Andon had a rough week. (Besides just the bump you'll notice on his forehead in the pictures below.) Friday he experienced his first second degree burns covering both palms of his hands.
We were outside working and playing in the yard. Right when I was cleaning up to go inside for his nap, he crawled over by the front door. He seemed to be fine, so I ran to put away the yard debris can on the side of the house. I heard screaming and knew something was wrong. But it still took me several minutes to actually figure out he had been burned. I thought he had fallen so was looking all over his face and head for blood/bumps, etc. Finally I looked at one hand and the skin was all red and shriveled. Apparently, he had placed his hands on the metal part at the base of the door (the threshold) which was hot from the sun! I started running it under cool water but the skin was so distorted, I didn't know if that was the right thing. He was still screaming and writhing in my arms in extreme pain.
I frantically tried calling the advice nurse but was on hold for forever. While on hold, I called some family to ask for advice (thanks, Logan and Jana!) then rushed him to the doctor's office. It's right next door to the hospital, so the whole way there I was wondering if I should go to the clinic or the ER. I finally decided to go for the less expensive option. He screamed the whole way and we made quite an entrance. The receptionist casually asked if I had an appointment! I had already been crying but totally lost it at this point. "NO! And he needs to see someone right now!" is basically what I told her. They hurried me into a room and I kept running it under water waiting for the doctor. They also gave him some Ibuprofen. He told me they were second degree burns, that the pain would be basically gone in 1 to 1 1/2 hours and prescribed some ointment to keep infection out of it once it broke open.
With Andon still screaming, we hurried home. When I got home, I was still frantic and trying everything I could think of to get him to calm down. That's when I discovered that his other hand was burned, too! The doctor nor I had even thought to look! I felt like the most horrible mother in the world. I went over the edge again, and was bawling hysterically on the phone to Kyle. He was 1 1/2 hours away at work but headed home. I gave Andon some Tylenol this time, still trying to help the pain. But he was still out of control and I knew he needed a blessing, so I called my visiting teacher's husband (whom I just happened to know was home that day watching her kids) and he gave me the name of some retired brothers in our ward. I called one and he said he'd find another brother and be right over. That was such a huge gift. They blessed him that the calming influence of the Spirit would come upon him. Within five minutes, he finally calmed down and was able to fall asleep for about two hours. But I held him most of that time because his body was so upset, he kept shaking in his sleep. And every time he did that, his hands would try to go to his face, so I held his arms down. I had covered them with a sock at this point.
Anyway, we are much better now. The first blister tore opened that night and really hurt him, the second one opened on Saturday, and we're still waiting for a third one to break. The skin underneath is so pink and raw, but it seems to be beginning to heal. (It actually looks brighter red than in the picture above. The pinkness near his fingers is also burn, but not quite as deep I guess.) I worry about scaring and infection, but we're doing our best to keep it moist and clean. We have the ointment, then gauze, then a sock with holes cut in it for his fingers. His little "boxing gloves" are darling and without them he grabs at and removes the bandage, so they definitely help. Besides treating it gently, he is pretty much back to normal: picking up things and trying to climb on and get into whatever he can get into. He surely is one busy boy!
This is my favorite picture of our sweet Andon with his little gloves.
We were outside working and playing in the yard. Right when I was cleaning up to go inside for his nap, he crawled over by the front door. He seemed to be fine, so I ran to put away the yard debris can on the side of the house. I heard screaming and knew something was wrong. But it still took me several minutes to actually figure out he had been burned. I thought he had fallen so was looking all over his face and head for blood/bumps, etc. Finally I looked at one hand and the skin was all red and shriveled. Apparently, he had placed his hands on the metal part at the base of the door (the threshold) which was hot from the sun! I started running it under cool water but the skin was so distorted, I didn't know if that was the right thing. He was still screaming and writhing in my arms in extreme pain.
I frantically tried calling the advice nurse but was on hold for forever. While on hold, I called some family to ask for advice (thanks, Logan and Jana!) then rushed him to the doctor's office. It's right next door to the hospital, so the whole way there I was wondering if I should go to the clinic or the ER. I finally decided to go for the less expensive option. He screamed the whole way and we made quite an entrance. The receptionist casually asked if I had an appointment! I had already been crying but totally lost it at this point. "NO! And he needs to see someone right now!" is basically what I told her. They hurried me into a room and I kept running it under water waiting for the doctor. They also gave him some Ibuprofen. He told me they were second degree burns, that the pain would be basically gone in 1 to 1 1/2 hours and prescribed some ointment to keep infection out of it once it broke open.
With Andon still screaming, we hurried home. When I got home, I was still frantic and trying everything I could think of to get him to calm down. That's when I discovered that his other hand was burned, too! The doctor nor I had even thought to look! I felt like the most horrible mother in the world. I went over the edge again, and was bawling hysterically on the phone to Kyle. He was 1 1/2 hours away at work but headed home. I gave Andon some Tylenol this time, still trying to help the pain. But he was still out of control and I knew he needed a blessing, so I called my visiting teacher's husband (whom I just happened to know was home that day watching her kids) and he gave me the name of some retired brothers in our ward. I called one and he said he'd find another brother and be right over. That was such a huge gift. They blessed him that the calming influence of the Spirit would come upon him. Within five minutes, he finally calmed down and was able to fall asleep for about two hours. But I held him most of that time because his body was so upset, he kept shaking in his sleep. And every time he did that, his hands would try to go to his face, so I held his arms down. I had covered them with a sock at this point.
Anyway, we are much better now. The first blister tore opened that night and really hurt him, the second one opened on Saturday, and we're still waiting for a third one to break. The skin underneath is so pink and raw, but it seems to be beginning to heal. (It actually looks brighter red than in the picture above. The pinkness near his fingers is also burn, but not quite as deep I guess.) I worry about scaring and infection, but we're doing our best to keep it moist and clean. We have the ointment, then gauze, then a sock with holes cut in it for his fingers. His little "boxing gloves" are darling and without them he grabs at and removes the bandage, so they definitely help. Besides treating it gently, he is pretty much back to normal: picking up things and trying to climb on and get into whatever he can get into. He surely is one busy boy!
This is my favorite picture of our sweet Andon with his little gloves.
2 comments:
So sad! I'm glad he's doing better. We've been praying for him. Also, I love those pictures from his birthday. I can't believe how big he's getting!
You didn't mention what burned him, was the cement that hot? I'm glad he is doing better, thank goodness for the Priesthood!
Post a Comment