Our Little Trooper

Waiting in the Emergency Department

This is Zack!  Two and a half weeks ago we found out what a truly amazing little boy we have.  Friday night and I was baking cupcakes in the kitchen.  Suddenly, I hear crying.  No big deal, the children were playing.  I figured Abby had taken something that belonged to Zack and he was upset.  Then Abby comes running into the kitchen yelling, "Mummy!  I shut Zack's thumb in the door on accident and it's bleeding."  

I walked into the hallway to see blood.  I don't do well with blood.  There was so much blood I couldn't tell how badly it was cut so I grabbed his thumb, wrapped a dish cloth around it, applied pressure, and prayed not to pass out.  My husband was at work (with the van and car seats), so I was on my own.  Quickly I sent Abby to get my phone.  I tried calling my mother-in-law, but couldn't get a hold of her.  I remember shaking so badly that I couldn't dial my phone.  Taking a deep breath and praying to God for help, I dialed 111 (911).  The ambulance came shortly and took us to hospital.  Zack stopped crying as soon as they arrived.  He let them look and his thumb and they gave him a stuffed animal to play with. 

After arriving at the emergency department we waited for nearly 2 hours to be seen by a doctor.  One of the nurses found some books for Zack to look at so he was quite happy.  Zack didn't cry at all.  He was so content!  We were actually seen by two doctors.  The second doctor took a quick look at the thumb and said it wasn't broken and there was no need for an x-ray or stitches.  He instructed the nurses to put steri-strips on the cut, bandage it, and send us home.  His thumb was so swollen the stitches would have been incredibly hard to put in.  Zack only whimpered a little when they touched his thumb. 

We went home and Zack very happily went to bed.  The poor little guy woke up in tears at midnight.  We gave him something for the pain and he went back to sleep.  That was the only time he cried.

The next afternoon his thumb had bled through all the bandages and we decided to take him back to hospital.  After another 2 hour wait we were seen again and this time, they took one look at his thumb and sent him for an x-ray.  He sat so still and put his thumb exactly where they needed him to for the x-rays.  It turns out that his bone above the knuckle was broken - in several places.  Because of the cut above the break, there is danger that if the cut gets infected that the infection can spread to the bone.  To prevent this he was given an antibiotic to start right away. 

Two and a half weeks later and the break is healed.  Tomorrow we go back for another appointment to check and see how the cut is healing.  This will be our 7th visit and hopefully the last.  The receptionist recognizes him every time we come in and he charms her with one of his smiles.  He then proceeds to charm all the people in the waiting room.  One day we were waiting for an appointment and a lady walked in looking rather rushed.   Zack called out, "Hello!" and the lady stopped in her tracks.  She looked at him and you could see her heart melt.  She got the biggest smile on her face, said hello back, and continued on her way.  I love this boy!