Stitches

Last night while I was cleaning up after dinner Logan and James were playing outside in the back yard.  I was almost done getting things taken care of and clean up when I hear Logan start screaming.  Now for you moms you know your kids have different cries and this was a cry of pain.  James had closed Logan's hand in the BBQ and cut open the tip of his right middle finger.   I ran out there and James was trying to help him up the 3 stairs to the porch with Logan dripping blood from his hand.  I think that every time my kids have been hurt (except for James tripping over the chalkboard at church and needing stitches) I have been home alone.  Today was no expectation.  Since I moved into this house alone with my kids I have not had the fears that I have faced my entire life.  I don't worry about the doors being locked and I can leave windows open without the fear of someone coming into my house.  It was completely clear what actions needed to be taken and how to do it.  I grabbed a chair and turned on the water and let Logan play while I got the gauze and cloth tape, threw the watermelon in the fridge, found jammies and our Sunday bag for the boys, wrapped his finger, and ran out the door.  It was 7:00 and it takes a half hour to get to the closest hospital I called my mom who was camping at Keystone (5 minutes away from the hospital) to meet me there and help me with James. 

Once we got to the hospital we went right into a room and told we were getting x-rays and I got to thinking, "wow this is going to be so fast!" Well then we sat in our room...and sat...and sat.  The doctor finally came in at 10:00 and said we needed x-rays, Tylenol and stitches.  When they tried to do the xrays I couldn't be in the room so my mom came in and held Logan, but he's a strong kid and they couldn't get him to open his hand and lay his hand flat.  So we went back to the room and it took me holding him and 2 nurses taping his hand to a piece of plastic.  After the x-rays we waited another hour and then started the process of 4 stitches.  It was an experience watching them try to hold him down and keep his finger straight.  They strapped him down to a board leaving his right arm out and with me holding his shoulder and head and the nurse holding his arm, hand and finger down.  She finally had to hold down the tip of his finger while keeping the sterile field...sterile. 

He screamed and thrashed during the first one and then by the time they started the second he suddenly fell asleep.  He slept through the rest of the stitching :) It was great to have it done and hear that he only needed stitches.  It is surprising how two little boys can do so much damage.  Now I have to keep it clean and dry...I can do the impossible! The doctor did say not to go to the park or the beach for 2 days to attempt to keep it clean knowing he won't keep a band-aid on.