Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Oh What a Night
You don't know how hard it was not to blog yesterday :) Especially since we had such a fantastic evening on Sunday... this is gonna be long... sorry....
Baby Girl fell off a chair and gave herself a nice little cut on the back of her head. I could see that it would require stitches, so, off we went to the Emergency Room because most of the Urgent Care places that we knew of were closed. We got to the ER and I just stared - it was filthy. There was crud on the floor and when we went into the bathroom I killed a baby cockroach. We sat there and sat there. Baby Girl was actually in a fairly decent mood. We told each other stories and she colored in a coloring book they had given her. About 30 minutes later they tell us that we have to go to Urgent Care. Apparently there was one that we were unaware of and it was open. A nurse came over and we walked to the place and sat down. I thought that since we had already been there for awhile that they would put our chart in accordingly. Nope. Bottom of the stack. We waited another hour in the waiting room. They finally put us in an exam room. There are holes in the ceiling and walls. There is some kind of yellowish brown substance dried on the floor. There are holes in the examination table that have been fixed with duct tape. The duct tape is filthy. The paint is peeling. I won't let Baby Girl get off her chair or my lap because she doesn't have shoes on. We waited half an hour and the doctor came in said, "Yep. She needs to be fixed up. I'll go get my things and be right back." We wait for another HOUR before he comes back. They ask me to hold her legs as she screams for me. "It's okay Baby! I'm right here!" I try to comfort her, but now she is hysterical. I look away while they deaden the area... oh wait... what's that? They DIDN'T deaden the area? They just started stapling her head without any kind of numbing device?? Nice... she is in major pain now and the doctor messes up one of the staples. They have to pull it out and put in a new one - still with no pain meds. She is frantic and starting to hyperventilate. They get the other staple out as she screams, "MOMMY! MOMMY! WHERE ARE YOU?" I start to cry. They get it done and she jumps up and clings to me tighter than I ever could imagine. The tears roll down my face as I check out. I call Hubby to come get us. On the way home she curls up in my lap, her arms still thrown around my neck and she says, "Mom, those guys were hurting me and you didn't come." I cried all the way home.
She is fine now. She doesn't want anyone to touch her "owie". If you ask her "Do we stand on chairs?" she will say, "No. When you stand on chairs you fall off and get a big owie and go to the doctor and he will hurt your owie so that it will be better."
I've already informed Hubby that HE will be taking her to get the staples out. I just don't think I can go through that again...

8 comments:

Randi said...

Oh, Melissa, I am so sorry. I would so much rather be in pain than watch someone I love in pain.

How horrible. I hope you both get over the trauma soon.

Did he SAY anything about pain meds? You have the right to insist... not that it would make them more friendly.

Holly (2 Kids and Tired) said...

I'm so sorry! What a horrible experience. You do have the right to complain about how you were treated, and the wait, and the fact that they didn't use anything to deaden the pain.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

What an ordeal! It can be so traumatic seeing your child hurting and not being able to fix it. Neil actually has mild post traumatic stress disorder from going to the hospital with Becca when the had to put her fingertip back on. Huuuuge sympathies!

nic said...

oh melissa...my heart goes out to you and your little gal. are there any other hospitals nearby? it sure seems like you need a better option. :(

Nancy Face said...

Oh, I am so sorry! That is just awful! I don't even know what else to say! :(

Jean Knee said...

oh the OUTRAGE!

flip flop mama said...

I am so sorry! But seriously have you thought about reporting this??? That is completely unacceptable for a medical facility--not only how dirty and torn up it was, but they should have given her something! I would definitely find out who owns that facility and/or the board of directors or something because what you just described is just ridiculous!

... said...

oh my... how horrible for you and baby girl. i know those terrible moments when your child cries out for you and there's nothing you can do. but just being there is doing something. think of the alternative - you not being there. i don't think you would have been comfortable with that.

hope her owie heals quickly.