Another enjoyable routine is that Houdini loves to be outside when the weather is dry enough (and heaven forbid if it’s raining - major meltdown will follow!) He particularly enjoys driving his Huffy, a green go-kart, around the roundabout in our cul-de-sac, supervised by his grandpa. Unfortunately, Houdini knows nothing of boundaries and will veer off into neighbours’ gardens which can become quite tiresome very quickly.
One such occasion occurred during the last week of term. Houdini was made to come inside for dinner before he was ready and meltdown ensued. In his bad temper, he slammed his hand on and his wrist through a pane of glass in an interior door. A copious amount of blood, tears, panic and an ambulance followed.
The First Response Officer was amazing with Houdini. He calmly gained his trust and was able to bandage the open wound and Houdini, although reluctant to get into the windowless, enclosed space of the ambulance, managed to make his way to A&E in Antrim. Once again the staff were amazing and although they couldn’t get a good look other than an X-ray, they were great at calming him down and referred him to the more specialised Plastic Surgery Team at the Ulster Hospital.
The following morning we attended the appointment and he was booked in for sedation and surgery 48 hours later. The wound remained open all this time because until he could be put out under general anaesthetic, it was impossible to know the extent of the damage. Fortunately, the nerve damage was later repaired in theatre and the laceration closed with dissolvable stitches. Once again, in spite of a difficult patient, the staff were amazing in the gentle way they tried to explain every step so that he would not be traumatised by hospitals in future,
Lesson #2: Always check the house for safety glass.
Positive: We are indebted to our NHS staff are absolutely amazing!
One such occasion occurred during the last week of term. Houdini was made to come inside for dinner before he was ready and meltdown ensued. In his bad temper, he slammed his hand on and his wrist through a pane of glass in an interior door. A copious amount of blood, tears, panic and an ambulance followed.
The First Response Officer was amazing with Houdini. He calmly gained his trust and was able to bandage the open wound and Houdini, although reluctant to get into the windowless, enclosed space of the ambulance, managed to make his way to A&E in Antrim. Once again the staff were amazing and although they couldn’t get a good look other than an X-ray, they were great at calming him down and referred him to the more specialised Plastic Surgery Team at the Ulster Hospital.
The following morning we attended the appointment and he was booked in for sedation and surgery 48 hours later. The wound remained open all this time because until he could be put out under general anaesthetic, it was impossible to know the extent of the damage. Fortunately, the nerve damage was later repaired in theatre and the laceration closed with dissolvable stitches. Once again, in spite of a difficult patient, the staff were amazing in the gentle way they tried to explain every step so that he would not be traumatised by hospitals in future,
Lesson #2: Always check the house for safety glass.
Positive: We are indebted to our NHS staff are absolutely amazing!