She hit her head on our bed frame on Tuesday 4am in the morning. I didn't know it was so serious and I was even rubbing her forehead cos it was so dark and I couldn't see. Until Bob asked me how serious it was, I on the lights and got the shock of my life. Blood on her face, her pyjamas and my hands. I freaked out!
When Bob wiped the blood away, I told him the wound definitely need stitches cos it's slightly gaping. We rushed her to NUH A&E.
Tara only cried a little when she hit her head and during the trip from home to hospital, she kept pointing to her head and said "头", telling us that she hit her head.
I'm glad I chose to go to NUH cos there's actually a children's A&E there and the waiting time was really short. Bob dropped us at the entrance and a male nurse came forward to attend to us, and cute Tara pointed to her head again and said "头" again. The serious looking nurse break into a smile.
The doctor attending to Tara told us the wound definitely need stitches and explained that we have 2 choices to make, either they drug her with Ketamine and stitch her at the A&E or we can admit her into the hospital and a plastic surgeon will put her on general anaethetic and stitch her up. I asked her is the plastic surgeon going to do a better stitch job? The doctor said it's the same, just that the drug they use will be different. Being put on GA meant that they have more time to carefully stitch up the wound as Ketamine will only "stoned" her for an hour or so.
We chose to let the A&E doctor to stitch her up since it's quite a small wound. But because silly me gave her water to drink on our way there, we had to wait 4 hours before they can inject the drug as they are worried Tara will puke during the op and choke herself. So the doctor covered the wound with a gauze, told us to go home for a short rest. The nurse reminded us not to give her anything. At that time, I was worried cos the little one will ask for milk anytime and I'm worried she would kick up a fuss. So when we reached home, we immediately put her to bed. Fortunately, Tara was really tired and fell asleep very soon.
At about 8am, we got ready to go back to the hospital. Tara was just like her usual active, bubbly self and walked around the room, "surveying" the place. She even willingly let the nurses carried her. Bob and one of the nurse held her while the other nurse injected her with Ketamine. I stood beside, helpless and worried while the little one bawled away. The nurse told me to hold her while the drug took effect. I looked into her eyes, talked to her and even sang a song to her until we saw that she was a little stoned. The drug actually doesn't knock her out, only meant to make her oblivious to the surroundings, so her eyes was opened throughout. What hurts me most was seeing my little one going high on drugs. Her eyes were big and wide, but there's no life in them. I laid her on the bed and left the room.
While waiting outside, silly Bob said something that immediately brought tears to my eyes. He said we should have another child just in case something happen to Tara. What does he meant by just in case. Even if I do have another child, it's not going to replace the one I've lost. But he's always blunt with his words and I know he don't meant to hurt me. But at that point of time, being so worried and sad, the words just pierced me in my heart.
After a while, the nurse told me to go in and the doctor showed me the stitched before he covered her up. I thought it's a really nice job. Cos the stitches were hidden so it's just a clean slit instead of those "centipede" stitches. We went out again.
And after they bandanged her up, the nurse told me to go into the room, sit beside the little one so that when she "wakes" up, I can hold her. But when I went into the room, the little girl was already holding the bed rail struggling to get up. It was such a cute but sad sight. I held her and sang all her favourite songs to her. She was still in a drugged stage but she could even do the actions to the songs.
She kept calling for PaPa so I brought her out of the room. The nurse said once she can walk and sit by herself and drink some water without vomitting, we can bring her home. Tara fell asleep and the nurse said we had to wake her up every 15mins and not let her sleep too long.
After 15mins, we couldn't wake her up at all and I panicked. We tried so many ways, Bob pinched her nose, I gently pat her cheek, I even played her favourite ringtone but she didn't stir. The nurse told me it's okay and the doctor will look at her later. She told us to bring her out for a walk. Outside the A&E, Bob and I tried to wake her again. But she didn't moved a bit. It was until Bob played her favourite song that she suddenly opened her eyes and struggled to sat up. Imagine how relieved we are!
We gave her water to drink and tried to get her to walk. It took a mere 15mins and our little girl was back to her own self again. Active and naughty.
Less than 2 hours after the stitching up, little Tara was already wreaking havoc. While having our brunch at the hospital's canteen, the little one was messing with the food on the table, dipping her butter and kaya toast bread into our duck rice soup etc. I really don't know if I should be happy or frustrated at her!
Now, I just hope that the scar will not be so visible, cos she's a girl after all and it won't look pretty.
Okay, pictures:
I took this while waiting for her turn at the A&E. Yah, the blogging mummy never fails to bring a camera around. A very small wound, only about 2cm.
After the op, at the canteen. She was already back to her usual active self. Eating her toasted bread. She called this bandage her "hat".
Taken just yesterday morning, wound is healing well and noticed the thread at the end of the scar? I cringed when I first saw the thread, cos it's just sticking out of her skin like that.
Tara was really great. She didn't tried pulling her bandange or her gauze during the days when she had them. Usually, she can't even stand having a little clip on her hair, less to say the big bandage.
I'm going to get a good cream to lessen the scar marks once the wound healed. I just hope the scar won't be very visible in future.
