Our First Trip to A and E

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH

What a week!

So Sunday evening was our first bit of blood, T tripped over and scuffed his knee, awww.

Then Tuesday came.

Just got in from my mums and I said to him 'nap time' to which he responded by squealing and running away into the front room. I heard the bang of him pulling his books off the shelves, followed by a little whimper, so I came to investigate, saying 'what ya done?'

He turned to me, his face in silent cry (the worst worst worst face) with his hands to his mouth, so I crouched down to him and said 'ahh baba have you banged your mouth' he pulled his hands away to raise them up for a cuddle, and the blood started to pour, and pour and poouuurrr.

(I would like to take this moment to point out that I used pass out at the teeniest bit of blood, and have always paniced about how I would behave if something serious ever happened)

So I scooped him up, stuck Curious George on the TV which cheered him straight up and tried to establish where the blood was coming from. There was so much I genuinely couldn't tell whether it was coming from his nose or mouth to start with.

I carried him through to the bathroom to try and clean him up a bit, but every time I washed it off it would start pouring again.

I calmly rang my dad and asked if he'd mind coming over to help me.

He turned up, we answered the door, both covered head to toe in blood, blood all over the floor, T cheerfully shouts 'hiya ganddad'

Between us both we managed to look and see that it was coming from his gum, it looked like he'd peeled it back. I rang the drs to ask what to do and they said to get him to A and E.

Fortunately we had a spare car seat in the loft, as Hubby had the carseat with him at work.

Got to A and E. They asked me what happened. I told them my best guess (I think that as he'd ran into the front room he'd went for his books and then turned and tripped landing face first on the arm of the couch)

So that was Nurse 1

She went to get Nurse 2 to check us out. She asked what happened (Hubby had arrived by this point) I explained I wasn't sure, she looked at me dubiously. Then as I didn't see what happened she would just 'check' him all over to see if he'd hurt himself anywhere else. In my head I instantly thought, she's checking him for signs of abuse.

T wouldn't open his mouth to get it looked at, Hubby essentially had to pin him down and make him laugh so that they could look in, he's never opened his mouth when asked, never, never, never!!

So Nurse 2 looked at us dubiously and went to get the most senior Nurse, Nurse 3.

She again asked me what happened. I was nearly in tears by this point thinking they were going to take him off me because I wasn't in the room when it happened.

She again checked him all over just to make sure he hadn't hurt anywhere else. She finished, Hubby took T out into the waiting room whilst she sat with me and explained:
Firstly he'd cut his gum and ripped his Frenulum (stringy bit of skin that attached lip to gym) right off. She wanted to ring another hospital and ask if he should get x-rayed, so she sent Nurse 2 to do this, whilst they 'whispered' 'no no signs it seems to be fine'

So when Nurse 2 left, I blurted out ' you thought I'd hurt him didn't you?' she rushed to give me a cuddle and said 'mouth injuries are the most common signs of child abuse, parents trying to force things into the childs mouth' I must have gone pale because she cuddled me again and said 'we can see he's fine, don't worry' and off she went to see what needed to be done next.

I was sat in the treatment room on my own feeling worse than I ever dreamed possible.

T was give the all clear and we were sent home.

I have to say I totally understand the nurses were just doing their jobs, and after the baby P thing I'm sure they go above and beyond. But at a time when I'm panicing and feeling guilty because he was out of my sight for all of 10 seconds I don't need to be fretting that he's going to be taken off me too! There must be a more subtle way of checking!

Imagine if he'd have hurt himself the next day, say tripped and broken his arm, I'd be terrified about going back to the hospital!! I understand the procedures, but surely the fact that he's a toddling boy accounts for a lot!!

Scary scary stuff.

Anyways he's right as rain now, nearly all healed up thank goodness, and I have wrapped him in cotton wool.

Here's a pic of the aftermath, lots of blood on a nice new white polo t-shirt!