Life's Little Hiccups...

Where to start?
 
Well.
 
The plan was this. 
 
Ele and Kenny would come up last night for dinner and stay over.  David and Kenny would be on the golf course by 9am this morning whilst Ele and I would have a leisurely start, then after lunch retire to the games room and begin the clear out of the boxes of photographs and picture frames in preparation for the building work beginning.
 
Alan had Charlene and new girl Karen doing a double-up shift this morning and afternoon, so he was looking forward to heading out with them.
 
That was the plan, then just about 8.30pm last night, just as our dinner went in the oven and the G&T was poured,  Alan’s support worker Nicole came through in a panic and asked David to come look at Alan as she thought he’d bitten his finger.
 
He had indeed bitten his finger.  Badly.  Really, really badly.  Yet there wasn’t a peep out of him and he was smiling at us.  I phoned NHS24 and we were told to take him straight to A&E at Perth Royal Infirmary and they would let them know to expect us.
 
Of course being totally incapacitated at the moment, I wasn’t able to go with them so thankfully Nicole went instead.  I have never felt so useless and helpless as I did at that moment.  The thought of him being in hospital and not being there to comfort him was just awful.  But at least he had his dad.
 
Ele and Kenny stayed with me and we waited and waited for news.  Eventually it came.
 
He had bitten right through to the bone and it was being classed as an open fracture.  The nail was completely gone (which we knew as he spat it out before he left and it was the whole nail.  It actually looked like a perfect false nail, straight out of the packet!)   He was cleaned up, bandaged, given IV antibiotics and painkillers and told to report to Ninewells Hospital at eight o’clock this morning to have the wound cleaned and stitched properly under GA.
 
They finally got back from PRI at 1.00am and he was still smiling although I think the pain meds were kicking in by then. 
 
It was 2am by the time we were all in our bed and a blink it was 6am and time to get up again.  This time Ele went with David and I felt that same helplessness as they left.
 
So, update.  The staff at Ninewells have been absolutely amazing.  Every one of them.  He was first in the queue for theatre.   They have flushed the wound, stitched it, put on a nail bed protector and he’s bandaged up like a boxing glove.   They talked about keeping him in overnight but knowing he won’t eat in hospital and knowing we have better facilities here for him, they are letting him home.  Should be home in time for his potatoes :D
 
He’ll need to attend clinics for a few weeks to get the wound dressed and I am dreading telling him that he won’t be able to take up the six week block of swimming starting on Thursday.  He will be devastated.  I am cursing myself for having told him about it a week in advance but I knew it would make him so happy.  He was also due to go skiing on the bi-ski at Braehead a week tomorrow (his main Christmas present) but we’ll need to postpone that too.
 
I still can’t fathom how he managed to bite himself so badly and not scream in fright or cry in pain.  When relaxed, he does sit with his fingers in his mouth, it’s his version of thumb sucking, and he will playfully chew a finger, but if he does accidentally bite harder than he planned, he jumps and pulls his hand from his mouth immediately so this just doesn't make any sense. 
 
He doesn’t have epilepsy and the only seizures he’s ever had were febrile seizures as a baby as his temperature rocketed because of a chest infection, but I am wondering if he had some kind of absence that made him completely unaware of what he was doing.  Will get this possibility investigated ASAP.
 
My heart is sore for him as he just doesn’t deserve this pain, or further complications, or the disappointment of missing his swimming and skiing.  But he’s a stoic and we’ll just have to get some other fantastic activities lined up instead.
 
   
David’s just texted to say they’re on their way home.  Better get the potatoes on and the hugs ready.  I think I know which of the two he’ll be most interested in! 


PS Ele brought me these flowers last night and their utter beauty has helped me keep positive today.  As have the kind words and offers of support from wonderful friends.  You know who you are and I am so thankful for you xxx