Over the Easter break we decided it would be nice to visit our family in NC. Being able to leave 40 degree rainy weather of NY and head to sunny NC was a nice perk.
We all decided to walk to the park so the kids could play on the great playground. Oma had already warned me that it was more for the older boys, given the height of the structure and all. (You know where I'm going with this, don'cha?)
The kids were having a great time and I found myself relaxing on a bench. I watched my son Duke jump from the top of the 3 story set down to the ground. I wasn't concerned; the boys do this sort of thing all the time. But, I watched him land and saw his head snap back.
Duke landed in a frog position and it's fair to say he STUCK the landing. He hit his chin on his knee and nearly bit his tongue in half. We didn't notice it at first but he also had dug a nice hole in his knee with his teeth.
Duke walked towards me after the jump and I stood up waiting for him. He had a very serious look on his very white face. I said, "did you get hurt?" He nodded yes. My husband, Mother in Law, and I gathered 'round. I noticed a small bit of blood in the corner of his mouth and said, "Let me see, open your mouth for me." Luc opened and it was something you'd see in a b-horror movie. The three of us (and my MIL is a nurse!) all jumped back out of the way of the shooting blood.
Duke was white. He was shaking as if freezing. He did not cry.
My kids get hurt. They get hurt a lot. They're ummm.... active. I do the kids' laundry and notice myself saying, "Oh great.. all the blood came out..." Our insurance company sends us letters afterwards and says, "Are you freakin' kidding me?" My neighbor, a part time EMT, has a suture kit in the garage FOR MY CHILDREN.
Anyway, back to the story. It was my MILs idea to head to an emergency clinic versus an ER and that was a good call. In fact, I'm researching to see if we have any in our immediate area for the future. (Seriously, this is not NORMAL to research emergency clinics because your kids are always getting hurt).
We arrived and the greeter said to Luc, "Let me see the injury." When Luc opened his mouth the man grabbed the clipboard of papers he'd just asked me to fill out and said, "you can do that later.. come with me." As we waited in the back room several nurses and nurses aids came in to see the my son, the boy who thought he could fly. They'd say, "Can I see it Superman?" He'd slightly grin, stick out his tongue, and they'd gasp and grab their faces. Even the doctor cringed and shook her head.
Now, I just want you to really understand what this looked like. He'd stick it out, and the front portion would FLAP open and the dark red, nearly purple, blood would begin to pool. Are you picturing this? Have you ever bit your tongue while eating? He did not cry.
At the end of the day the tongue was not stitched. Apparently it's rare to stitch a tongue because it heals at an amazingly fast rate. Duke was thrilled. The knee was stitched and he was given a tetanus shot. He was also given a script for antibiotics. Infection is the more serious risk with tongue injuries.
As we waited for our final paperwork, Duke stood next to me at the clerks window. I reached around his shoulders with my arm and said, "How ya doin' boo?" and he rolled his head into my shoulder and cried for just a moment. It was a mix of a great sigh and a few tears. And it was over.
We wanted a picture of it but he wouldn't let us. Duke's sister and cousin tried to show him how easy it was to stick out his tongue.
A couple days after it happened he let me take a picture. It looks WAY better in this photo than it did when it happened but prepare yourself anyway.
He says he'll never jump off a play set again. I have it documented on video.
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