Anyone ever had to deal with a young child and stitches?
@destinyisntfree (50)
United States
April 16, 2007 12:22am CST
So, yesterday I had the great experience of having to take my three year old to the Emergency Room. He was playing with a friend. They were jumping on the bed, which he knows he is not supposed to do, and bumped into each other. My son fell, hitting his head on the wooden bed frame on the way down. He cried a little, and then noticed that he was bleeding. Then he cried more.
I took him to the Emergency Room for two reasons:
1. He hit his head. I do not know how to look for signs of a concussion in a child.
2. He was still bleeding after twenty minutes of applying pressure to the wound.
So, off to the ER we go, and I am thinking, it is a very small cut, and it probably will be just fine. However, I need to cover my behind as we are in the middle of a custody dispute. So better to be safe than sorry, right?
Wrong, apparently. His step-mother, sort of (his father and I are still legally married, but she is his live-in girlfriend) reams me out for the injury, and then for seeking medical attention without her permission. Right now his father has custody because of some really screwed up circumstances.
Then, she reams me out for the injury. And on top of that, child protection reams me out even more, as they were previously involved with my kids, and I get yelled at for doing the right thing and seeking medical attention.
Then, here is the best part. I have to keep his head dry and all that fun stuff. The doctor decided it was not absolutely necessary to stitch it, but that it would heal better and cause him less problems in the future if they just put in a stitch or two to help healing. So okay. We let them sew up his head. just one stitch was all that was necessary. But now, I have to sponge bathe him. And, we live in Florida. I cannot let him go swimming or anything. Getting him in and out of the car in the rain is interesting too.
Has anyone else had any experience with any of what I have mentioned? How do you deal with an injured child and how do you keep them from playing with the stitches? How do you deal with an ex-spouse if a child is injured while in your care?
Help!! I am just at my wits end and am not sure what to do here!
1 person likes this
2 responses
@dixielol (1579)
• United States
16 Apr 07
OOhh, tough situation. When my niece was 8 months old, she had just started walking. She lived with me, but I didnt have leagal custody of her. Her dad was (still is) in jail & her mom didnt want her (still dont) so she had stayed with me from the time she came home from the hospital (still does). At 8 mnths, she just started walking. I had taken her to my moms. She was going to watch her for the day. My mom was outside. My niece was in the house & I came out to tell my mom that she had waken up when I laid her down & that I was leaving. My mom has a high porch with several steps. She was around the corner of the house. AS I walked around to tell her that i was now leaving, we heard a thud. Neither of us thought about my niece because the screen door was closed. I asked what that sound was, my mom just shrugged & said it must have been some of her animals. About a minute or 2 later, we heard "thump, thump thump". We walked around the front of the house to see what the sound was. There was my niece on the ground! We both ran to her. She just smiled & giggled. My mom picked her up & her head was bleeding. We realised that the first thud was her too. She had pushed the screen loose in the door & fell out it. The last set of thuds was her going down the steps, hitting each one on her way down. We took her inside & she had 2 huge deep cuts on her head that was bleeding really bad. My mom said that we should take her to the hospital. so we did. She had to get 23 stiches in her head. It was almost impossable to keep from getting the wet. The only way we could keep her distracted from taking a bath or gettin in the pool was by playin with her all day. Then her dad decided that he was going to sue as because she got hurt. I told him to shut up, if he was a real dad she wouldnt even be in my care in the first place. He would be out takeing care of her. He never sued us though. Some people just need to grow up & realise that kids get hurt. No matter what, it's going to happen. Sounds like the wicked step mom needs to grow up & mind her own business. I dont really have any advice for you but just hang in there. Stay strong for your son. It will all work out in the end. BEst of luck to you!
2 people like this
@destinyisntfree (50)
• United States
21 Apr 07
Man, that sounds like a tough situation.
Mattie seems to be handling his stitches well. He is not pulling at it or trying to mess with it at all. It is almost as if he has forgotten the stitches were even there. So far so good...just have to do sponge baths till they come out on Tuesday! thanks for the well-wishes
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
17 Apr 07
Unfortunately the only experince I've had with stitches won't really help your situation, but I can say that I think you did the right thing, and I also think it was wrong of the others to ream you out for doing the right thing.
My only experience was when I had surgery on my legs as a child, and had to have the stitches removed about six months later. Nothing "accidental" like your situation, but that's my experience.
