11:04 p.m. - 2008-04-06
Let's sum up the weekend, shall we?
Saturday, NMH had a minor accident w/ the table saw. He lacerated his thumb. No bones were exposed, but he did remove a chunk of meat from said thumb--also known as an avulsion laceration. He was home alone when it happened. He called me to find out where the closest ER was--after discussion of the injury and debate over potential ERs, I recommended that he dial 911. My reasoning being--they have EMT's, the EMT's can look & decide what he should do. Wisely, NMH took my advice.
They stitched him up at the hospital Saturday evening. NMH called me & I fetched him home. He took pain medication and we were in bed by 9:30. Eventually, we went to sleep.
This morning the children & I went to church. We returned home around 1:00 after wonderful fellowship food. NMH was downstairs on the futon, feeling lousy. I asked if it might be the pain meds, but NMH surmised that he caught the most recent stomach virus. (See "I'm Tired...")
After writing my previous (whiny) post, I went upstairs to tidy the kitchen. I saw NMH's ER paperwork from the previous evening. Curious, I read it. Near the top of the second page I read, "SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION if:
A) fever, persistent bleeding, vomiting or
B)..."
And I said to myself, "Gee, vomiting. NMH was vomiting. He seemed to have a fever at one point, too. But Screaming Harlot had those things with her virus. Perhaps I should have a look at the bandage."
So I went back to the bedroom. I asked the patient when he last retched. Half an hour previous. I asked, "Can I see your thumb?" Pause, "No." So I explained what I’d read and that I just wanted to look at the bandage. NMH acquiesced. The bandage was no longer pretty and white. It had been pretty & white six hours ago. That was two of the three. I said "Immediate Medical Attention," and got "I don’t want to go anywhere." When NMH starts being irrational, that’s an indicator. So I fetched the thermometer and said, "Humor me." Again, NMH acquiesced. The thermometer beeped in at 101.2. That’s all three.
I gave him the option of me waking children to drive him in or calling 911. He never committed, so I called 911. For the second time in two days, the ambulance has come to my house and my kids missed it. They’re going to be so disappointed....
But, for the second time in as many days, they’ll get to come with me to fetch their dad from the ER. That has to count for something....
And his co-workers wonder why I’m encouraging him to race motorcycles. It’ll keep him out of his wood shop! Safer that way, apparently. I’m getting a shadow box for the glove he was wearing yesterday--a keepsake to remind him to watch his fingers....
