Hair-Raising Wake-Up

Talk about a hair-raising experience!

On Thursday morning I was busy online trying to figure out if Drew's hands could be infected when I hear a chipper little boy calling out "Mommy, Daddy!"

I go into our room (Drew slept with me that night because Dave was in St. Louis) and I found this! The kid was a mess of hair, apparently all that rolling around a CalKing bed will do that to you.

He was so funny about it too, that is until we went to comb it out. Then it wasn't so fun or funny for that matter.

Hands update: On Saturday we changed the bandages (with the help of Grammy) and they looked a million times better than Thursday after the doctor's visit. I'm not sure whether this is because of the new ointment or the new bandages but there's progress!

On his left hand we left all of his fingers exposed so the air can do it's healing thing. On his right hand we left only his his pointer finger covered since that looked really raw yet - and it didn't help the bandage had stuck to it. We only had to put the outer "glove" on his right hand. The left I just taped exceptionally well to almost "cast" it.

Then last night I needed to fix the right glove - Drew poked his pointer finger through the bandage, and it needed to get recovered. In doing that, I noticed one of the other fingers on his right hand wasn't looking great - a little discolored - so we went ahead and covered the whole hand, minus the thumb. And for good measure we rebandaged the left hand. I was hoping to leave that hand completely open now, but there was one area that looked a bit raw and needed a bit more ointment, so we only covered up the palm again.

I think by tomorrow's dressing change the left hand will be bandage free, and his right only the palm will remain covered. FINALLY! Only 2 1/2 weeks later!

Traumatic Hands Update

Oh my, was yesterday's Doctor's office visit traumatic - almost as bad as the ER visit two weeks ago today! We'll share a happier picture, taken on Wednesday while we were playing outside finding "things" - just to keep a "happy" spin on it for a while.

So as I mentioned in yesterday's blog, during the bandage change on Wednesday, I noticed something that looked like it could be an infection on his right hand (under his ring finger). I worried about it all night, and took another peek in the morning before making my decision to call his pediatrician and get him in for a hand-check before our scheduled appointment on Tuesday.

If you talk to Drew or see him as he's about to go to the doctor's office you'd think we're ripping his finger nails out one by one - he absolutely loses it. This was no exception.

So we check in, and I manage to get him calmed down by reading a book about trucks - all boy right?! Well then they call our name, and we're back to the fingernail torture type screaming. The nurse weighs him - and she says he's down a whole pound since we were there last week - and asked if I wanted to re-weigh. I said no, since we're going back in 2 weeks for his 2 year check-up (in hindsight, I think it's a miscalculation since Dave got on the scale with him last Monday, where today he was on the baby scale - alone).

Anyway, the nurse leaves and Drew collects himself, as he pleasantly says "bye-bye" to the nurse and begins begging to "Go bye-bye too". I bribe/distract him with some milk and Fruit Loops.

Then the Doctor comes in, and he said he was surprised to see the bandages on his hands still - and then I explained we were there because I suspect an infection. So we begin the process of taking off the right bandage - which is an ordeal in itself. We get it off, and the Doctor grimaced when he saw the hands, but he instantly knew the area I was looking at as the possible infection.

He went back and forth, kind of talking aloud about whether this was an infection or the "epidermis" growing back - freakin' use the word skin dude! After a moment or two of his going through the options with himself, he says he wants to get a second set of eyes on this. He goes to find a Doctor. Moments later he's back, and says "Let me take a picture" and whips out his iPhone. Then leaves to consult someone.

He comes back and grabs my diaper bag, and asks me to go into another room, he wants to cut off the blisters/left over skin, so that the area can really start to heal.

Oh boy this is where the trauma starts - and I'll warn you it's not for the faint of heart or those with a queasy stomach!!! Ok that's your only warning - read at your own risk!

So he has me sit down in the chair with Drew - who hasn't stopped screaming since the Doctor peeked his head into our room the first time. He then gathers some sterile gloves, sterile scissors, gauze and tape. He then goes to work, all while asking me "Do you think you can handle this" (um a little late now dude, I'm already in it!).

I couldn't watch what they were doing for fear of either passing out or throwing up, so I focused on my screaming child, and tried to sing songs while I had his little legs pinned in mine, and had his right arm (the one he was working on) in one hand, and I used my other arm to brace is other hand and also pat his head to calm him down. I was afraid of having any kicking, head-butting or punching going on while the doctor was cutting at him with the worlds sharpest scissors (no sharper than we were given from the ER for the dressing changes, but still they're razor sharp).

So while Drew's screaming his head off, the doctor manages to cut away all the loose skin. All that Drew has on his right hand is a lot of very raw, pink skin. It literally looks like someone skinned him - it's very gross and frightening to look at. The doctor then put some antibiotic ointment on his hands just in case it is an infection, and then put a lighter gauze over the area - rather than the sterile pads we've been using - which are much thicker. He then wrapped his right hand back up, and put the glove back on.

Poor Drew thought he was done.... but we went for his left hand. I thought the hysterics couldn't get worse, but they did. Luckily a nurse came in to see if she could help, so the three of us had to pin Drew into my lap while the doctor performed the same cutting procedure on his left hand.

The bright side of this - his left hand wasn't burned as bad, so the skin was much more "normal" looking at this point, and less raw. And it didn't have any of the same "spots" where you'd think there's an infection. The bad news it had the the last blister to pop, so the skin was a bit tougher yet to cut than the other hand (where it practically fell off in your hands) -- Hey, I warned you this was going to be gruesome!

We then bandaged up his left hand - which didn't have any possible signs of infection. The doctor said we didn't need to come back, but he wanted to see a picture of his hands in 2 weeks - just to be sure he's coming along. He then called in a prescription for the additional antibiotic ointment, and he wants us to use that and the Silvadene (burn cream) but with the gauze vs sterile pads. He really wants us to let it breathe more, and possibly remove the bandages altogether within the next week or so - as they start to scab more.

But we can continue to put the "gloves" on over the gauze bandages like we've been doing to keep the wound clean - at least the doctor gets that boys will be boys and play in dirt! And we should keep up the changing every other day.

I promised Drew throughout the procedure that he could have anything he wanted for lunch - so I bribed him with McDonald's. That was the least I could do after all of this! Um, I think it's safe to say he's not going to like going to the doctor's office for a long while yet!

Peeping Tom - Already

I know when you have a boy (or any child for that matter) they're going to embarrass you. I did after all have a brother so I saw first hand the misery he put my mom through... like walking through Denny's with his pants hiked up like Steve Urkel, snorting and saying something to the fact of "Don't you Love Me Mom .?Why are you walking away from me ?"

Well this weekend, Drew's started doing it too. On Friday we went to Chevy's for dinner, and Drew needed yet another diaper change (his second during dinner). After getting him off the diaper changing station located in the handicapped stall, I put him down on the ground. All you moms, I'm sure know what's coming....

Drew looks under the stall at the poor woman doing her business and says "I See You! Hi!" Then proceeds to wave with his white gloves at the poor woman.

Had I been smart, I would have apologized to her. Instead I scolded Drew, and was humiliated while I put the contents of his diaper bag back together. The poor woman ran out of there so fast I never had the chance to say anything. Come to think of it, I wonder if she even washed her hands...

But this is just one of many instances I'm sure we'll have with my little "Peeping Tom".

Hands update: Last night I did my first solo bandage change (Dave is in St. Louis on Business). It went better than expected - I think Drew's resigned that he has to go through this torture, and he didn't fight me too much. In fact he was laughing and singing with me when I changed the bandages on his left hand.

The Right hand (burned worse) wasn't quite the same story. It started out well, while taking off the bandages, then when it was exposed, he flipped. I need to look at the blisters to see how they're healing and such, and he wasn't having it. I think I spotted what could be an infection forming, but Drew wouldn't sit still enough to get a great look at it.

So I think I'm going to schedule an appointment for him today to have the doctor look at it. I'd feel better getting it checked out now, rather than our scheduled re-check on Tuesday.

Dreaming of Letters

Friday night was kind of a lazy night in the Briseno's household. After a rough week, I didn't feel like cooking so we ran down to Blockbuster to pick out a movie and then out to Chevy's for dinner (where we ran into our Pastor and his family).

After a long wait, we finally got our table and had dinner, but that meant that Drew didn't get to bed at the 7:30 hour he's fallen asleep at since his injury. We got home close to 9pm, and by that point he wanted nothing to do with bed.

Rather he fell asleep on my his body pillow, watching "Johnny", and of course cuddling with his letters. Yes, that would be a "D" he's clinging to in his left hand. Daddy had to pry it out of his hands when he carried him to his crib shortly after this picture.

Lookin' Sharp

Now how adorable do the two best guys in my life look?! On Sunday we had to look our best because not only was it church, but it was also the wedding ceremony for our Pastor's middle son.

We were thinking that if Drew looked extra sharp, it would divert everyone's attention away from his hands. Well our plan didn't work entirely, but we did get an even amount of comments like "What Happened?", and "Oh my gosh does he look cute!" So I'd say it was a success.

This was the first wedding Drew ever sat through, and I must say - he did AWESOME. We had to get to church about an hour early because Dave had to usher as well, and while normally on ushering days we're a 1/2 hour early, the wedding had us there an hour before the ceremony. For the record - bride and groom looked amazing!

Here are a few other adorable shots of Drew all dressed up.




Update on his hands: We changed the bandages last night, and boy do his hands look so much better! There is one remaining blister on his left hand (the hand that wasn't burned as much), but many of the fingers are starting to look normal on both hands. Which is a great sign of improvement. I'm hoping in a changing or two he will be able to only have his palms covered on both hands. Thank you all for your continuing thoughts, prayers and concern.

Can You Tell Me How to Get, How to Get to...

You know how the song goes, sing along now - ♪♫ Can you tell me how to get, how to get to "Elmo Street"♪♫

OK well maybe that's not how the song goes for you, but in "Drew's world" Sesame Street is known as Elmo Street! So what if Elmo doesn't come on until the end of the show - don't you know he is the star?

Ms. Stephanie first told me about this a week or two ago, but the other morning Drew was begging for "Elmo Street" on TV - of course it wasn't on right then, but it was so funny.

OK just so you're not lacking for another adorable picture - here's a great shot I took at Camping (those blogs were already photo heavy).

Sign of Resilience

This photo was taken on Sunday - the day we came back from camping, and two days after Drew burned his hands. All weekend, we were commenting at how resilient this kid was, but when we saw him grasping those blocks with only his thumbs and a slippery glove... we were amazed.

Of course when he'd drop them, or couldn't maneuver them into the corresponding shape, he'd get ticked. So ticked, that after about 3-rounds of shapes, we had to put the cube "nigh-night".

This is only one of the many things that Drew's doing with his hands that I wouldn't have imagined - he's also eating, attempting to hold his sippy cups (sometimes successfully), and climbing up and down things.

Thursday morning he woke up around 5:30am screaming - after some consoling and trying to get him to use his words, we determined his poor hands were itchy. I think that's a sign of healing - which is good. It's just so tough to explain to him why we can't take off his "gloves".