A lot has happened in 39 years

While dancing with a little girl in his preschool class, Connor had a little mishap.  Apparently after the dance, she gave him a hug and he being almost a head taller leaned forward and they both tumbled over backwards.  She hit her head on the floor and he (being a head taller) hit the bookcase behind her.  And his eyebrow split open.  The school called Nita to notify that he “might need stitches.”  He did.  So Nita rushed over with Josie in tow, and then called me to meet her at Dell Children’s hospital. 

39 years ago, a youngster named Marco was standing in line at a little preschool and was pushed by an older kid from behind.  I went flying….okay more like stumbling forward into the leg of a table.  My forehead split open and it was time for stitches.  I’m told my parents called our pediatrician and they put me in immediately.  However, here is the change.  The doctor and my parents decided to stitch me up with no anesthetic. The rationale was it would take more sticks with the needle to deaden the area than the six pokes of the three stitches.   So they called in the orderly with the papoose, dad held me down and mom went outside because she couldn’t watch.  So they stitched me up while I screamed bloody murder. Pro- I was seen immediately. Con – everything else, and I didn’t even get the lollypop I was promised.

Connor got to Dell children’s ER at 12:45 and was told to sit in the waiting room.  When Nita asked about how long the triage nurse said, the longest wait is about an hour.  At 1:30 I went to the triage nurse and said, “How are we doing?” She said some other folks came in but we should be next.  2PM I was called …. To check in! I’m told to go to the waiting room we’ve already been in.  Apparently you need a wrist band for this one and we didn’t have a band.  Luckily the bouncer saw the stamp on his hand from school and assumed he already paid the cover.  2:30 I said, “Uh, how are we doing?” By now, Connor had run the entire complex, had a diaper change, named all 17 fish in the fish tanks, read all of the books, played trains, elephant, danced, and pet a stuffed wolf.  2:45PM, they call us.  Nita is changing Josie, so I go with him to triage.  Connor is weighed, measured, BP, temp (and really a children’s hospital with an under the tongue thermometer?  No forehead rub?  We even have one of those at home, I digress.  So we finally get his temperature and then they put a gel on a clear bandage and place it over his eyebrow to deaden the area (where were you 39 years ago gel)!!  Meanwhile, we’ve blown through nap time, he never got to eat lunch and we’re told “no food or drink.”

While all this is going on I’m watching the surroundings of the waiting room.  Um, without sounding like I’m going to sound… Really?  Was I in a free clinic for the uninsured and less educated?   The reason Connor didn’t get in sooner was because the walk-in uninsured have learned the secret code.  If you tell the triage nurse that “they don’t know what’s wrong, but he/she is really hurt” you move to the front of the line just in case it is serious.  In fairness, they may have been really hurt, but it seemed a bit more than coincidence that this was the standard line at the desk.  

Back to Connor.  3:15, we are called to a room.  The Doctor and Nurse come in and they inspect C.  After checking the wound he recommends one of two options.  IV and let him go blissfully into a nap, or a nasal injection which is intended to relax him a bit.  (I wish they’d have offered me either of those options).  We chose the nasal relaxation spray, which Connor did not like.  Connor is now a little bored with his hospital experience and is dying to go home.  Josie is again being fed… from the tap of course.  Doctor comes back in at 3:45.  He asks if we need a papoose.  I (see a few paragraphs above) say absolutely not.  Three big guys and two nurses come in.  One very sweet girl asks if Connor prefers Dora, or Nemo.  Of course we choose Nemo.  So she starts playing the move and Connor is mesmerized. (Where was this 39 years ago)?  I hold his hands, an orderly holds his shoulders and the Doctor starts stitching.  Connor is not happy, but holds still and is answering the questions we’re asking.  Doc finishes the final suture and Connor and I make a break for it.  Seriously, we leave and Nita stays behind to pay and do the paperwork.  They were a little surprised and I think they wanted one more set of vitals, but they had their chance, it was nap time. The Doctor says, “Come back Friday to get these removed.”  Nita says, “No offense doc, but God willing we’re never coming back.”  Luckily we got home just in time for our AC to go out.  At least it was only the downstairs main zone.  Connor’s room was just fine. Recap: Pro- deadening gel, Nemo, aquariums, no papoose, and nasal relaxing spray.  Con - the wait. My oh my, 39 years.  Services improve while service declines. Isn’t it funny that the more technology makes things better/more convenient, the worse service seems to get?

Final note, the school said that since we didn’t want to file against the school… we may or may not get a call from child protective services.  I’ll let you know how that goes if it happens.