Healing Hands

It has been just a few days over a year, when Haddie burnt those little
hands on our gas fireplace. I relive that day every night when I rub her
little scars and stretch her hands. I remember the day so clearly. I had
NEVER felt like a worse mother in all my life. I was working in the
office and Justun had just yelled at Abby to turn off the fireplace, she
was cold and our house was new to us. And then the scream, I don't
think I will ever forget that sound. Seriously, the fireplace had been
on for 2 minutes at the most (I felt it after and it was really HOT). I
ran in there and she is showing Justun her hands with this completely
confused look of sheer pain on her face and tears just streaming.
Then I saw her hands with a 1/2" of blister on them and I remember
looking at Justun in horror and him saying, "We have to go." I put a
cool washcloth on her hands and waited for my mom to come sit with
Abby and put her to bed (you know how ER's are), I held her all the
way to the hospital, how could I put her in her car seat? I had to leave
the Emergency Room, so they could strap her to a board and rip off
the blisters and clean and dress the wound, I am so lucky Justun was
there for her, I truly would have lost it. Justun says she only cried
when they first ripped off the blister and then she just layed there
watching. What a champ! I was balling in the hallway. She was really
silly afterwards, all hopped up on Codeine. The ER did what they
could and referred us to the Burn Center up at the U. There, they had
told us she had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on both her hands, the left
was the worst and she was probably going to have skin grafts. I was
sick. Who lets their kids get burnt? I guess it is way more common
than I thought, but it didn't take away the guilt. Everyone at the Burn
Center was fantastic and they were so gentle with her. They taught us
how to clean and dress the wounds and then therapists came in to
show us how to stretch her. We had to do this twice a day, she NEVER
cried. whimpered, etc. in all the time we did this, I am still amazed at
how tough she was. She had to have a splint made to sleep in so her
left hand didn't start to curl. Then after that we just had to wait and
see how she healed. We went back for checkups about every 3 days
and then about once a week. They usually just changed little things
about how we were wrapping her or the creams we put on, add new
stretches, but always more waiting. She used her hands like nothing
was wrong and didn't even flinch when we stretched her. She did
start to get annoyed and start pulling the splint off, but otherwise she
was such a good sport. Then she started healing... and we went down
to checks once a month, they took away the splint and they said she
wouldn't have to have skin grafts. I wanted to kiss the doctor. I
couldn't have been happier. If they would have done a skin graft, it
would have come from those cute little rolls of skin between their legs
and their bodies and the place where they take the skin is supposed to
hurt worse and heal slower than the actual grafted area. And the
scarring on the hands would have been much worse and much more
noticeable. She was fitted for and had to wear a green Michael
Jackson glove (really, it was a compression glove) on her left hand
for about a year. Apparently, from what they said at the Burn Center,
Haddie is a "Super Healer, good genetics".



The early morning after the ER.



These pics are of her hands the 3rd day after it happened, it was
the first time we had to clean and dress them.

Well, they have healed completely, other than some scarring that,
unless you were really checking out her hands you would never see.
She has no movement issues, her fine motor skills show no signs of
the trauma. She was officially released from the Burn Center in July
and we just have to watch her until she is done growing. And, keep
up the daily rubs and stretches. When you ask her about her burns,
she'll turn her little hands over and say "See my burns." It still
makes me sad, I kiss and hold those perfect little hands anytime
she'll let me. I am glad that it is over.

All my sympathy and hope goes to those who are
burned and healing, may their ending be as happy
as ours.