Life at the ER

Monday morning as I was clearing the breakfast dishes, Kayden decided that she needed to climb in my chair (after I made her get down from hers because she kept climbing on the table). She got up there, and started shaking it. As I told her no and reached for her, the chair fell forward and squished her finger between the floor and the chair. There was much screaming and blood. After a few quick minutes, I decided that the amount of blood and fact that I couldn't get the screaming or blood to stop meant that we were headed to the ER. I told Keeley to get her shoes and she ran quickly to the car. I got Kayden strapped in and we were off. It was a miserable 45 minute drive (lovely rush hour traffic). That was only made more horrible because every time I glanced in the rearview mirror, I saw my baby screaming and covered with blood.

Kelly met us at the hospital and, after a very quick assessment, they determined that she had amputated the tip of her finger. Her finger really looked like you had popped a grape. There was no way to sew it back together. The doctor said that we would just cover it and follow up with an orthopedic surgeon after it healed. Before we covered it, we did x-rays and they showed that the bone was not broken.

As the tech was wrapping it up, he told me that I needed to change the bandage every day for three weeks. That plan quickly went out the window as it was apparent Kayden wasn't going to leave it alone. He the put a splint (sort of like a half cast) on her arm and gave me the instructions to keep it dry.

Kayden fell asleep leaving the hospital and slept until 1:30. She woke up 100% happy. After a quick bite, she was ready to go explore. She quickly figured out how to climb back on the chairs in the kitchen and the see saw in the playroom. You just can't keep her down. I should have known we were in trouble when she stood up to rock the rail in the hospital bed while the tech was preparing to bandage her hand! I pushed the chairs against the wall and the table all the way into them so she couldn't get on them and climb on the table. The only thing that seemed to bother her was that she only had one hand to use for eating.
Later that afternoon I had to call back to the ER and tell them I was having problems keeping Kayden from pulling at the bandages. The tech suggested I put a diaper over the end of the splint sort of like a boxing glove. That worked a little, but then she started biting at the diaper trying to get it off.

After her nap the next morning, I noticed that I couldn't see her thumb anymore (it had been sticking out). While trying to fix that, I realized that her splint now only went to her mid-forearm instead of all the way to her elbow. After calling the orthopedic doctor, they suggested I come in for a cast check.

Apparently, kids arms are still so flexible that they can move around a bit inside the cast. Now she has a real cast. Her arm is bent in a 90 degree angle and she has cast like a mitten over her fingers and all the way up to her shoulder. This isn't coming off, but it also isn't staying out of her mouth. She keeps trying to bite it. Obviously it isn't supposed to get wet, so the tech suggested wrapping it in press and seal. She keeps biting at that too so I guess I will just do that when I can watch her and a diaper over it at night (so she doesn't choke on the plastic).

She isn't sleeping well at night but is 100% fine during the day. I've had to hide all the kids chairs, the learning tower, and her rocking caterpillar. I've also removed all chairs from the kitchen and hidden the step stools the girls use because she WON'T STOP CLIMBING!

I swear this child is going to test my limits to the max! And, just to keep things interesting, Keeley went with us to the doctor in her bathing suit.

Never a dull moment here....