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Original poster

Handhold please.. ds head injury on school trip...

84 replies

Maladicta · 20/02/2019 22:34

So ds2 (14) is on a school skiing trip. They went to a pool with flumes tonight and somehow he's banged his head and can't talk properly which is utterly out of character....

School staff have been amazing, he's been taken by ambulance to a regional centre for scans but my lovely boy is hundreds of miles away, going through scary stuff and I can't be with him. He had severe asthma as a child so hospitals aren't a new thing but not in a country where he doesn't know the language and doesn't have one of us with him.

I'm sitting here catching up on Masterchef while we wait for school to update us, trying not to be upset because I'm the one who doesn't do tears...

Anyone have any experience of this or things to distract me? Sad

OP posts:
littlebillie · 20/02/2019 23:35

Such good news

Original poster
Maladicta · 20/02/2019 23:42

Thanks all, school really have been fab - the deputy head in particular has been by his side the whole way through.

He's settled for the night on a ward, we'll see how it goes in the morning. They've informed me that he has broken his nose, it's not a clean break alas - again ironic that it's not come through his rugby... That's more likely to need surgical intervention that anything else.

Still not sure how the heck he managed to do that in a flume but there we go Hmm Off to bed now, they're going to get him to ring me in the morning.

Flowers to all of you xxxx

OP posts:
PerspicaciaTick · 20/02/2019 23:48

Your poor DS - so worrying for you all!
I've quietly crossed flumes and water parks off my list of fun activities after hearing about a couple of very nasty accidents to friends and family over the last 12 months.

Villanellesproudmum · 20/02/2019 23:56

@serin what a kind offer to a complete stranger and stressed mum, mumsnet can be so great in a crisis. Op I feel for you, I don’t sleep well when my daughter is away on school trips, can’t imagine how stressed you’ve been. Sounds like he is in good hands. Hope you get some sleep and an update in the morning. X

Dickensnovel · 21/02/2019 01:53

Do try to sleep. My younger son had a bad fall and a traumatic brain injury - he did not make sense for about 3 months, but now he is just as good as new!! It is amazing how young people can heal with good medical care, and I think Italy has good care. The nose can be fixed!! and he will have a dramatic story forever. Flowers for you.

Wolfiefan · 21/02/2019 08:50

Hoping for good news this morning and hoping you got some sleep last night.

Original poster
Maladicta · 21/02/2019 10:30

Thanks Wolfie. Had a text from him this morning to say they were waiting for the dr but he was fine. Nothing else so not sure if he's been discharged. He'll be very fed up at missing the last day of skiing.

SleepWarrior, I've just googled that - thank you. He was due to be playing several matches in the next couple of weeks so I guess he'll be sitting them out. He was also due to do his practical for his GCSE Sport Science but that can wait.

We're quite good at bizarre injuries, ds1 managed to fracture his finger on a friend's blazer at school...

OP posts:
BrizzleMint · 21/02/2019 10:36

That sounds like fairly positive news, I mean it's a broken nose but like you say they can be fixed. He'll dine out on this story for years.

You are being remarkably composed - I'd be useless.

ineedaholidaynow · 21/02/2019 10:54

Glad it sounds positive news. Hope you get to hear more after the doctor has seen him.

BiggFactHunt · 21/02/2019 10:59

Hope he’s ok.
DD is on a skiiing trip with school also, have been counting down the days till she’s home. Have heard nothing at all from the school so I have to presume they’re all having a fab time but something like this is the call we all dread. Fingers crossed for you.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 21/02/2019 11:00

That’s really good news Mal. It’s worth having a google for things to beware of, for example don’t give aspirin for any headaches. And any symptoms that might mean it’s worth going back for another check: my DS developed blurred vision about three days after his bump, which was scary, and necessitated another scan.

FermatsTheorem · 21/02/2019 11:36

Rather late to this thread - but I just wanted to say I had a head injury while on holiday in Italy a few years back, and I was really impressed with how good the healthcare was. They were very thorough, did a cat scan and xrays (I suspect my local hospital would just have stitched me up, shone a light in my eyes to check pupil response, then sent me on my way).

I hope you can manage to get him transferred back as comfortably as possible.

Original poster
Maladicta · 21/02/2019 13:35

They're being incredibly thorough which I'm very happy with - they want to continue obs for the rest of the day. He sees ENT this afternoon. He sent pic on Snapchat to ds1 who said it looks a right mess... Oh dear!

They're due to leave tomorrow am so we'll see what they have planned.

Brizzle I do think his repeated asthma admissions have made me a bit sanguine about injuries - he's in extremely good hands with people who care about him Smile

OP posts:
jackstini · 21/02/2019 18:21

Glad he's getting good care and hope news is positive tomorrow for him coming home

Original poster
Maladicta · 21/02/2019 21:08

So nose 'ok' ie. no op needed but antibiotics/painkillers/cortisone for a week. We still don't know if he's getting out tonight.

Dh has told me more detail... Ds knocked himself out in the flume, probably at the top and when unconscious, broke his nose. He exited the flume out cold with his nose bleeding heavily and didn't come to for several minutes, on waking they found his speech disordered which is why they bluelighted him. Think we'll be avoiding flumes for a while.

Even if they do let him out in time to come home with the main party, it'll still be Saturday morning before I see him, that seems such a long time away.

Thank you for all your positive stories, we'll just have to take the next few days as they come. Bigg I'm sure your dd will be rather more sensible!

Ds1 goes on a work experience trip to France tomorrow, I've told him in no uncertain terms to look after himself!

OP posts:
NaturalBornWoman · 21/02/2019 21:14

Glad he's ok OP. Until now I thought I was the only one to have been blue lighted out of a ski resort having knocked myself out on a water slide!

ineedaholidaynow · 21/02/2019 23:19

Oh my gosh OP, that was scary reading. Hope you get to see him soon

ineedaholidaynow · 22/02/2019 18:35

Is he on his way home OP?

flumpybear · 22/02/2019 18:41

Poor you and him - how scary!!

Original poster
Maladicta · 23/02/2019 15:54

Final update, he was let out late Thursday and was able to get the coach home, arriving at 5am.

His nose has gone down a lot but is still at least twice its normal size. He's currently deep asleep and catching up on some much needed zzzz.

The Italian hospital were fantastic and have sent him home with the CD-Rom of his scans, a rather unusual holiday souvenir! Equally, his teacher was a complete star.

Thank you for the handholding xxx

OP posts:
BrizzleMint · 23/02/2019 15:56

I'm glad he's home.

Ds1 goes on a work experience trip to France tomorrow, I've told him in no uncertain terms to look after himself!

Woe betide him if he goes on a water flume!

SleepWarrior · 23/02/2019 15:59

You must be so glad to have him home. Hope it all sorts out OK with his poor nose!

Chimmychunga · 23/02/2019 16:14

So glad he's back home with you. What fab teachers he has!!

ineedaholidaynow · 23/02/2019 17:09

So glad he is home Smile

Original poster
Maladicta · 06/03/2019 23:56

A little postscript...

We're going to the Paediatric Assessment Unit tomorrow to have his nose looked at, bit of mismanagement by a GP registrar who hadn't appreciated what could happen with a compound break. GP we saw today asked why we hadn't been in sooner when I said we'd seen someone as soon as poss when he returned from Italy...

Couple of hard pieces of material not where they should be and his breathing's still impaired, fingers crossed that a) it's nothing to worry about or b) he's still in the timeframe to do something.

OP posts:
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