forehead where his BAHA band sits.

Fortunately tonight was a quiet night at the University Medical Center ER (I've always hated that name, it's like the hospital is trying to capitalize on a non-existent relationship with Princeton University). No sooner than giving Micah's information to the receptionist and getting an ID bracelet slapped on his ankle were we taken into the triage area, and no sooner did the triage nurse tell us to go out and wait did the trauma tech come along and take us back.

The tech took off Micah's bandaid, told me that it was going to need stitches and went away. Phooey, I was hoping that someone would glue Humpty Dumpty back together and we could get out of there quickly, but it was not to be. And a big fat non-thank you to that trauma tech for not giving me a tissue or a gauze to catch the blood that started to seep out and run down Micah's forehhead yet again after yanking at the bandaid. Fortunately I felt ballsy enough to rummage for what I needed (I really like the vest I had on and didn't feel like getting blood on it).

The rest of the staff we dealt with (Dr. Lee, Nurse Jacqueline, Cecil) was very nice. The doctor and nurse got him numbed up, and then Cecil came in to wrap Micah in a sheet and then put him on the papoose board. Micah had a little snooze after the local anesthetic went in, so he came back full throttle with the wailing and wiggling for Act II. I held his head for the first set of stitches, then the nurse took over for round two - it's hard work to hold a little body still for more than a few minutes and Micah's determination to fight and let us know how pissed off he was did not flag for one single second until he was released from the Velcro.

All in all, with his bonking his head at 7:05, getting to the ER at 8:00, we were home by 9:15 pm which has to be some sort of record. Micah should sleep like a rock after this - but he's fooled us many other times.