No pictures

Well, actually, I did take a picture but Q6 begged me not to use it. But, she's right, no pictures.

We had multiple opportunities to avoid the accident.

Wednesday morning we left the house with Q6 wearing a dress because the pants she'd originally chosen she then swapped out for her jumper at some point. We passed the car and Q6 asked me if I'd drive her and C8 to school. I refused. Then halfway up the first hill she asked me if I'd carry her backpack (because she had put in a heavy hardcover book to read at school. Ozma of Oz, I believe) and I refused.

So  we continued on to school, and just past the half-way point to school Q6 was walking along a small brick wall on Longfellow (left leg grass side, right leg sidwalk side) and -- I think -- lost her footing because of the heavy backpack sloshing around on her back and her right foot missed the wall and she went down, landing on her upper-inner-thigh, unprotected by anything, like, say a pair of pants. Well, actually, she was protected by the nice fatty part of her leg. So when we looked the adipose tissue was spilling out of a giant gash. YEEEE-uk.

I scooped her up and ran-walked all the way to school, and ran her directly to the nurses office, leaving C8 to get to class on her own. I was hoping to run into a friend who is a doctor for obvious reasons, actually, but didn't. In retrospect I realize I could have called or texted her and asked her to come to the nurses office, but I didn't think of that.

But the nurse rinsed the wound a bit but told me she didn't think it would need stitches, just a bandaid would be fine. I was not sure, because the edges didn't seem to be closing well. At all. And then I had to put my head between my knees to keep from fainting at the idea of Q6's insides spilling out of her leg and the nurse told me to go home. I composed myself and  I left Q on the nurses couch with an icepack in her crotch. She wasn't crying, she wanted to stay.

I went home, myself, called the doctor's office and decided to take Q to the emergency room to see if it needed stitches, and just as I was picking up my keys to drive to school the nurse called to say Q6 wanted to come home. Since we were in agreement, I picked her up and  off to the emergency room. OK we weren't in agreement, she wanted nothing to do with the medical profession. I said we were going to see the doctor and when Q6 realized we weren't going to her regular doctor's office we had to discuss the emergency room and why we'd see those doctors instead of the pediatrician. And of course she was quite worried about stitches. We discussed what might happen, why we'd want to see an emergency room doctor instead of the pediatrician, and how stitches would help a wound heal better, keep infection out, etc. but still, the idea of stitches was terrifying. And, I couldn't even do a good job reassuring her because I've never had stitches. They ARE terrifying.

Wednesday morning is a good time to go to the emergency room. No line, a very short wait.  We were brought in within about 10-15 minutes in the waiting room and Q6 got worried again, especially after the doctor came in and said, yes, it did need stitches.

What did keep her preoccupied was me reading Ozma of Oz to her AND her playing on the Nexus7. at the same time. If she was only doing one she could still worry about what was going to happen. She still cried when getting the wound rinsed out. And when the  topical anesthesia was applied. And she screamed and tried to push the doctor away when he shot anesthesia into the wound. But then it was in fact finally numb and although she could feel the pressure the actual stitches were fine. Phew.

Six stitches and a LOT of crying later and Q6 is fine.  She stayed home Wed & Thurs, and then Friday she had a doctor's appointment so I left her stay home again since they had a sub anyway, although now I might regret that since we might need to get a doctor's note to explain why she was out for three days. Partially she is embarrassed about what happened, and about people finding out, but as she gets further away from the pain, she is getting more comfortable with it. She saw her classmates this afternoon and they were all saying "Hi, Q6!" and she responded "Stitches." And she's still walking with a little kerthump as she holds her legs apart to keep the stitches from rubbing. But now she's walking and running. We are still doing ice packs on it at bedtime because she likes it. She's taking an oral antibiotic and getting topical antibiotics. And the stitches come out next Wednesday.