This post will be very disturbingly graphic so if you don't want to be sicked out---- don't look at the pictures. They will be at the end of the post!!
This event happened on Monday, 1/20/13
So when I think of Halloween, I think of gross, bloody body parts. I don't think those things in my everyday life. The kids didn't have school on Monday because it was Presidents Day. So I wanted help cleaning out the garage. I told everyone if they would help for 3 good hours 9-12 (not disappearing frequently or having to take multiple potty breaks) then they could do whatever they wanted (I did tell them they wouldn't be allowed to run naked through the neighborhood) for the rest of the afternoon. Then for FHE we would go to Metro Pizza for dinner. They did help pretty good. Lorin and Tevin cleaned out the small garage and Slate and I did the big garage which was a huge project because I had just bought some new metal shelves and cabinets to put in there to replace some of the rickety shelves that were already in there. (Dakota was sick so she took a nap). This meant we had to unload them, drag the shelves out, clean under them, put the new ones in, arrange them to get the maximum amount in the space we had and then load them back up. So for the most part Slate helped me do everything up to the reloading. By the time we got there the 3 hours were up so I told him I would be able to finish the rest myself because most of the heavy lifting was already done. So Lorin and Slate went riding out in Jean. Tevin wasn't able to go because the night before when he and Slate were changing the tire on his motorcycle, they had accidentally pinched the tube which meant that he had a flat tire. I kept cleaning the garage. They left about 1:30ish I guess. At about 4:00 I got a phone call from Lorin. Before I relate the call to you I must preface it- Slate is our accident prone child. If someone is going to get hurt, it will most likely be Slate. But, saying that, he has been accident free for about 2 years. I was getting worried. Now for the phone call----
Me- Hello
Lorin- Hi, (very calmly, no big deal kind of voice) I was just calling because Slate hasn't had any attention for awhile so I am just going to stop by the hospital.
M- WHAT???? Is he OK???
L- yes, he's good. Its his finger. Don't worry. He's fine. I called the Trauma Center at UMC and they are going to squeeze him in.
M- Do I need to come down there?
L- No, he's fine. You would just be sitting around and they wont let you back there anyway.
M- OK, keep me informed.
L- Ok bye
So here I am thinking- no big deal. He's with Lorin at the hospital. Lorin just went there because he knows people from work there. They will be home soon.
Lorin texted me a picture of him sitting in the bed with a lovely hospital gown on. He didn't look too beaten up.
30-40 minutes later.....
I call again to get an update.
M- How is Slate. Is he doing OK? Do I need to come down?
L- He's fine. They gave him some pain meds (Now let me just tell you right here- Slate has the highest pain tolerance I have ever seen. I knew if he was taking something for pain, he was really hurting) and we are just waiting to see a hand surgeon.
M- WHAT!!!???? In my head I am thinking- HAND SURGEON? WHAT THE HECK DO YOU NEED A HAND SURGEON FOR???? So again, I ask if I need to come down there.
L- No, he's fine. We are just sitting here waiting. They wont let you back anyway.
So again I think, he's fine, maybe a bit more serious than I thought but Lorin is calm and not worried and they are together.
M- OK keep me updated.
30 minutes later......
I call again to get an update.
M- How is Slate. Is he doing OK? Do I need to come down?
L- No. He's good. They are taking him into surgery at 8.
M- WHAT THE HECK???? SURGERY???? I'm coming down. I will call Devin and see if he can come with me to help give him a blessing. I will have him drive with me so he can drive your truck with the bikes back then you can just ride home with me.
L- He's good. We are just sitting here waiting. Just wait a little while.
M- I want to see him before he goes in for surgery. I'll be there shortly.
So I called Devin. He said he would be glad to come down. So I went and showered and got ready to go. Don't forget I was still cleaning the garage out. After I was all ready and was waiting for Devin I decided to feed my addiction of the garage sale site. So I got on Facebook to see what was for sale. You have to sign in to your home page first. And guess what the very first post was? Pictures of Slate in the hospital. So of course I had to take a closer look.
The first one was a picture of his hand. It looked like he had damaged the finger pretty good. Maybe ripped his fingernail off is what I was thinking. The next one was of something floating in a petri dish. I couldn't really tell what it was so I zoomed in on it. Right then Devin walked in the house and came to look. So as I am trying to figure out what it was I realize there are 2 things floating in the dish. One of them looks like his fingernail the other I cant tell. Then Devin says- THAT'S HIS FINGERPRINT!!! I thought I was going to hurl. Because yes, that is what it was. And what do those 2 things =? Why yes, the end of his finger! Now let me ask you this.... Why in the crap did Lorin not prepare me for that? Why did he not even mention that the end of Slates finger was gone? WHY!!!! That was a horrible realization. I think it made me sick not only because it was disgusting but also because of the instant realization of what Slate had been going through. It just made me ill.
Devin and I hopped in the car and drove down to UMC. We went to the trauma center but they couldn't find him. I called Lorin and they had been moved to the pre-op area. So we went and found them. I walked up to Slate and asked how he was doing. He says- Do you want to see it? Me- Sure. It was just wrapped in a little piece of gauze so he pulls his hand out of it and held it about 6" from my face. It was just like one of those nasty Halloween props. A bloody stump. Slate just laughed and thought he was seriously so funny. Good thing he was hurt or I might have smacked him! So we chatted for a minute or two then Lorin and Devin gave him a blessing. I am so thankful for the Priesthood. The blessing didn't promise him to have his finger sewn back on but that the Dr. would make the best decision and that he would recover well. I am also thankful for a worthy husband and son in law who hold the priesthood and use it to bless the lives of others with no hesitation. I am so thankful to Heavenly Father for letting us use that power.
About 7:30 Dr. Jedidiah Jones came in to talk to us about what was going to happen. It turned out that he was the same Dr we went to a few years ago when Slate broke his hand. He didn't remember us but it made me feel better because I liked him then so I was comfortable with him operating now. Plus as it turned out, he knew a lot of Lorins cousins and uncle. AND, he is LDS! All pluses in my book! Then the anesthesiologist came to talk to us. I liked him also. He made Slate really comfortable and answered any questions we had. I was surprised at how young he appeared. As he was leaving, he asked if he could do anything for us. I told him if he didn't mind could he please draw a mustache on Slate during the surgery. He laughed. I don't think he realized I was completely serious. They wheeled him into surgery a little after 8 pm. It is really hard watching your child be taken somewhere you cant go. Knowing things are going to happen to him that you have no control over. And knowing there is nothing you can do about it or to make the situation any better. Devin left after he was wheeled away. Lorin walked out to the truck with him to show him where it was parked and to take Slates riding gear out and bring back some regular clothes for him. I was in the waiting room by myself. There was a family waiting there. 2 of the women were crying softly. They were of middle eastern descent, they were talking in a different language so I couldn't understand what they were saying. It made my heart sad to see them and not be able to do anything to help them feel better. When Lorin came back I said- I wonder what is happening with them. He said that their little nephew fell and something went into his eye and he most likely had lost his eye. He said they had been in the bed next to Slate in the trauma center. My heart just ached for them. And I was reminded that even though Slate was injured with a serious injury, He would be OK. That he would be able to lead a normal life. I couldn't help but be grateful that he had his injury and not one more serious. After what seemed like forever Dr. Jones came in and told us it had gone really well. That he had had to grind the bone down just a tiny bit to be able to stretch the skin over the end. I just cringed inside- grind the bone down..... That has to be painful! But that he was fine and that it was a clean amputation and he would be just fine. We were able to go see him a few minutes later. (As we were walking back to see him, I saw the little boy who had hurt his eye. He was in a recovery bed across the room from Slate. He looked like he was 6 or 7 years old. He was asleep and his family was sitting there with him. I just prayed they would be comforted.) Help him get dressed and go home. He was so not in la la land but so definitely out of it. He just wanted to go home and go to bed. He hadn't eaten since 2 pm but he wasn't hungry. He was stinky from cleaning out the garage and riding but he just wanted to go to bed. So he did. He came in my room about 6 am to get a pain pill but that was about it. He did decide after that that he wanted to go to seminary. What a trooper!
I would like to say that I am so thankful for friends and family that heard about what was happening and called or texted to see if Slate and us were OK and if they could do anything. I don't know what we would've done with out everyone's help, prayers and best wishes! Thank you!
I am also thankful he was with Lorin who is a paramedic and had the skill and knowledge of what to do. He was calm and collected and I am sure that helped Slate tremendously. I am thankful Lorin was inspired to go to UMC instead of the closer hospital where he would probably have had to wait overnight to have surgery. The Dr. was already in the operating room at UMC so he was available to take Slate that night. And he was one we knew and liked already. I am thankful that Slate has a high pain tolerance and was able to be calm and do what needed to be done to get back on his bike to ride out of the desert (for 30 miles) to get back to the truck. I look back and there were just so many little (or big) miracles that happened that night. Tevin getting a pinched tube and not being able to go, MIRACLE. That would've been hard for Lorin to have to worry about Slate and Tevin. Just everything.
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