Day 32 (2/1/11) - Gavin Goes to the ER

This morning Gavin's left index finger was pinched in the security bar on our rear sliding glass door.  Mike knew right away that it was a serious injury because it looked as though he had partially amputated the fingertip and sheared off the nail.  We all quickly loaded up in the car and headed to Johns Hopkins Pediatric ER.  Thankfully, Mike's work schedule had been changed at the last minute giving him the day off.  And, we didn't get the half inch of ice that the weather forecasts had predicted.  Talk about divine intervention!  I don't know what I would have done if Mike were not around this morning.  I spent a good portion of the drive into Baltimore applying pressure to Gavin's wound while sitting with my head between my knees willing myself not to pass out and silently chastising myself for being such a wimp when my boys needed me!

Gavin was such a trouper.  Here he was with his fingertip hanging off, fighting a cold and fever, and recovering from two days of a stomach bug.  Ryan, too, was amazingly well behaved and offered comfort and encouragement to his little brother.  I am amazed at how tough and resilient these guys are!

We were pleased with the level of care we received at Hopkins.  Of course, it didn't hurt that Dr. Floccare (the state aero-medical director whom Mike had consulted on our panicked drive to the ER), had called the attending physician and alerted him that we would be coming and asked him to take good care of us.

Gavin was seen by an orthopedist who informed us that with this type of injury, it's not uncommon, especially in adults, for the bones in the fingertip to be fractured.  While Gavin's x-ray showed a hairline fracture, it did not require surgery to insert pins into the bone.  He also explained that the nail bed, which is located under the skin, below the cuticle, is responsible for nail formation and growth.  Gavin's injury was at the base of the nail.  Although he lost his fingernail and damaged the nail bed, they expect the fingernail to grow back in the coming months.  To treat him, they gave him intranasal fentanyl (fast-acting pain medication for pediatric patients), removed the nail, stitched the fingertip back into place, put the nail back over top the stitches for cover, and covered the finger in gauze and bandages.  Next week, we'll follow up with a pediatric hand specialist to assess how his finger is healing.  I love that we live so close to a hospital that actually has a pediatric hand specialist on staff!

To add insult to injury, since it's his left hand that is affected, he's unable to suck his thumb to comfort himself.  Although this experience may break his thumb-sucking habit, it's tough because he's not feeling well in general, his finger is probably throbbing, and he can't comfort himself or soothe himself back to sleep.

We got back from the hospital, immediately removed the security bar to avoid another injury, and re-evaluated how toddler-proof our house really is.  We've already identified a few safety hazards that we plan to correct in the next few days.  In the meantime, I'm not going to let these boys out of my sight.  It's heartbreaking to watch your children suffer.  And, I have a feeling, this is just the beginning since boys tend to be curious, daring, and adventurous!