It was a Wednesday evening. Wednesday's are Pete's late night at work which means he get's home around 8:00 making it a really long day for me. We had just finished eating dinner, I had made tostadas trying a new idea of baking the corn tortillas with olive oil instead of frying. It turned out being really yummy at least Audrey and I thought so, Brandon wasn't interested. I told the kids they could have an otter pop after dinner so they ran out back while I plopped myself on the couch to feed Melanie.
That's when it happened. I heard Brandon scream unlike I've ever heard him scream before and my stomach turned because I knew something bad had happened. I rushed through the kitchen to get outside and met Audrey looking worried and shouting that Brandon was bleeding. When I saw his little body with blood pouring down his hand I started to panic, but knew I needed to figure out where it was coming from. I handed Melanie to Audrey and rushed Brandon to the sink to try and wash off the blood and my mouth literally gaped open when I realized his finger was basically sliced in half.
My initial thought was I need to call my mom! Quickly I remembered she was at the temple and I'M the mom now who needs to handle scary situations. Thoughts were quickly running through my head about what the heck I was supposed to do. I knew I couldn't drive while holding his finger together, but is it silly to call 911 for a cut finger? I didn't dare let go of my grasp on his hand which made using the phone impossible. I sat down on our new kitchen chair and applied pressure to his finger while Audrey found the phone. She called Pete and he immediatly left work, and then I helped Audrey make the call to 911. Brandon couldn't stop screaming, my hands were both being utilized and while a puddle of blood was forming I did the best I could through speaker phone to give them the information they needed.
Once they hung up I said a quick prayer, and did the first thing that came to my mind and that was to sing primary songs. It's amazing what happened in that moment. Brandon was able to calm down and relax, Audrey took Melanie in the other room and was able to keep her happy, and I closed my eyes holding his tiny finger and just sang. I'm so grateful that's where my mind goes when I feel scared. I was able to feel safe and I know it brought a peace that was able to calm Brandon down. I'll never forget that.
After what felt like ages, but was probably only 10 min, the paramedics arrived and Audrey unlocked the door and let them in. Brandon was such a brave boy and aloud them to touch him, clean him and wrap him up the best they could. We were both pretty drenched in blood and the paramedics cleaned up what they could and ask if we wanted to ride in the ambulence. It was then Pete got there and I was so happy to see him because I was tired of answering questions when I had no ability of processing information. Pete carefully helped me and Brandon up and when Brandon saw the ambulance with the lights he was delighted! Look mom, a fire truck! I kissed his sweet cheeks and loved so much that the lights pleased him. I carefully strapped him in his carseat and Pete drove him to the emergency room. As Pete and my little boy backed out of the parking lot I sobbed and sobbed. I took a quick shower to clean off the blood that had soaked through my clothes and dried onto my skin.
Pete and Brandon were at the emergency room all night. When he saw the doctor they had to put him under since the wound was so bad. They first tried the IV in his hand but blew the vain and then had to poke him in the arm. It's a blessing Pete was there for that because I would have had a hard time watching him go through more pain.They weren't able to repair the damage there so he got stiched up, a persciption for pain meds and got home around 2:00AM.
The next morning we finally got the story from Audrey about what really happened. You see, she had initially told us Brandon cut his finger with children scissors while opening an otter pop. I wasn't really in a state of mind to process this story and recogize that would be impossible. She explains they were fighting over a can of peaches and the lid sliced his finger open, a much more likely story. It makes me so sad that happened and that I wasn't even aware they even got that dumb can.
After meeting with the surgeon and discovering Brandon had no ability to move his finger surgery was scheduled. Seeing Brandon in a little hospital gown broke my heart. What broke my heart even more was when they explained they would have to take him back alone and we couldn't be there while they put him to sleep. Watching him walk away with a nurse he didn't know with his huge, scared eyes took everything in me not to break down.
The surgery took about an hour and the surgeon explained he cut a tendon in half, a nerve and messed up his joint but they got him all fixed up! We joked about my dreams of him becoming a concert pianist being doomed and Pete mocked my dreams and said he was never destined to be a piano player but a quarterback.
The nurse led us back to him and he was upset. Really upset. I couldn't do anything to pep him up. They even offered him his favorite, apple juice. He wouldn't even look at it. His cast was heavy, and bulky and I'm sure he hated that. The nurse offered to give him some more pain meds to make sure he was okay, but Pete thought he just needed to get home. After unhooking the IV and signing a couple papers we left.
We were welcomed with balloons and many pictures Audrey had created and taped to his walls when we got home. Brandon was still unhappy and I was really wishing Pete had the day off work to help with Melanie. We made it through and I was finally able to get Brandon comfortable and after a couple hours he fell asleep.
After that first day Brandon has handled this whole thing like a champ! He has adapted really well to using his left hand and runs around like a crazy boy. His medicine made him really loopy and silly, but after the 3rd day he didn't need it anymore. Putting shirts on, trying (but failing) to keep it out of water, and just overall dealing with a cast has been interesting. Hopefully the cast comes off in a week and a half and we'll see what happens at that point!
It's funny to me that a cut finger can cause such a traumatic experience. Pete reminds me that every boy needs stitches and a good story, so I guess Brandon has been initiated to boy hood! Let's hope we can keep these incidents minimal and very far between if not ever again. The way Brandon is, that's probably not likely!
That's when it happened. I heard Brandon scream unlike I've ever heard him scream before and my stomach turned because I knew something bad had happened. I rushed through the kitchen to get outside and met Audrey looking worried and shouting that Brandon was bleeding. When I saw his little body with blood pouring down his hand I started to panic, but knew I needed to figure out where it was coming from. I handed Melanie to Audrey and rushed Brandon to the sink to try and wash off the blood and my mouth literally gaped open when I realized his finger was basically sliced in half.
My initial thought was I need to call my mom! Quickly I remembered she was at the temple and I'M the mom now who needs to handle scary situations. Thoughts were quickly running through my head about what the heck I was supposed to do. I knew I couldn't drive while holding his finger together, but is it silly to call 911 for a cut finger? I didn't dare let go of my grasp on his hand which made using the phone impossible. I sat down on our new kitchen chair and applied pressure to his finger while Audrey found the phone. She called Pete and he immediatly left work, and then I helped Audrey make the call to 911. Brandon couldn't stop screaming, my hands were both being utilized and while a puddle of blood was forming I did the best I could through speaker phone to give them the information they needed.
Once they hung up I said a quick prayer, and did the first thing that came to my mind and that was to sing primary songs. It's amazing what happened in that moment. Brandon was able to calm down and relax, Audrey took Melanie in the other room and was able to keep her happy, and I closed my eyes holding his tiny finger and just sang. I'm so grateful that's where my mind goes when I feel scared. I was able to feel safe and I know it brought a peace that was able to calm Brandon down. I'll never forget that.
After what felt like ages, but was probably only 10 min, the paramedics arrived and Audrey unlocked the door and let them in. Brandon was such a brave boy and aloud them to touch him, clean him and wrap him up the best they could. We were both pretty drenched in blood and the paramedics cleaned up what they could and ask if we wanted to ride in the ambulence. It was then Pete got there and I was so happy to see him because I was tired of answering questions when I had no ability of processing information. Pete carefully helped me and Brandon up and when Brandon saw the ambulance with the lights he was delighted! Look mom, a fire truck! I kissed his sweet cheeks and loved so much that the lights pleased him. I carefully strapped him in his carseat and Pete drove him to the emergency room. As Pete and my little boy backed out of the parking lot I sobbed and sobbed. I took a quick shower to clean off the blood that had soaked through my clothes and dried onto my skin.
Pete and Brandon were at the emergency room all night. When he saw the doctor they had to put him under since the wound was so bad. They first tried the IV in his hand but blew the vain and then had to poke him in the arm. It's a blessing Pete was there for that because I would have had a hard time watching him go through more pain.They weren't able to repair the damage there so he got stiched up, a persciption for pain meds and got home around 2:00AM.
The next morning we finally got the story from Audrey about what really happened. You see, she had initially told us Brandon cut his finger with children scissors while opening an otter pop. I wasn't really in a state of mind to process this story and recogize that would be impossible. She explains they were fighting over a can of peaches and the lid sliced his finger open, a much more likely story. It makes me so sad that happened and that I wasn't even aware they even got that dumb can.
After meeting with the surgeon and discovering Brandon had no ability to move his finger surgery was scheduled. Seeing Brandon in a little hospital gown broke my heart. What broke my heart even more was when they explained they would have to take him back alone and we couldn't be there while they put him to sleep. Watching him walk away with a nurse he didn't know with his huge, scared eyes took everything in me not to break down.
The surgery took about an hour and the surgeon explained he cut a tendon in half, a nerve and messed up his joint but they got him all fixed up! We joked about my dreams of him becoming a concert pianist being doomed and Pete mocked my dreams and said he was never destined to be a piano player but a quarterback.
The nurse led us back to him and he was upset. Really upset. I couldn't do anything to pep him up. They even offered him his favorite, apple juice. He wouldn't even look at it. His cast was heavy, and bulky and I'm sure he hated that. The nurse offered to give him some more pain meds to make sure he was okay, but Pete thought he just needed to get home. After unhooking the IV and signing a couple papers we left.
We were welcomed with balloons and many pictures Audrey had created and taped to his walls when we got home. Brandon was still unhappy and I was really wishing Pete had the day off work to help with Melanie. We made it through and I was finally able to get Brandon comfortable and after a couple hours he fell asleep.
After that first day Brandon has handled this whole thing like a champ! He has adapted really well to using his left hand and runs around like a crazy boy. His medicine made him really loopy and silly, but after the 3rd day he didn't need it anymore. Putting shirts on, trying (but failing) to keep it out of water, and just overall dealing with a cast has been interesting. Hopefully the cast comes off in a week and a half and we'll see what happens at that point!
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