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Original poster

Shaken after son's accident

48 replies

Suzyduzy87 · 30/12/2019 18:42

Hello,
My DS (7) fell at the park today and cut his head quite badly. DH had taken him as I had popped into my workplace to clean the offices. Received a frantic call from DH saying DS had hurt his head and needed to get him to A&E. My legs went to jelly as I quickly locked up and DH would collect me (the park was only 0.5 miles away from where I work). A few minutes later DH arrived and when I saw DS in the car with tissue on his face covered in blood I nearly died. DH was very shaken. Said he'd run up a grassy bank to go down a large metal slide, slipped on banged head straight on the side of it. Staff at A&E were fantastic, deep cut was cleaned and glued. Back home now and I feel very shaky, anxious and tearful. DS is fine, playing with his toys and has eaten his dinner. I feel very shocked still, very shaken up, legs still feel like jelly. Can't even contemplate a cup of tea or anything, feel like I want to be sick. Is it normal to feel like this? DS has been so brave bless him! Taken it in his stride!

OP posts:
Prevegen4U · 30/12/2019 19:26

Head wounds bleed a lot. I fell and cut my head. It was dark and I thought I'd fell in a puddle because wetness was all over my eyes and face. It was blood from a small cut near my eyebrow.

slipperywhensparticus · 30/12/2019 19:29

My son was messing around tripped and ripped his verucca half off the blood was immense I took him to minor injuries they were fine when I said I needed an extra adult to clear it up as he has special needs and was fighting me more when I got home he fell asleep early and i joined him it was exhausting

Lllot5 · 30/12/2019 19:34

Hope he feels better now. Heads do bleed a lot it always looks worse I think.
My son fell over in the park on Monday of last week no blood but I was still worried ( he’s 33 btw 😂)
Nice cup of hot sweet tea. You’ll be right.

happycamper11 · 30/12/2019 19:35

Everyone reacts differently OP and your reaction is as normal as anyone else's. Especially as it was your first experience. Last time when DD had a similar argument with a piece of park equipment and ended up needing the plastic surgeon and general anaesthetic I was surprisingly calm but she's my second and I also do work in an equine veterinary hospital and deal with lots of horrific injuries regularly that look like nothing once they are cleaned up and stitched so I'm used to the process.

ClinkyMonkey · 30/12/2019 19:49

I'm glad your little boy is ok. It's a horrible feeling seeing your child hurt and bleeding. And completely normal to feel a bit wobbly.

My eldest has split open his chin, broken his elbow (he had both in plaster for a week before we found out that 'only' one was broken) and fractured his wrist. I go into autopilot and get him to hospital, then fall apart later on! Strangely, he is the son who is very cautious. His younger brother (7) is a real daredevil, climbing and jumping in ways to make my heart stop and he hasn't had any accidents so far!!

Toomanyapplesinthefruitbowl · 30/12/2019 20:01

Totally normal to feel like this as a parent. From experience be prepared to feel like hell tomorrow, I call it an adrenaline hangover!

Glad your son is ok

Fuzzybumblebee · 30/12/2019 20:06

You're bound to feel shaken but take it as a good thing your son has eaten and is playing, it always bothers us parents more than them

UniversallyUnchallenged · 30/12/2019 20:10

How is he now? How are you? It’s awful, though I think a rite of passage. Mine fell down the stairs, still feel it in my stomach just typing that. Was 8 years ago..
For your own sanity, check on him if you wake, nothing worse than lying knowing you’re ridiculous but can’t shake it. Give into it - crazy mam

StormcloakNord · 30/12/2019 20:15

I'm honestly flabbergasted that this level of overreaction to a cut on the head is being completely normalised.. Confused

happycamper11 · 30/12/2019 20:23

@StormcloakNord lots of people don't deal well with blood and injury, especially if they've had little experience. I've got a couple of friends that shout me if there's an issue. I have had horse owners more hysterical than OP about their injured pets

StormcloakNord · 30/12/2019 20:25

@happycamper11 I understand an initial reaction being to panic and overreact but then not having the ability to reflect and realise what an overreaction it was isn't normal. OP said herself it wasn't that bad when it was cleaned up, so still being "shaken" and "shocked" over it is ludicrous.

Original poster
Suzyduzy87 · 30/12/2019 20:35

@StormcloakNord
I make no apologies or justifications for being upset and shaken at seeing my son covered in blood. I also make no apologies or justifications for the fact that I still do feel shaken, although not as shaky as before.
I suffer from anxiety anyway and do have little previous experience of this type of thing (he's never injured himself like this before) so I think I can be forgiven for feeling upset about it.
As I stated, once the wound had been cleaned it was less worrying.
It's not for you to say how people should feel or react. It's how I felt/feel and that's that.

OP posts:
Original poster
Suzyduzy87 · 30/12/2019 20:38

I thank all the kind and compassionate posters.
Some lack compassion on here.
My son happens to be the most important person in my universe so I'd say my reaction to him being hurt was totally normal and if someone takes issue with that then that's their problem. What's normal for you, Nord, is clearly not my normal and frankly your input counts for sweet FA

OP posts:
Original poster
Suzyduzy87 · 30/12/2019 20:43

I'll leave the thread now
But many thanks for all kind words.
The majority of mumsnet are lovely, shame there's always those few. They'd turn any thread into a row, picking fault with absolutely anything.
DS is fine, I'll be keeping a close eye on him throughout the night. Quiet day tomorrow.

OP posts:
Lollypop82 · 30/12/2019 20:59

Goodness you have taken me right back. I fell over when my daughter was 6 months old. She was in the sling facing forward, I stupidly had shopping bags and an umbrella in both hands. Her head took the full force of the fall. She went completely flat, she was unconscious. I called an ambulance, still so surreal. There were ladies wanting to drive me to the minor injuries, I had to explain very calmly that she needed to go to A and E immediately. I was calm in the ambulance, called my husband, very calmly explained what happened. She was still out when she got to A&E, she was in a CT scanner within 20 mins of it happening. Incredibly she was fine. They explained she was probably in shock. She came round, and was smiling within an hour or so. I was completely fine until I got home. I just feel to pieces. Couldn’t stop crying, I tortured myself and for months after. I know it’s not the same. But it is so traumatic seeing your child injured.

Lollypop82 · 30/12/2019 21:00

Oh dear, just saw your last message. Take care

greenlavender · 30/12/2019 21:08

I am absolutely not a snowflake but I do feel that language is important. The shock & shaking is perfectly normal. Your son is the most important thing in the world to you as mine is to me. I make no apology for what I said and I am very glad that your son is ok.

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 30/12/2019 21:23

A special little snowflake blowing by 🤣🤣 i love that op

Head wounds do tend to bleed a lot. Id have been the same as you op. Ds3 bit his tongue really badly one time. Luckily his dad was there to deal with all the blood

Emmelina · 30/12/2019 21:28

Nothing wrong with your reaction! Cuts to the head bleed such a disproportionate amount for the size of the wound! My eldest DD was ‘taught a lesson’ by the family cat when she was 4, and got a sharp scratch on the forehead. Blood absolutely everywhere and I felt terrible for hours with the adrenaline rush of dealing with it all! (A couple of steri strips from a nurse and it was healed in no time, and a valuable lesson was learned that no, cats don’t like to be strapped into a dolly pram Confused)
Agree with other posters - now things are settled, a large glass of something and breathe

Sprinklemetinsel · 30/12/2019 21:29

@StormcloakNord OP is in an adrenaline slump. It's perfectly normal. You are calm in the moment, surging with adrenaline that helps you respond appropriately. Then it leaves the system leaving you sick, wobbly and exhausted. I've had it from going on a rollercoaster. Some of us just don't respond well to stress- it's not lack of moral fibre, it's just different bodies.

BonnyConnie · 30/12/2019 21:31

This is pretty normal for boys. About a quarter of little boy’s we know have cut their heads open (including ours). I know it looks really awful, all that blood, but it’s really fine. Try not to worry too much.

Nat6999 · 30/12/2019 21:48

Head injuries always look horrific no matter how small they are, I can remember my mum getting a phone call one saturday afternoon to tell her my brother had jumped off a wall & landed with his head on bricks stood on edge round a path. I went down with my dad to fetch him home, it looked like a massacre, we had to take him to A & E, he had knocked himself out, he was kept in for 6 hours observation & only needed 3 stitches, my mum looked grey for a good couple of days afterwards, yet my brother once he was home looked like nothing had happened. Accidents go with the territory with children, particularly boys, that wasn't my brother's only visit to A & E, we went a few more times when he had either fallen off his bike or out of a tree, he is 47 now & covered in scars from his childhood accidents.

MimiCaeger · 31/12/2019 04:34

Really normal feelings, but also a really normal accident. 💖 love to you all

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