• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Display Search Bar
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Facebook Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Twitter Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Pinterest Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Instagram Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on YouTube Follow 5 Minutes For Mom via RSS

5 Minutes for Mom

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Snack
      • Lunch
      • Appetizer
      • Dinner
      • Dessert
    • Ingredient
      • Apple
      • Beef
      • Blueberry
      • Chicken
      • Chocolate
      • Cranberry
      • Peach
      • Pumpkin
      • Squash
      • Strawberry
      • Tomato
      • Vegetables
      • Zucchini
    • Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Baking
      • Grilling
      • Instant Pot
      • No Bake
      • One Dish
      • Slow Cooker
    • Type
      • Breads and Rolls
      • Cakes and Muffins
      • Condiments
      • Cookies and Bars
      • Drinks
      • Food for Kids
      • Gluten-Free
      • Main Dish
      • Pies and Crisps
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches and Wraps
      • Side Dishes
      • Smoothies
      • Soup
  • Crafts & DIY
    • Crafts
    • DIY
    • Kids Crafts
    • Printables
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing
  • Family Life
    • Giveaways
    • Lifestyle
    • Marriage
    • Motherhood
    • Parenting
    • Pet Care
    • Special Needs
    • Time Management
    • Travel
  • Holidays
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas

More than just a trip to the ER — Part 1

March 27, 2010 by Janice

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

ShareTweetPinPocketMail

After a four hour visit to the Emergency Room, my son had more than just his first set of stitches…

emergency-280pixJackson is shrieking in pain as I help him walk into the Emergency Room, blood still pouring down his leg as he tries to hold a towel over the gash on his knee.

He fell on a jagged rock while chasing our dog in the neighbour’s backyard and his skin is gauged, exposing more than an inch of flesh.

I know he will need stitches. And I know it will be torture on my son whose anxiety and low tolerance for pain or discomfort makes even a fluoride treatment at the dentist impossible. (Jackson needed to go under general anaesthetic to get his cavities filled.)

After checking in, getting Jackson into a wheelchair, and having Jackson’s vitals checked by the nurse, I wheel him over to the seating area in the waiting room. We are in Canada, for which I am forever grateful, but that does mean a long wait in the ER.

Jackson is crying, agonizing not just over the pain in his leg but the fear of what is to come. But we aren’t there for more than a few minutes before the other patients reach out to help.

“It won’t hurt at all,” the man sitting next to us assures him. He points out his scars and shares some stories. We will find out soon that his wife sitting next to him is miscarrying, but still she kindly asks Jackson his name and what sports he likes to play.

Another woman who was there with her elderly mother, as well as a woman patient waiting for treatment, also join in to help ease Jackson’s fears. They all tell Jackson about their stitches, show him scars and promise him he won’t feel a thing.

The conversation and words of comfort are a salve for Jackson’s pain. He begins to smile and even laugh. The minutes quickly pass.

Soon our conversation is interrupted by a priest arriving to pray for the couple who had been talking with us. We hear that she is bleeding and may be miscarrying her baby.

I gasp in shock, feeling terrible that this woman may be losing her child while she tends to easing my son’s pain. I have been where she is and my heart rushes with empathy. I want to cry for her.

The priest and the couple move to another room to pray and our group continues to bond, sharing our stories and helping pass the time.

One by one, we are called into the next “waiting room,” the hallway behind the glass doors. We are the last to be called and then we rejoin “our group.”

It is nice to be back with the friendly faces. As we talk, we find out about the elderly woman’s trials, how her daughter had to take off of work to try and care for her after she fell and sprained her arm in a dizzy spell from her diabetes. She shows us her bruise. It is like nothing I have ever seen, her whole arm and shoulder are purple and swollen. She is in a nightgown, wrapped in her daughter’s bathrobe. She makes me want to never grow old and have my body betray me.

We talk with the couple who had had the priest come to pray for them. I ask about her other children. I tell her about my miscarriage and about Olivia, whom I thought I was losing twice and sat in this very hallway on two different occasions waiting for ultrasounds, sure she was gone.

I take a break from conversations and sit quietly with Jackson.

Then the pregnant woman suddenly starts to weep. She is miscarrying her child in front of us. Blood is gushing from her. The daughter of the elderly woman puts her hand on her shoulder and begins to pray as her husband runs to find the nurse. I sit down and join in the prayer with this stranger with whom I already felt a bond of friendship.

The nurses take her to another room and Jackson tries to make sense of what he has just seen. “But the baby isn’t going to die, right???… And if it does… it is ok, right? Cause he will go straight to heaven, right?”

“Yes, sweetheart,” I try to reassure him, in shock about what my son has just witnessed in this hospital hallway…

To Be Continued…


Read Part 2

ShareTweetPinPocketMail
Abandoning Auto Setting
Our Winners of Prizes Fit for a Princess

About Janice

Janice is co-founder of 5 Minutes For Mom. She's been working online since 2003 and is thankful her days are full of social media, writing and photography.

Reader Interactions


Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

37 Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    March 31, 2010 at 12:39 am

    My heart goes out to all of you. Thank you for the reminder of how blessed we all are.

    Reply
  2. Nicole says

    March 27, 2010 at 5:28 pm

    i’m sure that was a bit shocking for your son. Also very encouraging to the woman.

    Reply
  3. Allison says

    March 27, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    Wow, what an amazing and emotional experience you had. It’s fantastic to hear all of those people, strangers, gathering around to help your son. The woman miscarrying is so, so sad. It breaks my heart.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 4:41 pm

      Yes – it was lovely how everyone reached out to him – I know it helped carry him through!!!

      Reply
  4. katherine center says

    March 27, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    Sweet and sad. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 4:40 pm

      thank you – I am honored that Katherine Center!!! read my little ole post!

      Reply
  5. Becca - Our Crazy Boys says

    March 27, 2010 at 1:55 pm

    What a range of emotions. I’m so sad that they didn’t take the woman and her husband back and give them a room, or at least a bed in a private area.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 4:40 pm

      Yes – it is too bad she wasn’t in a room. But perhaps the company and prayer made her feel not so alone. I have sat for lonely hours during a miscarriage and I think company and prayer would have been nice.

      Reply
  6. Tarasview says

    March 27, 2010 at 11:07 am

    oh Janice- this is beautifully written. It brought tears to my eyes.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 4:39 pm

      Thank you. I would have been crying too if my paxil didn’t make crying almost impossible!

      Reply
      • Tarasview says

        March 27, 2010 at 5:30 pm

        oh I remember that about being on paxil. I don’t have that same issue with wellbutrin- I cry at the drop of a hat it seems!! And by the way, I am super impressed that you are responding to each comment… that amount you girls get done absolutely amazes me!!

        Reply
  7. Adventures In Babywearing says

    March 27, 2010 at 10:29 am

    Oh, how heartbreaking.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 4:38 pm

      Yes it was and yet it was inspiring at the same time.

      Reply
  8. Mel's Box of Chocolates says

    March 27, 2010 at 9:56 am

    What a beautifully written post about life in action. Very powerful! There is a definite time and reason for everything and if only we could see the reactions from your visit to the hospital with Jackson. Hope Jackson is feeling better and I can’t wait to read the rest of the story.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 4:37 pm

      Yes – I believe it was all for a reason. And I am still praying for the people we met there. Part 2 is published now.

      Reply
  9. Barbara H. says

    March 27, 2010 at 9:10 am

    What a rich time of sharing. The times I have been in the ER, everyone sits huddled by themselves or just with the ones who came with them.

    I am sorry Jackson had to witness that, but God had some reason for allowing it. How wonderful that he was able to put it in perspective right away, that even though the baby was gone, he or she would be in heaven. Having been through this with his own sibling, he has a heart of compassion and can pray for the mom’s comfort just as she tried to comfort him.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 4:34 pm

      Yes – I believe Jackson grew from his experiences there. It probably in a way helped him to understand and heal from losing his own sibling.

      I just published Part 2. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Bonnie says

    March 27, 2010 at 8:46 am

    What a powerful post already. I’m crying of course and I have never miscarried. I will not post comments of judgement of what type of ER this is or about our Healthcare system (i’m Canadian as well). I hope your going in a different direction than that.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 4:33 pm

      Yes – a totally different direction. I just published part 2.

      I am not criticizing our health care system at all actually. It needs more money for sure, but I am still proud to be Canadian with universal care.

      In the hospital’s defense, they didn’t know that woman was going to bleed out. She seemed in stable condition.

      An ER waiting room is inherently full of tragedy. Next time I will make the drive to Children’s Hosptial in the city.

      Reply
  11. Renee says

    March 27, 2010 at 8:29 am

    I don’t have a lot of experience with ER, my kids have been healty and injury free (so far) So I’ve been very bless that way.

    But the only time I went to ER was for myself and I didn’t wait at all, maybe puking on the triage nurse and having a greenish color to my skin scare them ( My appendix had burst and my blood was getting infected) but within a few minutes I was in OR and don’t remember much of the rest.

    So I always jokingly tell my friend if your kids need to go to ER make sure that they puke, that is the ticket to go faster LOL

    I heard from one of my friend that she went to ER with her son cause he broke his arm and they had to wait 10 hours!!!!

    I know I’m happy not to pay for going to ER but 10 hours with broken bone and pain!!! Poor little man!!!

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 3:50 pm

      Wow – 10 hrs is brutal! Our health care system needs more money for sure. But I am still so grateful to be here in Canada. 🙂

      Reply
      • Janice says

        March 27, 2010 at 4:35 pm

        Oh and yes – a good vomit will make things move. 🙂

        Reply
  12. Renee says

    March 27, 2010 at 8:20 am

    wow so much as happen while waiting! I feel sad for the lady that was having a miscarriage! But is nice to see that little community feeling hat you all have experience while waiting.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 3:48 pm

      Yes – the community that formed was incredible. Such an experience.

      Reply
  13. Susan says

    March 27, 2010 at 8:16 am

    I’m so sorry for your son, for you, for everyone in that room. But what a beautiful story of people reaching out and loving each other.

    Perhaps all of you, including your son, needed each other more than you needed sterile privacy.

    Reply
  14. Susie's Homemade says

    March 27, 2010 at 7:59 am

    That is nuts!! With all our privacy laws in the US, that would never happen here.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 3:47 pm

      Yes – it was too bad.

      Reply
  15. Carey says

    March 27, 2010 at 7:49 am

    How sad..brought tears to my eyes.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 3:46 pm

      Yes – it was a tear jerker for sure.

      Reply
  16. TheAngelForever says

    March 27, 2010 at 7:30 am

    Oh my, tears in my eyes as I read that. Have been out of the Twitter loop lately. So touching that everyone bonded together in the waiting area. Of course, I have to admit I am shocked the poor woman was still sitting there and not in a more private area. My son (6) has high anxiety, especially when medical personal are involved. Thank goodness we now have an amazing ER that we can go to that is more quiet and they were so kind to him after a shovel to his eyebrow back in December. We were lucky, no stitches, but needed glue since it was a deep gash. Big hugs to you after that event.

    Reply
  17. Rebecca says

    March 27, 2010 at 7:20 am

    Wow…you never expect to be touched like that by a trip to the ER…that is so sad. I hope he’s doing well, but there were a lot of insights gained from this trip that you probably never saw coming.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 3:43 pm

      Yes – it was a powerful experience for sure. I just published Part 2 and it has a positive ending. 🙂

      Reply
  18. Crunchy says

    March 27, 2010 at 7:17 am

    What er I’s this?? Seriously that is nuts! As said why was that woman there and when similar happened to my son who is the same anxiety wise, they fast tracked him for bring a kid with an open wound. They used to have a kids er at local hosp but couldn’t afford it. That is the type of stuff we need to fight for. Your poor son to see that poor woman. I would be writing letters of complaint to hosp and health minister

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 3:43 pm

      Yes – it was very unfortunate. But in the hospital’s defense, they simply don’t have enough room and the woman wasn’t bleeding out and when she started to the moved quickly.
      As I said to the last commenter, it is a small hospital in an area that has grown exponentially in the last decade. They simply don’t have enough room. I should have taken him to Children’s Hospital. I usually take him there. But it is in the city, 45min away and both of us were in shock.

      Reply
  19. Brandy W says

    March 27, 2010 at 6:51 am

    How awful they should of taken that lady straight back in the first place. Jackson sounds very strong and I’m sure he got through it fine. My daughter was 2-3 at the time but fell on a cjair and gashed her head open. They made us wait of course, but they used bonding glue stuff instead of stitches, and she was fine.

    Hop he feels better

    Reply
    • Janice says

      March 27, 2010 at 3:41 pm

      Yes – they should have taken her back. But it is a small hospital in an area that has grown exponentially in the last decade. They simply don’t have enough room. I should have taken him to Children’s Hospital. I usually take him there. But it is in the city, 45min away and both of us were in shock.

      Reply
  20. Eryn says

    March 27, 2010 at 5:25 am

    Oh what a day. I am so sorry that your son is hurt, but am glad he is home safe now. You have written part 1 of your experience today with a lot of beauty and tenderness. Rest well, please.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Bringing Moms Together

We are Janice and Susan, twin bloggers and work-at-home moms. We're here to inspire, encourage & empower you.

Meet Us…

Work With Us…

Subscribe via Email

to be first to read new posts

Trending Now

Valentine Pretzels – How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Valentine Pretzels – How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Raspberry Coulis – How To Make Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry Coulis – How To Make Raspberry Sauce

Among Us Costumes – How To Make Pretty DIY Among Us Cosplay Outfits

Among Us Costumes – How To Make Pretty DIY Among Us Cosplay Outfits

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Peppers Recipe

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Peppers Recipe

browse around

  • Posts by Susan
  • Posts by Janice
  • Favorite Recipes
  • Favorite Crafts
  • Giveaways
  • All Posts

Footer

Recipes

Valentine Pretzels – How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Valentine Pretzels – How to Make Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Good Morning Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

Good Morning Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

Raspberry Coulis – How To Make Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry Coulis – How To Make Raspberry Sauce

Crafts/DIY

Animal Ears – How to Make an Easy No Sew Animal Ears Headband

Animal Ears – How to Make an Easy No Sew Animal Ears Headband

Free Halloween Printables For Kids

Free Halloween Printables For Kids

Easy Cat Costume – How To Make A Gorgeous Black Cat Costume

Easy Cat Costume – How To Make A Gorgeous Black Cat Costume

Giveaways

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Mom

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Mom

School Supplies List and Back to School Shopping Guide

School Supplies List and Back to School Shopping Guide

REDEEMING LOVE Set to Strike Gold on the Big Screen #RedeemingLoveMovie

REDEEMING LOVE Set to Strike Gold on the Big Screen #RedeemingLoveMovie

Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Facebook Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Twitter Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Pinterest Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Instagram Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on YouTube Follow 5 Minutes For Mom via RSS
  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Us
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 5 Minutes for MomTheme by Melissa Rose Design and Once Coupled