emergency rooms and wheelsuckers

[Climb01742]

yesterday, wheelsuckers didn't seem so important. late yesterday, my daughter, who's 8, was doing cartwheels where she shouldn't have been doing cartwheels. she nailed a landing right onto the edge of a table. her right shin suddenly became a gusher. did you know that nowadays in hospitals there is, beyond the emergency room, something called "urgent care"? named, it turns out, by the same folks who coined "jumbo shrimp". 3 not-so-urgent hours after arriving, my daughter had 11 stitches in her shin and crutches. she was so brave. she watched the doctor -- who had spent a few years in nepal, it turns out, and had treated a girl who was attacked by a rhino, and should you ever find yourself being chased by a rhino, don't run, 'cause for short bursts they can hit 40 mph, and the key to rhino evasion, apparently, is to hide behind a tree -- a big tree -- shifting your position as the rhino does -- she watched the doctor put in every one of the 11 stitches, and cried only a little, and squeezed my hand a lot. she is a-ok, thankfully. ah, yes, perspective. (and count yourself lucky you weren't the rider who was also in the emergency room yesterday who had a bee fly into his mouth and sting him inside there. man, the human jaw can blow up really big.) so if anyone wants a tow today, it's on me. and please, don't let your kids do cartwheels in the house.

[William]

Climb,
Sorry to hear that your daughter got hurt. But glad that it wasn't more serious. It sounds like she was quite the trooper. It's amazing how quickly your priorities fall into place when one of your children gets hurt or sick.

William

[cs124]

Hey mate, that's pretty rough. I'm glad to hear your brave little girl's alright though. She must have nerves of steel, watching like that... some of us would have just passed out.

[vandeda]

Climb,

I'm glad to hear that your little girl is OK, and that she was a trooper through it all. I guess she learned a tough lesson of where not to do cartwheels, huh? I'm glad to hear it wasn't something more serious, and before long she'll be back to 100% :D

Dan - keeping his eye out for tables ... they're wild little rascals

[Kevin]

I am glad to hear that your daughter is ok.

Kevin

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . at the confidence, foolhardiness--and the resilience and bravery--of children. And the doctor sounds like a real neat guy. I can just hear him now telling her stories to keep her attention elsewhere.

But I have to wonder. “ . . . should you ever find yourself being chased by a rhino, don't run, 'cause for short bursts they can hit 40 mph.” . . . Gives me this crazy image of Rhinos in colorful spandex sprinting for the line! :p

I’ll skip the obvious Cipollini joke . . .

BBDave

[93legendti]

Oh, my heart goes out to your daughter and you. We have a 2 year old daughter who is a non-stop dynamo. I live in fear of the table corners. We have all the table corners covered, but I would think by the time she's 5 we could take them off--I guess not. Having lived at the ER as a child, I can remember the pained looks on my Father's face as I got more stiches.

Luckily children heal quickly. Hope she feels better soon!

[Climb01742]

as a dad, you feel like such a putz for constantly saying, be careful, don't do that in house, you could get hurt...and your child looks at you like you are such a putz...you relent...trying to be "cool" dad...and then you know, don't relent because...but i count us lucky, because at age 8, this was her first trip to the emergency room...93legend, hopefully your dynamo will take years and years to visit the "please be patient, we're very busy and understaffed today" room... :rolleyes:

[93legendti]

People tell us all the time, "oh you are too over-protective"...then they see our daughter try to run headfirst into something! Get your daughter to 18 years old intact and you have done your job. Every one is different and you have to do what it takes and what you feel comfortable with.


(A note about my poor Dad. At 8, I stepped on a sweing needle lost in the carpet. Half of it broke off in my foot and the entry wound closed behind it. My Dad took me to the ER and had to hold my hand as they opened me up looking for the needle. Halfway thru the operation he fainted. I must have been in shock, becuase I remember feeling so badly for my Dad as they tried to revive him...as I lay there in my stomach waiting for them to finish the operation. My Dad was such a trooper!)

[christian]

How long does it take to bore the Rhino?

Still circling,
- Christian

[RABikes2]

Hey Climb,

So glad to hear your little one is okay! :) What a trooper! The crutches will be gone in a day or two (when her arm pits hurt) and she will be doing cartwheels (in safer surroundings) in no time. ;)

I padded the "corners of tables" when my son was little, too. Kids grow so fast; he was little and able to walk under the kitchen breakfast counter one day and then, he grew an inch, and tried to run under the same counter. Instead, he ran straight into the end of the counter...w/ his forehead. Ouch. :crap:

I do have a fabulous 14 year old son; great student, good musician, plays soccer...and a TEENAGER. I'm not looking forward to the upcoming, "Mom, I'm 15, it's time to get my learner's permit." The teen years are "parentally" challenging; he's not my "little" boy any more and I can't "protect" him w/ padded corners.

Cherish our children.

RA

[Keith A]

You said it RA! My oldest of three girls is now 17 and went to her Junior prom this past Saturday. Where does the time go? I can still remember her holding my hand many years ago as we were walking out into the ocean to play in the waves. She was scared because the waves were a little bigger than the waves she was used to, but she had no fear because her dad was with her.

She is now driving her own car, working after school, dating her second boyfriend, worring about SATs/ACTs and trying to decide which college to go to. Where did my little girl go? :(

Climb, I'm glad to hear that all is well with your little one.

[Skrawny]

I too am the recipient of stitches in my shin (from a water balloon fight at age 23, not cartwheels) and yesterday had a bumble bee bounce off my front teeth. Fortunately the bee was gone before she figured out where to stick the stinger, but I spent the rest of the ride getting chills thinking about what it would be like to be stung in the mouth.

Cheers to you and your daughter!
-s

[BumbleBeeDave]

I missed! But I’ll get you NEXT time, you %$&#*!!! ;)

BBDave

[Brons2]

On the ride I did this last weekend where 13,000 riders participated, the Life Flight emergency helicopter ended up getting called more than once, I'm told.

doh...

[Sandy]

Life brings perspective- hopefully.

Sandy

[Vanilla Gorilla]

People tell us all the time, "oh you are too over-protective"...then they see our daughter try to run headfirst into something! Get your daughter to 18 years old intact and you have done your job. Every one is different and you have to do what it takes and what you feel comfortable with.


(A note about my poor Dad. At 8, I stepped on a sweing needle lost in the carpet. Half of it broke off in my foot and the entry wound closed behind it. My Dad took me to the ER and had to hold my hand as they opened me up looking for the needle. Halfway thru the operation he fainted. I must have been in shock, becuase I remember feeling so badly for my Dad as they tried to revive him...as I lay there in my stomach waiting for them to finish the operation. My Dad was such a trooper!)
Awwww--you are such a honey bunny!!! I love you!

*wink*