I called 911, since it was a Saturday night, and it can take up to 30 min. for the dr.'s triage nurse to call back, and we didn't know how serious Austin's cut was. Brian figured he'd have to have stitches. The 911 operator said they needed to send an ambulance out since it was a head injury. They arrived within 4 minutes, with sirens on the main street, and just lights flashing on our little street.
It was such a commotion, there were 6 emergency personnel in our kitchen. The fire captain attended to Austin, asking him questions and checking him out. He asked Austin, "Where are you right now?"
Austin, half-dazed, answered, "California."
Captain: "What room in the house are you in?"
Austin: "Kitchen."
He asked him other questions too, and said Austin would need stitches or staples, but didn't think he needed to go by ambulance, that we could take him to the ER. The fire captain said if it were his son, he'd be ok with him not going by ambulance. We didn't know before this, but it is free to have the ambulance come out to your house and check on you. Only if they transport you, do they charge. I remember thinking, and why I was thinking it then, who knows?!, that maybe I should call the ambulance next time a kid is sick after hours. Since it's free to have them come out and the dr. charges $30 for the triage nurse to call you back!! Crazy what runs through your mind. Anyway.
Before the emergency personnel arrived, Austin was telling Brian, very calmly and matter-of-factly, "I'm going to die. I'm going to die..." Then when I was holding the ice, asked me, "Am I going to die tonight?" I told him I didn't think so. Poor guy. And before we left for the ER, "How many days will I have to stay in the hospital?"
We had to wait about 1/2 an hour in the ER before being called back.
Here's Austin headed to the hospital. And his stitches, back at home. He wanted to see what they looked like. I told him he had blue threads sticking out of his head.
In the waiting room Austin and Lauren colored and worked in her Diego workbook she'd gotten for Christmas. Brian took Julia and Caroline to Baja Fresh to pick up dinner.
Austin's cut was about 1" long and 1/4" wide. The worst part seemed to be getting the lidocaine shots to numb the area, and he was so brave, only flinching a bit. The nurses said he did a great job! The doctor gave him 3 stitches, and he was good to go. Austin was perking up by then, playing with the bed pedals and side rails. He was starving and finally got to eat his Baja Fresh dinner at home--about 9 pm.
Julia told him as we were leaving for the hospital, "I'm glad you're going to be ok, Austin..." She was concerned for him--sweet sister!
What an adventure! And enough excitement of that kind to last me for a long time! Poor Austin. It was freaky seeing all that blood squirting out, and his head hurt a lot too. At the hospital, Austin pointed at the sad face and #8 on the hospital pain chart, with smily to sad faces and numbers 1-10. The paramedic lady said there are a lot of blood vessels in your head, and that's why there was so much. And the ER doctor said usually you'll either have a bump or blood, not both, as a bump basically is the blood under the skin.
We are all thankful our sweet boy (and brother) is ok! Austin's stitches came out on January 4. They said we could come back to the ER to have it done, so we wouldn't have to make an appointment. Oh, how fun, just what we want to do! Ha! I did make an appointment and had it done at the doctor's office. It took about 5 minutes, and Austin said it tickled. :)
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