ER

I've been trying to finish my Purim summary, but haven't had the chance yet. Just a quick note here that we had ND's first ER trip.

I was trying to get her to come with me to the elevator in our building to take some recycling downstairs, but she wanted to go up the stairs instead. I put my bag down, headed over to get her, and seeing I was coming after her she moved too quickly. She slipped and bumped her lip VERY hard on the step.

I have to admit my first thought was, "Oh good, she hurt herself a little. Now she'll let me pick her up and redirect her." But my second thought arrived very quickly when I heard her scream like she never has before and I saw the, dare-I-say-it, blood.

I dropped everything I was carrying and rushed her inside and onto my breast right away getting blood on my shirt, on me and everywhere. And she kept crying even as she nursed.

I tried to talk myself through it that it was no big deal and that kids do this sort of thing all the time. I figured other moms would think I was being hypersensitive because she's my only. But just to be safe, I went online and discovered that when a cut extends from the skin of the face onto the lip it sometimes means you need a plastic surgeon.

I called the pediatrician. He said to take her to ER. So off we all 3 went.

It was HOURS of waiting. The ER really did the best they could (I think) but their plastic surgeon on call lives over an hour away. I'm coming down with a full-blown cold so I wasn't feeling too good (and shouldn't be staying up this late). I told U. he could go home while we were waiting (we live right across the street from the hospital). But he said it didn't feel right and we all just waited together. It was the right thing to do.

Two really hard moments for me:

1. When we first went in back there was a gurney in the place where we were going to wait. ND didn't need it but we needed to sit somewhere. I found I really didn't want to sit on it. In fact, the more we waited back there, the worse I felt, partly because ND was really squirmy and wanting to run around. Once we left the room my energy came back. U. pointed it out to me and I realized how anxious I felt being back in a setting like that again.

2. Strapping her to a "papoose board." I have to go now. She's waking up.