Busted Lip

Well, yesterday was eventful. We were headed up to dinner with friends, as we do each Thursday. James thought he would take a side detour and play on the ice with the kids before we went in. I barely got my coat off and he was running up crying and holding his lip, bleeding. We turned around and took him to the ER since it was a sizable wedge out of his lip.

While in the ER, there were all types. A lady whom was either an addict or had mental health problems sat down next to us. She started yelling things like, "It was the Valium! I knew it was my mom! He tried to kill him!" Just sporadically. Scary. She got up and darted down the hall toward the ER entrance when admittance yelled "Security!" and a couple men held her and escorted her into a room. Lots of children there from ice injuries and James' was the most minor. We waited 2 1/2 hours. I talked to my wonderful sister and she suggested we see a plastic surgeon if the cut was below the lip line. It was. We called our fabulous pediatrician again. We switched ERs down to Hopkins both because it was close to our house, we love the hospital, our pediatrician Dr. Goldstein is like royalty there, and they have plastic surgeons in-house as opposed to on-call.

We arrived at Hopkins and waited some more. We requested plastics and Dr. Goldstein had called ahead as well. James was finally seen by 3 doctors - a Sr. Plastic Surgeon and 2 residents trailing. He didn't need stitches, just a bonding agent (glue). So one Dr. glued, one Dr. held an iPhone movie up for James to watch, and one Dr. watched. How's that for the best care in the world? He wanted to stay the night. He reveled in the care. He loves Hopkins and so do we.


He was most disappointed that we missed Family Dinner. Our wonderful friends watched Etame (with minimal supplies I left them with), took her all the way down to Calvin in the city, packed us 2 dinners (one for James to eat in-route to the hospital initially) and one to have when we arrived home at midnight. We did too. We ate spaghetti and homemade meatballs at midnight and it tasted marvelous. Then James said he was tired, went upstairs and crawled into bed. I slept in his bed.

Etame is thrilled to have us home today and is resting well. James is having an easy day too, watching cartoons. We are blessed to have such wonderful friends who take care of us as a family, wonderful medical care, and blessed that James' injury wasn't more serious.