The first night there, we went to a Riverdogs Baseball game. This was Fletcher's first baseball game and Stephanie worked really hard to get a ball signed by a player for him. It was a very hot and humid day and evening, so everyone was slick with sweat. Jesse doesn't remember it ever being so humid there. It was disgusting! Part of Aaron's quest on this journey to the East Coast was to hit a few venues that Man Vs. Food has hit. At this stadium, we had to try the Homewrecker Hot Dog. So that's what we all had for dinner.
The next day we walked around Charleston, through the Market, to the Customs House, along The Battery, saw Rainbow Row and Battery Park, and we also hit a few other places along the journey back to A.W. Shuck's for lunch. Then we went back to the hotel for an escape from the heat and a few showers to clean up before dinner, which was hindered by The Incident. (See below for details.)
THE INCIDENT...
Everyone was happy to have had a break from the heat and humidity of the day and it was time to face it again and walk to dinner. When we got to the lobby, Fletcher was crying and Jesse wanted to take him out of the car seat to calm him down and just carry him to dinner in his arms. At times we have opted for this. Other times we have opted to just have him cry in the carrier because he's safer, etc. This time, we took him out. (We had done this earlier in the day too because it was so hot and he was drenched with sweat to the point where a puddle had formed in the bottom of the car seat.) Anyway, I'm sure I don't have to defend this choice to anyone, as we all take kids out of their car seats or strollers at some point. Now we definitely think twice about it even more.
A few seconds after we exited the hotel, we were crossing the parking lot. Jesse stepped off the sidewalk and rolled his ankle in a pothole. As he was trying to regain his balance with the opposite foot, a parking block tripped him and he fell forward. As he fell, the momentum sent Fletcher out of his arms to the ground. Now for me, it happened out of the corner of my eye and all I saw was the end with Jesse falling and Fletcher a few feet in front of him hitting the pavement and then crying.
All of us couldn't believe what had just happened. Jesse immediately picked him up. I was in such disbelief that I didn't know what to do except go to them. Stephanie wanted to call 9-1-1, which you know she and Aaron don't do. She checked Fletcher's head, which had immediately swelled up with bumps on the right side. I ran inside asking for ice and Aaron came in asking for a map and directions to the closest ER. Instead of heading to dinner by foot, we loaded the two cars and headed to MUSC ER. We were admitted right away and after a CT Scan showed two skull fractures and brain bleeding/bruises, we were admitted to the PICU, where we spent the night.
Luckily we were in a corner room with two sets of doors rather than a "room" created by curtains. I was able to continue breastfeeding, as long as he was hooked up to the monitors. We were both able to sleep either in a chair or on a bench/couch they had in the room rather than having to exit the PICU and sleep in the family room. Meals were in the hospital cafeteria for the next few days.
At around 3am, Fletcher was taken for a second CT Scan, which showed no signs of further bleeding, which was good. Also, the fractures were not displaced, so that was also a good thing. Despite the "good" news, we were beside ourselves with emotion. I don't think we've cried so much before. Maybe me, but definitely not Jesse. It was so heartbreaking to relive what had happened in the parking lot and want to go back and just stop it all from happening. It hurt to see Fletcher in the hospital with so many things attached to his little body. There was only so much we could do to comfort him. All the thoughts about what happened and all the thoughts about what could result from the fall overtake your mind, regardless of the reassurance offered by ICU doctors and nurses and pediatric neurologists.
The following evening, we were transferred from the PICU to the general Peds floor for another night of observation. I stayed the night in that room, feeding and trying to sleep on another bench/couch. Jesse went back to the hotel to pack up some things and try to get some sleep for a few hours. The morning of the 17th we were discharged from the hospital in time to check out of the hotel and head back to NC. The owner of the Inn heard about what had happened and comped our room for us. I thought it was so nice, I cried at the gesture. In fact, I continued to cry at any mention of what had happened or every time I spoke about it to a friend or family member. I cried when I thought of the pain Jesse feels when he relives the look on Fletcher's face as he is falling, or the guilt he carries because he was holding him at the time of the accident. Everyone in the hospital said they see head injuries from accidents with infants about every week to ten days. It still didn't make us feel any better.
I would like to say that the staff we encountered at MUSC was amazing at every step in our stay there. I never again want to relive the feelings we had or the experience we put ourselves and Fletcher through and I don't wish it on anyone. But, the experience could have been a whole lot worse if the nurses and doctors didn't care for us as well as our child. They went above and beyond the work requirements.
Below is a picture just before heading to dinner, then three of him in the PICU about 20 hours after the accident, and one of the towel on the general floor that reminded us of Mauritius and how the hotel staff would fold the towels in shapes of different animals. You could see this children's hospital was trying to make everything as nice as possible for it's patients.
2 comments:
So glad to hear things are so much better for little Fletcher. I've been thinking about you and praying for you every day since I heard the news.
Hugs from good 'ol Glendale!
I cried reading this, thanks for sharing. I pray for everything to just keep going well! There are TONS of things that happen in parenting that you wish you could go back on, but I know that you and Jesse are good people and nothing you do is without good intentions. Just one hurdle in raising a child.
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