Charlie Fell Down and Broke His Crown...

Fast asleep on the gurney...

Awaiting the CT scan...Feeling fine!

Thursday morning Jason took William to preschool.  Charlie and I were spending some time together on the big couch.  Charlie LOVES to jump on the couch, he stands on the cushions at the back, and bounces up and down like a monkey.  He was about an arms length away and all of a sudden he fell back and toppled off the couch head first.  It happened so fast I couldn't stop him.  He landed on the crown of his head.  He was screaming like crazy, but stopped crying within a few minutes and seemed fine.  He didn't fall asleep, didn't vomit, and seemed to eat, sleep, and be drinking ok.  I checked his pupils and he seemed fine.  I called the Dr and she told me to do all the things I just did.  A large goose egg swelled immediately on his scalp, and I was expecting that it would bruise quickly, but it didn't.  I kept watching him closely all day, but he still seemed fine.  I noticed that the spot on his head wasn't bruising, and it was staying very soft, instead of hard, like a bruise, this was really soft, like a blister.  A really BIG blister.  It literally was the size of an egg.  I also noticed that it didn't hurt when I touched it.  I mulled over all evening what to do, but something wasn't right.  The next morning it had changed shape, but really wasn't smaller, just longer and slightly flatter, basically more spread out.  I felt it again, and I felt a wierd ridge/dip.  I was freaked out.  My first thought was - The reason it isn't bruising and the reason it's soft is that it isn't blood it's cerebral fluid!!! AHHHHHH!!!!  I told Jason that I needed to take him to the ER NOW! I got in the car and headed in.  When we arrived at the ER there was a serious emergency ahead of us, and so we waited a really long time, but when they call the chaplain to the Pediatric ER, you are happy to wait when you realize how lucky that your baby is stable and happy.  The Dr came in and agreed with all my observations and said that a CT scan was needed.  I was very worried that he would need an IV for sedation, but the Dr said that hopefully we wouldn't need that.  This is where the story gets complicated.  Will and Jason came to the ER after bringing Grandma to work.  I needed to leave to go in with a patient for an egg retrival, (not something that can be put off, and I had already committed to this very nice lady, who has no one else since she is here alone from another country).  It ripped me apart to leave my baby, but honestly, I knew that Jason was there and it would have been so horrible for me to see Charlie be poked or prodded.  I am really not good at seeing my kids be made to suffer.  So, I left, but was calling every few minutes, and I went across the street to work and met my patient.  While she was having her eggs retrieved Jason called me and said that the CT scan was done, and it showed a skull fracture.  Thankfully, it was closed, and there was no bruising, or bleeding on the brain.  I felt very relieved, but they told him that we should try and not let him hit his head for the next 6-8 weeks while it heals.  I need to find him a helmet!  Babies hit their heads all the time!  At this point Charlie is doing fine, he just has a big blistery thing on his scalp, but it is smaller each day.  It still doesn't seem to hurt him much.  We follow up with his Dr on Monday.  I have learned a couple big lessons with all this:  Don't let the baby play on the couch, and Trust your instincts!  Poor Charlie!