A Mommy Story

So my 30th year started off with a bang. Or more like a thud. This morning Cordy was in her normal Do I Have ADHD or Am I Just A Toddler hyperactive state, climbing on the sofa, standing up, then jumping and kicking her legs out to bounce on the cushions. She’s training for the circus, so she can support her parents in their old age.

But this morning something went wrong. She jumped, but she was too close to the edge of the sofa. Her legs kicked out, and she did bounce on the cushion, but it only served to propel her off the couch. I was sitting right next to her, but it happened so fast I wasn’t able to grab her. She turned in midair and landed hard on her neck and the back of her head, followed by the rest of her body.

I tossed the laptop aside and grabbed her. She started crying immediately, which is always a good sign. She calmed down after only a few minutes, resting her head against my chest. Legs moving? Check. Arms moving? Check. Still awake? Check. Everything seemed OK, so I set her down. She cried again, and her head flopped against me.

For the next half hour, she laid on me, her head on my lap, unwilling to sit up or lift her head. Aaron gave her some ibuprofen before he left – she didn’t even want to hug him goodbye, which is unlike her. If I touched her head, she whimpered. I finally got up and laid her back on the couch, her head on a pillow. She remained there for another half hour. She didn’t want to dance with the Wiggles. She didn’t want to follow me into the bathroom. I started to worry a little.

I spoke with my mom, who of course panicked and said I should take her to the hospital. I try hard to not be one of those “freaking out” moms – after all, she could still move all limbs, and she hadn’t passed out on me. But I agreed to call her pediatrician, who insisted I bring her in right away.

Cordy didn’t appreciate being lifted and put in the car, but she didn’t struggle either. In fact, she was fine until we walked into the exam room at the doctor’s office and then she had a post-traumatic flashback to past doctor’s visits and started crying. (She hates the doctor.)

I gave the nurse a full account of what happened. She asked if the long, thin bruise on Cordy’s forehead was from the fall. I explained that no, it was from yesterday’s fall, when the kid tried to climb the cat tree and fell, hitting her head on the lever to the recliner. (Which she bounced right back from.) Yeah, we’re experienced with head injuries.

The doctor came in, talked with me a few minutes, then checked Cordy. He listened to her lungs, he checked her heart. He looked in her ears, and in her mouth. (Which she fought the entire time.) He lightly brushed his hand over the back of her head. And he said she’s fine.

So, my daughter’s head and neck, which you didn’t even check, is fine. Good to know you have x-ray eyes, doc. Grrr.

I mean, I figured she was fine. But he could have at least felt her neck or the red area behind her ear. What if she had a mild concussion or a subdural hematoma?

I left with a handout on mild head injuries (stuff I already knew) and $20 less than I had an hour before. It was good to get a professional opinion, but I should have saved my money. I knew she was probably fine – she probably didn’t want to lift her head because of the throbbing headache she gave herself. But I may start looking for a new pediatrician.

After we got home, Cordy started to resume her normal activities. While she’s probably trying to act as normal as possible to avoid being taken to the doctor again, it’s good to know she’s getting back to normal now. In fact, she just tried to jump on the couch again. Sigh.

Oh, and thank you all for the birthday wishes! Yesterday was a quiet, rainy day, but it was nice to take the day off work and be with Cordy for my birthday. Aaron got me the cherry blossom necklace I have been coveting from Blend Creations, which totally surprised me.

Also, stay tuned for the winners of the contest! Yes, I said winnerS! You were all so creative that I decided to put a few different ideas together to come up with one fabulous idea – it’ll be coming in the next day, hopefully!