Monday, May 16, 2011

Mickey's Accident-5/4/11

Hey everyone, I've got the story of Mickey's accident written up below. The pictures are ones I took yesterday. I'll post about his hospital stay over the course of a few more posts. Writing this up and taking the pictures are a kind of therapy for me but I still think I'll need to see someone. I'm okay until night time when I'm trying to fall asleep. Then, all the worst pictures pop up in my mind. :( So, here's the story and if you don't want to read it, no worries. I'll have some fun scrappy stuff and kid stuff in a few days.

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It was the evening of Wednesday the 4th and Andrew and I had decided to take the kids to get ice cream. I grabbed a couple coupons and told Andrew that I needed to put some make up on. When I was done I stepped out our master slider to get the kids.




I saw Mickey on the slide and in an instant I realised what had happened. He had attached the dog leash to the play structure at the top of the slide and then put it around his own neck and either fell or tried to go down the slide on his own. He was on his belly, feet down. I screamed his name repeatedly and ran out to him. I pushed him back up the slide and then ran around to the steps to get up to him. When I took the leash off his neck I saw that his chin was purple and he wasn't breathing and I was so afraid that he was dead.


I lifted him up and carried him off the play structure and laid him on the grass. I was now screaming for Andrew. Mickey still wasn't breathing and I couldn't find a pulse. Andrew ran towards me and I screamed for him to call 911. He ran back into the house and I began chest compressions. I didn't have to do them for very long, maybe 30 seconds when he started breathing again. It wasn't normal breathing however, it was a kind of gasping, sporadic breathing.



By this time, Andrew was back with 911 on the phone and he started relaying questions to me. I grabbed the phone from him so I could answer them directly. I looked up and noticed that two people were walking across our lawn. It was our neighbors, Chris and Cindy. I hadn't known it before but Cindy is a nurse. She helped me answer the 911 dispatchers questions and we told them about his weird breathing and that he wasn't responsive and his eyes were rolled up in the back of his head.



Waiting for the paramedics was awful. We live a bit south of town and because of the way the wind was blowing, we could hear them long before they arrived. I was so afraid that he would stop breathing before they got to us. When they arrived, I told them what happened and they started to cut off his clothes and get him ready to transport. They told me that he was going to be taken by Life Flight to OHSU and that I couldn't ride with him.



My neighbor, Cindy, drove me out to the air strip across the street from us where Life Flight would be landing as the paramedics said that the Life Flight crew might have some questions for me. After they landed the crew didn't get Mickey from the ambulance right away and I found out later that it was because they were intubating him so they could help him breath.


My mom had arrived to take Audrey and Andrew and I went back to the house with Cindy. She told us to pack some clothes and toiletries and she would drive us to OHSU. When we got there I ran straight to the ER admitting and was told that a social worker would be coming for us. She took us into the Pediatric ICU's waiting room and the on call doctor came to talk to us. He was very straight forward and told us that at this moment every outcome for Mickey was still on the table. He told us that Mickey was posturing which is movements that are a sign of a major brain injury. He wanted to chill Mickey to help prevent any more damage to Mickey's brain. I had actually read about this before and was so glad he had suggested it.


After a while in the waiting room, we were taken back to see Mickey. It was so distressing to see him. I've kind of blocked a lot of it from my mind. He was moving around because they were chilling him and a lot of it looked like posturing and a lot of it looked like he was trying to warm up and to get the tubes out of his mouth. We tried to calm him when he thrashed and to stay out of the way of the nurse and doctors as they tried to cool him.


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So, that's it for Wednesday. All this took place from about 7:00 am to midnight. I'll be back soon with the rest of the hospital stay and then some thoughts on the whole experience. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers during this whole thing. They have helped so much and we love you all!

21 comments:

Joanne said...

Erica, I am absolutly crying my eyes out right now - I cant imagine what that was like for you to find your darling boy like that. I hope Mickey is doing well.

Unknown said...

Mickey and your family are in our thoughts and prayers!! Please keep us posted... sometimes talking about it - writing about it - is the best therapy. Big hugs to you!!
Shawna Rae

Luv2talk said...

Speechless. Can't even begin to imagine. My heart goes out to you.

Christie said...

I am so happy that he is doing fine. I can't even imagine how scary that was. (((hugs))))

wendipooh13 said...

Erica.. as a mom, I can only imagine what you have gone through!!!!! {{HUGS}} and prayers for you and your family!!!!

Angie... by the said...

Oh Erica, I literally feel sick reading what you've been thru. I cannot imagine, especially being the mom of two litle boys. And we have a dog. I'm so glad you're telling us how this happened, it's just something else we need to be aware of. I'm so glad your little boy is ok. Huge, giant {{{hugs}}}.

GLOANN said...

I cannot begin to imagine the horror you must have felt when you saw this all playing out. So thankful for God's mercies.

Aussie TM5 Thermomixer said...

I am speechless too, Erica. I just cannot imagine. You are so so strong.

LollyChops said...

Oh I am so sorry to hear about all of this! You will be in my prayers! I'll keep an eye out to see how things are going for you guys! All my love! Lolly

Unknown said...

Erica,
It sounds horrifying...almost something from a movie that nobody would ever want to face. I'm sorry you had to face this traumatic experience. My heart truly goes out to you and Andrew. We are all so grateful that our prayers have been answered and you are back home.
I'm also glad you are blogging it down as a way of healing. Never keep anything bottled up. I'm so proud of you Erica!! I will continue to pray for your beautiful little family. Love you sweetie. God bless.

Unknown said...

Erica,

I'm so sorry you had to face such a traumatic experience. My heart goes out to you. You are a strong momma for sharing your story.
I am also glad you shared this story because it might just help someone else in the future. I'll continue to pray for your little beautiful family.
God Bless you all sweetie. Love ya.

Heather said...

Oh Erica no wonder you are having problems at night - its the quiet times when all the horror rushes in again. I feel for you. And Andrew & Audrey. And poor little Mickey. But you are strong as a family already & you will help each other through.
I'm holding out my hand across the ocean for you to hold :) xx much love xx

noel joy said...

Oh Erica, I am so thankful for your quick response and God's grace that he was able to get help right away. We'll continue praying for you, Mickey and your family.

Michelle said...

Erica, Thank God you arrived when you did. I can't even imagine going thru this. Prayers to all of you.

LisaM said...

Oh Erica,how horrible! I have tears in my eyes just reading this. So glad you knew what to do and saved his life! Hugs and prayers to you all!

gilroy gal said...

I can't even imagine what you went through! But I am so thankful for God's answer to prayers and the Mickey is doing so well now! God must have some big plans for that sweet boy! Thanks for sharing your story. It may just save some other precious child.
{{{{HUGS}}}} to you and your whole family!

joscelyne cutchens said...

I am so thankful that he is recovering so well. I pray that you will have peace and Mickey will continue to heal. I'm so glad your neighbor was a nurse who was able and willing to help you, you know I don't believe in coincidences. i love you all xox

GinniG said...

OMG Erica! I've got goosebumps! I think you were brave and amazing to know what to do! It sounds like God has quite the plan for little Mickey! It wasn't his time to go yet! Thank God for all the prayers and faith. Will pray that your nightmares will end soon and that you'll find peace. We're SOOOOOOO glad that Mickey's okay! God bless you, your neighbor, all the emergency personnel and the doctors and nurses who cared for him! Lots and lots of {{{HUGS}}} GF!!!

Dria said...

Prayers said and more to come.. I can not imagine. How do kids come up with these wacky things to do.

kate blue said...

OMG...the things that can innocently happen in the span of a minute or two. I can't imagine all that went through your heart and mind...OMG..praying for you right now and hope his recovery is 100%...kids have a miraculous way of bouncing back WAYYY better than we could ever imagine!

Leena Girsa said...

Hi Erica...

I've just finished reading through your whole ordeal and I am sitting here sobbing. We have a play structure in our backyard very similar to yours and I have a little boy who just loves to play on it. This horrible accident could easily happen to him and it terrifies me beyond words. I am so thankful that Mickey is making such an amazing recovery and that your family can begin to heal from all of this. Thank you so much for sharing your story...I'm going to go hug my son right now!