This is partly a Flashback Friday post- and partly a therapeutic post. Let me just say that I am NOT a patient person. When I make a decision about something, I like it to be immediate. (Waiting for a baby for 9 months almost kills me!) Anyway- I'm working on it. Last summer, about the beginning of July, we were visiting our good friends in Columbus. The kids were with the dad's outside playing. The kids were riding a mini 4 wheeler- and having a blast! Pyper decided she wanted to do it. After Kevin gave her a tutorial, (obviously she didn't listen to a word!) she hopped on. Stephanie and I were inside with the babies, when I heard a loud crash. I ran outside to see Dale carrying a bloody Pyper across the lawn. There was so much blood! It looked like several teeth had gone through her lip. Dale decided that she needed stitches. We got into the car and headed to urgent care. On the way Pyper kept falling asleep. I was having a really hard time keeping her awake. At this point I knew it was more than just teeth going through her lip. I asked Dale what happened. He said that she hopped on the 4 wheeler, closed her eyes, and gunned it... right in to the fence post. We decided to take her to the ER. When we got there, and got some of the blood cleaned up- we saw that her teeth were a MESS.
They gave her something for the pain. Then they sent us to another hospital, where there was a pediatric dentist on call. She spent HOURS in his chair. It was awful! He had to pull her teeth out of her gums and re-set them in the right spot. He also had to twist them around, because they were almost facing backwards. Pyper was AWAKE the whole time. She was such a trooper. Tears were streaming down her face- but she never moved. That's pretty typical Pyper. She always does what she's told. I can't even imagine how painful it must have been. Just the visual part of it was terrible. It sounded awful too.
Her permanent teeth were so loose, that we weren't sure that they could be saved. Thank goodness for a good pediatric dentist! He cemented a wire across her teeth to hold them in place. 3 baby teeth were knocked out. A permanent tooth, that hadn't yet started to come through her gums, was also torn out. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of gum tissue that she was now missing. She was swollen, and bloody, and bruised. We were thankful it wasn't worse.
It's now been almost a year. She is still missing some gum tissue. The permanent tooth will probably turn up a hundred years from now in the Christensen's backyard. Her mouth is still kinda a mess. We are hopeful that with braces, they can just close the gap in front, to avoid a lifetime of care. We'll see. It's driving me crazy! I'm going to be patient... sort of. Oh yeah- for everyone that thinks I'm awful for making her sit on the 4 wheeler to take pictures... get over it! Haven't you ever heard the saying about falling off a horse and getting back on? yada yada yada. I didn't want the poor girl to be traumatized for life! She just told me that she's glad that she has the pictures to show her kids someday. HA! I am a good mom! Sometimes:)
This is partly a Flashback Friday post- and partly a therapeutic post. Let me just say that I am NOT a patient person. When I make a decision about something, I like it to be immediate. (Waiting for a baby for 9 months almost kills me!) Anyway- I'm working on it. Last summer, about the beginning of July, we were visiting our good friends in Columbus. The kids were with the dad's outside playing. The kids were riding a mini 4 wheeler- and having a blast! Pyper decided she wanted to do it. After Kevin gave her a tutorial, (obviously she didn't listen to a word!) she hopped on. Stephanie and I were inside with the babies, when I heard a loud crash. I ran outside to see Dale carrying a bloody Pyper across the lawn. There was so much blood! It looked like several teeth had gone through her lip. Dale decided that she needed stitches. We got into the car and headed to urgent care. On the way Pyper kept falling asleep. I was having a really hard time keeping her awake. At this point I knew it was more than just teeth going through her lip. I asked Dale what happened. He said that she hopped on the 4 wheeler, closed her eyes, and gunned it... right in to the fence post. We decided to take her to the ER. When we got there, and got some of the blood cleaned up- we saw that her teeth were a MESS. 
They gave her something for the pain. Then they sent us to another hospital, where there was a pediatric dentist on call. She spent HOURS in his chair. It was awful! He had to pull her teeth out of her gums and re-set them in the right spot. He also had to twist them around, because they were almost facing backwards. Pyper was AWAKE the whole time. She was such a trooper. Tears were streaming down her face- but she never moved. That's pretty typical Pyper. She always does what she's told. I can't even imagine how painful it must have been. Just the visual part of it was terrible. It sounded awful too. 
Her permanent teeth were so loose, that we weren't sure that they could be saved. Thank goodness for a good pediatric dentist! He cemented a wire across her teeth to hold them in place. 3 baby teeth were knocked out. A permanent tooth, that hadn't yet started to come through her gums, was also torn out. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of gum tissue that she was now missing. She was swollen, and bloody, and bruised. We were thankful it wasn't worse.
It's now been almost a year. She is still missing some gum tissue. The permanent tooth will probably turn up a hundred years from now in the Christensen's backyard. Her mouth is still kinda a mess. We are hopeful that with braces, they can just close the gap in front, to avoid a lifetime of care. We'll see. It's driving me crazy! I'm going to be patient... sort of. Oh yeah- for everyone that thinks I'm awful for making her sit on the 4 wheeler to take pictures... get over it! Haven't you ever heard the saying about falling off a horse and getting back on? yada yada yada. I didn't want the poor girl to be traumatized for life! She just told me that she's glad that she has the pictures to show her kids someday. HA! I am a good mom! Sometimes:) 
4 comments:
Oh my goodness I had a hard time looking at and reading this entry! I am sick. I would have FREAKED out.
So scary when your kids get hurt especially when their is a lot of blod involved. Yikes. She still is just as cute as can be.
I was going to say how I love your flashback friday entries, just not this one. :) Kevin will be so sad when he reads this and has to revisualize it all over again. Never ride ATV's on Sunday again, not that we will because we threw it away after that episode. Rock on Pyper!
oookay, these incidents are the things that come with being a parent, but I really don't know if I could handle seeing Lily like that. Pyper's picture is pretty scary but something cool that she can show how tough she is. Way to go for being good at the dentist!
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