My Adventure with Maxwell

This week Maxwell decided life was a little too calm around here, so maybe he needed to mix it up a little. I went shopping at Kroger just to pick up a few things. I did not plan to be out long, so I really didn't get fixed up or anything. Also because Maxwell had had a bottle before we left I didn't bring any with us to the store. Well, as soon as we get into the store the thought crossed my mind that I really needed to buckle him when I put him in the front of the buggy. Of course I ignored this thought. I proceed to put him in the buggy and go about my shopping. I turn away from him for a split second and hear gasps and screams and a horrible thud. My baby has fallen out of the buggy onto the hard tile floor of Kroger. My heart sank. The sound of him hitting the ground was horrible. I scoop him up. He was crying, but not hysterically. I was more hysterical than he was. I had a group of people around me trying to find out if he was alright. The manager of Kroger immediately called the paramedics and brought me a chair to sit on so I could wait for Maxwell to be checked out. He was one of the kindest men I have met in quite some time. At this point Maxwell is looking around wondering why people are staring at him. The paramedics get there and ask a series of questions. They say he seems fine, but he really needs to go to the ER to be checked out. The paramedics ask if I would like for them to take him or would I like to drive directly across the street to the hospital. I decided to take him myself seeing as how the ambulance would cost around $1000 to literally go across the street. By now it is 5:30 p.m.

Now I'm at the ER with Maxwell. Oh, I forgot to mention that I had Claire with me too. None of us had eaten dinner at this point, and remember I didn't bring any bottles. This was supposed to be a quick trip to the grocery store. After we are there for about an hour we finally get to go to triage to check his temperature, get the whole story on why we are there. We are sent back out into the waiting room. Maxwell proceeds to vomit twice. I'm scared to death and we are both smelling like vomit. Claire is fidgety and constantly saying I'm hungry. Another hour later I decide I need to call someone to come and get Claire. It was 7 p.m. at this point and she had school the next day. Oh, and as she mentioned about twenty times she was hungry. I called my stepmother since I knew she would be on her way home from work and passing by soon. She gets there and takes Claire to eat and go home. Maxwell is hungry too and getting really fussy. Luckily the lady behind the desk gets some graham crackers for him. I then realize he needs to be changed BAD. I proceed to dig around in my diaper bag to find not only did I not pack bottles, I didn't pack diapers either. I had to ask again for a diaper, and again luckily they have one.

I want to take a moment to say that I think it is freaking insane the people that use the ER as a doctors office. I don't understand these people or why in the world they are seen before a baby that has fallen about 4 feet, bumped his head on a tile floor and vomited twice. These people were bringing their children in after school to get flu swabs and strep throat test. The supposed sick kids were walking around, laughing and goofing off like they were completely fine. INSANE! end rant.

Now back to my story. Maxwell is finally called back at about 8 or 8:15 p.m. The doctor comes in and checks him out. He tells me he needs to get a CAT scan. We are taken back to a room to be scanned, and I'm told I have to strap him down to a board. I understand why, but it was just heartbreaking. He looked like a little burrito. I had to hold his chin still while he went in and out of this machine. He was bawling his eyes out the whole time. We go back to the room to wait on the results. As we are waiting I start reliving the whole incident. I still can hear the thud when he hit the ground. If only I had followed my initial instincts and buckled him in properly. It's all my fault. What if there is bleeding on the brain? What if I have to walk out of here without my baby? What if he is brain damaged? The doctor comes in as I'm crying. He stops in the door way and says, "What are you doing? I was going to give you good news. Why are you crying?." I told him why, and he tried comforting me with the whole it happens to a lot of people, you aren't a bad mom, yadda yadda yadda. I know it's supposed to make me feel better, but I still have a twinge of guilt. The doctor told me he did have a concussion and that I would need to wake him up at two in the morning to play with him and see how he was doing. We finally got to leave the ER at around 9:15 p.m. It was a long, long day at the ER. When I woke Maxwell up at 2 a.m. he looked at me like I had lost my mind completely. Anyway, Maxwell is fine, not even a bump. He has the tiniest bruise I have ever seen. He sure does know how to bring excitement to this family.

In conclusion, I think that I will always feel a little guilty and continue to relive that moment over and over, at least for a while. I can tell you one thing I have learned from this whole experience. I will always follow my first instincts no matter what. Oh, and always be prepared for the unexpected.