Typical Eventful Experience

Let me just fill you in on yesterdays events. I took B to a wonderful children's hospital for some tests and physician consults. It took us over an hour to get there, and despite the very confusing construction signs and the lack of parking we still managed to make it on time. We got to our first appointment (10 am) and waited in the waiting room for 40 minutes. I was trying not to panic that our next appointment (on a different floor) was at 11 am. The receptionist assured me this would be fine; that they could track where we were in their computer and wouldn't penalize us for being late.

Well, I HATE to be late. It stresses me out. It makes me sweat. It is my biggest pet peeve. So not only were we running late but a child had a toy that made a high-pitched chirping noise with the press of a button. That darling held his finger on the button the WHOLE ENTIRE TIME we were in the waiting room. I was glad there were no forks around and I thought my head would explode.

The rest of day there went along fine UNTIL we were DONE with our last appointment. The kind doctor escorted us out of the exam room, at which point B tripped and fell against the corner of the wall, gashing that big head right open. There was blood oozing through the hair and a CHUNK of hair and scalp lay on the floor. Yes, that really happened.

At the point, the nurse manager, fearing a lawsuit, ushered us into another exam room while barking orders at other nurses to get gauze, ice, and etc. We had to answer a barrage of questions about whether the fall was caused by any foreign objects on the floor or liquids or whatever. I did my best to smile (although my stomach was feeling queasy from the blood) and assure them that the child tripped over their own feet and that it would be okay. Within 10 minutes a staff pediatrician was in the room examining the head, neck, eyes, etc., while the nurse manager came ushering gifts of various crackers and juices to cheer the broken patient. We sure didn't have to wait long then!

They got the bleeding to stop and decided that there was nothing they could stitch because the wall just took a chunk out of the scalp. We had to keep gauze on it to keep it from "oozing". Yum. We finally left an hour later, to make it home JUST in time to get the others from the carpool line. What a day! But, when you're in this family, you just come to expect these things.

I got to act like Jesus by being nice and polite and sweet while promising that we wouldn't sue the hospital, that I didn't blame them, and that "Hey, these things just happen". So I guess it was a successful day, despite the drama.