It was another example of the stellar sense of timing kids have. You know, how there's always a bathroom emergency right before you leave for preschool (and who can rush that, so now you are late....again)? Or how that ear ache was raging and their temperature was climbing the night previous but the next day as you sit in the doc's office, it is all gone?
Initially I wondered if it might need stitches (if you can do such a thing). But the bleeding stopped relatively quickly, as did the crying (I promised ice cream for dinner). No actual marks on his lips or otherwise on his face. So I figured all was well. And after an incident with Keira's tongue last year, I recalled the nurse telling me that tongues are very vascular and heal quickly. Definitely no worries. Right?
Well, 3 days later, and Quinn's tongue was still healing nicely. It was the morning of the dentist appointment. While I was drying my hair Quinn came into the bathroom to show me "a neat trick"....he managed to get the small helmut from his Earth Ace Planet Hero to somehow sunction itself to his face. The area around his mouth was bright red. He stopped thinking it was oh so hilarious the moment I not-so-calmly told him to get that thing off! He complied. But it was too late. Purple marks outlined his bottom lip.
Well last week, it was Quinn v. the "jungle swing" (that's what we call the disc swing on a rope at the end of our swing set). Three days before his upcoming dentist appointment, the swing and Quinn's tongue have an untimely meeting. Swing wins. Tongue has major cut. Lots of blood, sweat, and tears.
Initially I wondered if it might need stitches (if you can do such a thing). But the bleeding stopped relatively quickly, as did the crying (I promised ice cream for dinner). No actual marks on his lips or otherwise on his face. So I figured all was well. And after an incident with Keira's tongue last year, I recalled the nurse telling me that tongues are very vascular and heal quickly. Definitely no worries. Right?(By the way, that is Miss Keira chugging down Q's chocolate milk shake. In a sort of Freaky-Friday-on-Tuesday turn of events, Quinn only ate a quarter of the shake while Keira slugged down the rest...who would've thought? That cup is as big as her head! And none for me! Wah!)
Well, 3 days later, and Quinn's tongue was still healing nicely. It was the morning of the dentist appointment. While I was drying my hair Quinn came into the bathroom to show me "a neat trick"....he managed to get the small helmut from his Earth Ace Planet Hero to somehow sunction itself to his face. The area around his mouth was bright red. He stopped thinking it was oh so hilarious the moment I not-so-calmly told him to get that thing off! He complied. But it was too late. Purple marks outlined his bottom lip.Hours later at the dentist office, when his cleaning is all done (no cavities!) I'm called back to the consultation room for a kindly 
interrogation of sorts. About the tongue gash. About the marks on his face. About did I know I could call because you could lose teeth after mouth trauma and that I should watch for tooth discoloration. Q may be especially at risk because of the way his teeth align (slight underbite). Et cetera. Now of course, they were all so nice about this, but still. I felt a bit inept. It actually never once occured to me that I might call his dentist about this. Thankfully, the dentist has 3 boys of her own and sees only pediatric patients, so she knows how stuff just seems to happen.
interrogation of sorts. About the tongue gash. About the marks on his face. About did I know I could call because you could lose teeth after mouth trauma and that I should watch for tooth discoloration. Q may be especially at risk because of the way his teeth align (slight underbite). Et cetera. Now of course, they were all so nice about this, but still. I felt a bit inept. It actually never once occured to me that I might call his dentist about this. Thankfully, the dentist has 3 boys of her own and sees only pediatric patients, so she knows how stuff just seems to happen.Oh, and did I mention that I never actually saw this accident happen? Uh, yeah. That feels good when you have to sheepishly admit that you have sketchy details because you weren't exactly there. I have the word of a 5 year old, who was crying so much words were unintelligible. And the word of a 2 year old, whose only contribution was "Gege cry! Gege cry! Gege big owww-ee!" (Thanks, sweetie, that much I got on my own!)
Well now that it is Sunday, nearly a week after the initial tongue assault, things still seem to be healing just fine. And his teeth are still bright and shiny.
Of course, his 5-year check up with our pediatrician is this Friday, so who knows what is in store this week! Wish us luck!
3 comments:
Kids do the craziest things some times. Eriks thinks is really funny to take mommy's bras and put them on and say that he's got boobies!!! He also used to climb on his dresser and then launch himself onto his bed. He fell one time and finally hurt himself so he hasn't done it again.
Oh poor Quinn, oh poor you. When I was little my arm would easily snap out of socket at my shoulder. After the 2nd trip to the emergency room to pop it back in they wouldn't let my parents take me home and called what was the equivalent of family and child services. They told my mom to go home without me and they would call her. She refused and slept in a chair at my bedside in the hospital. Poor thing was delirous with worry and I was eating ice cream happy as a clam with no problems at all...and all over a slippery arm that easily popped back in socket. I was never allowed to get "swung " out of the bathtub again. Go figure.
Hope his little tongue heals quickly!
Oh my gosh! So sorry to hear about the injury, but your style of writing is the greatest. You had me cracking up. Usually no need to worry about the teeth with a tongue injury unless you notice the gums bleeding or turning purple! Keep him in a bubble until the ped appointment.
Post a Comment