Spent the evening in the ER W/My daughter

[sheilabgroomer]

This was NOT a good weekend!!!! If I thought Saturday was a bad one w/ all of my clumsy accidents and self mutilations....I ain't seen nothing yet!

We got a call that every parent dreads, that Katie was in an accident. She was riding 4 wheelers w/friends when she braked to hard and lost control. She and her friends were afraid that they would get in trouble (because they didn't have permission) so they didn't tell her friends mother about it until about an hour later!! When they did finally fess up, Annette (mother) called us, told us what happened and said she is pretty banged up and thinks a trip to the ER may be in order. My husband left first so I could get a sitter for the other 2 kids. Since Katie was mostly banged and bruised w/ lots of road rash we decided to go to Urgent Care instead. They looked at her and said she she did need to go to the ER because they were worried about her liver and spleen!!! She has a real nasty area right on that spot. Apparently she is her mothers daughter, and did a belly flop off the pavement. While we were waiting in the ER, she kept complaining about how bad her belly hurt and she could NOT walk because of her stomach pain. I was getting soo worried that she was going to need that spleen removed. Long story short she ended up getting X-Rays, and a CAT scan and fluids. Everything came back Ok (thank you God!). She is going to have a lot of pain today because of the road rash though. Poor little thing also did a nice number on her breast....ouch..

I am staying home w/her today, and I don't know if I should start the lectures yet or wait. She did not have permission to ride that thing, and she also led the friends mother to believe that she had a lot more experience riding than she does. I am not going to ground her or anything because I think what happened is punishment enough. I am trying not to be angry w/her, kids will be kids, but her daddy and I were having some bad backflashes last night! There were some similarities from when Josh was killed, and just the whole hospital thing is enought to make any parent that already lost a child in an accident sick w/anxiety. Anyway, I just needed to vent and rant a little....I feel better now. Thanks guys!

[Kim in SD]

Glad to hear she is ok, now that she is,,start the lectures..Hope this week is better!

[minkyboodle]

I'm glad she is okay! That could have been much much worse. *hugs*

[furrybestjob]

I don't have any children, so I can only imagine what it must be like to get a call like that. (I freak out if I get a call about one of my animals). You must be so relieved that everything checked out OK. Good thing you did take the day off, you probably need the rest as much as she does.

[plushpuppy]

I'm so glad that she is OK, Been there Done that. When My daughter was 15 her and her so called friends took my car. They pushed it dowm the driveway and then started it once they got to the road. I got that dreded call at 2am. They had totaled the car. She by all rights should not be alive but by the grace of god, Super doctors an 28 hours worth of surgery she survived. (Thank God) That was almost 15 years ago and now when we talk about it she feels really stupid. I just keep telling her that paybacks are hell. Her kids are 9 super kid, 3 spoiled rotten princess, an 5 months. Her day is coming because her daughter is the spit out of her mothers mouth. We love them all but I just know that I will probably get the same phone call some day that I made to my parents on that dreded day;(

[elliemae]

i'm so glad she is o.k....one of my best friends son was not so lucky. he was riding a 4 wheeler ( i assume you mean the motorcycle thing with 4 wheels)and unfortunatly the thing flipped over on his head and he is no longer with us...very sad! they were riding double and too much weight in back or something..he was only 14. i ride jumping horses and never get on any horse ever without a helmet. kids should probably wear a helmet on these 4 wheelers.

[greymom]

Thank goodness she's OK. The worst phone call we've gotten was when my stepson got hit in the mouth with a golf ball. Poor kid lost two teeth with that one.

[milhasavilla]

I shuttered reading your post Sheila. I think this is every parents nightmare. It's like you wanna' hug them and never let go becuase you're so glad they're ok, and then you just wanna shake them and maybe even holler a little thru the tears becuase of the anguish they've put us thru. I guess the thing to remember is that we were all kids once, remember what it was like? Kids just don't see the danger or the life long consequences like adults. I definitely think it's ok to lecture though, I'm sure she's expecting it. Tell her we're all happy she's ok - lots of hugs for you both and for heaven's sake no more 4 wheelers for awhile.

[Pixie]

I'm so glad she is ok. How old is she? These darn kids can sure put us through a lot can't they?! Sometimes I think if I knew what I was getting myself into I would have thought long and hard about having them, but then again what would I do without them, and the grandchildren they have given me. Give her the lecture she is waiting for then give her a big hug from us.

[misscatahoula]

I'm so relieved for you that she's okay. My daughter's 16 now, so I've had my share of "Do I hug or strangle her?!" moments. I've also had scary hospital moments( some due to childhood stupidity, some not). I nearly lost her to an anaphylactic reaction when she was 11, and I totally know that horrible fear, and how lucky I felt when she pulled through. And how much I love this child. Give her a big hug and tell her how much you love her, then give the safety lecture.

[diemonster]

I'm very happy she's ok!

My kids are not allowed to ride 4-wheelers anymore. They're 6,3,1 and their grandpa would take them out riding (the 2 older ones.. not the baby!). Anyway, he went a couple feet into a stream.. the water was about 6 inches deep, with a smooth rocky bottom.. and flipped it! My 2 daughters were ok thank god.. but no more riding with grandpa! (I was sooo mad!).

My husband would ride a 4-wheeler when he was about 11 or 12, and tells all kinds of horror stories about flipping them over on himself. He always escaped serious injury, but those things just aren't worth it.

My hairdresser bought one for her 3 year old.. it's set to only go 2 miles an hour, but I still think she's nuts.

As for whether to lecture.. I doubt it's necessary. Print off this list of replies.. show it to her and let her see that those vehicles aren't toys, they're equipment, and can be as dangerous as a car. (Maybe more so since there's no roof!).

Good luck!

[sheilabgroomer]

Thanks for all the love you guys!!! Katie is 11 yrs old and has more courage than common sense sometimes!! The friend whose house she was at got the 4 wheeler for christmas (which I personally think is crazy!!) and I didn't think they would ride because it was pouring rain all day yesterday so I didn't bother telling her it was off limits. Of course she got around this by not calling to asking permission because she knew what the answer would be...lol... If I wanted to I could let my self get angry with the mother, because she knew they were riding and didn't make her call to ask, also because she wasn't watching them!!! I am sorry but 11 yr olds are NOT responsible or mature enough to be trusted on those things which they proved by not letting someone know immediately when Katie crashed. Anyway, I am not going to go off on a tirade. I just wanted to let you all know that she is doing okay....sore but okay. My mother said I am getting my payback because I was in a moped crash when I was 14 after I was told in no uncertain terms that I was NEVER allowed to ride one. I was very lucky, I went through the windshield of the truck that we hit and I was NOT wearing a helmut. What a dumb kid, I can't believe I survived childhood....lol... So I am not going to be hard on her, the best lessons learned are the ones learned the hard way!!

[Helly]

Sheila, I'm so glad she's OK.

Instead of a lecture, have a discussion. Ask her if she learned anything. Let her talk about it. I'm sure it scared the beegeebees out of her. And that's a good thing, lol.

[diamienono]

AHH, but that is what kids do. We did it to our parents and now we get paid back. Glad to hear she is ok. I would just have a quiet chat with her about it, and let her know how concerned you are and that she is grounded for the rest of her god forsaken life lol.

[Wisconsin]

Oh Sheila,

My heart was in my throat as I read your post. I have one seven year old daughter and the thought of anything happening to her is more than I can bear. If I could put her in a bubble I would (my family teases me all of the time about that one).

And to think you lost another child. You must have been beside yourself with fear.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. Hug her extra tight tonight!!!!