Road not often traveled-create your mental map!

Slice 23 of 31
Wow, reflecting on the night...we celebrated my birthday and went for ice cream. The time was slipping away from us so we hurried home to get the kids into their normal bedtime routine. Nattie got her bath and Kam was next to get his shower. That's when our normal evening drive took a different road...

I stepped out of the bathroom (I am over protective in the bathroom-water=arms length away)BIG MISTAKE! just to get my pjs on and I suddenly heard this loud thud and then screaming. Kam had slipped in the tub and fell on his right hip area. He appeared to be in so much pain that I knew we'd be heading to the hospital...so off we went...

Now, I am pretty familiar with driving into the city, as that's where I work. I know the one way streets etc. etc. What I am not familiar with are the procedures for getting into the children's hospital emergency. I can count on one hand the number of times I have been there. When I'm tired, it's dark (things look so different at night) and I am freaking out because my kid is screaming from pain, my normal habits of mind were not with me.

So I parked the car with care got my little injured hero out and walked him into the hospital. Wouldn't it make sense that if there's a parking garage on both sides of the hospital there would be an entrance on both sides of the hospital? I guess I think too simplistic-NO ENTRANCE on the side where we parked...ARE YOU KIDDING ME? So I had to walk Kam all the way around the building-the nurses at the employee door wouldn't let us in that way, said they could get fired...So we walked all the way around...it seemed like we were walking on the conveyor belt that had no end-it was seriously one of the longest walks I can remember-but then again, when you're in the midst of the adrenaline rush, everything seems way more exaggerated...

So we finally made it to the ER department, got through the admission, seated in the waiting room and finally arrvied at the exam room. The quiet of the room seemed to calm Kameron down and he fell asleep waiting for the doctor to come in...I had some quiet reflection time and thought and wondered-how can I slice this?

The moral of my story is this: know your hospital! Especially if you've not been there before, especially if you're a new parent...take a tour and learn about the procedures for emergency situations. Create your mental map when you're not under stress! You will be glad you did! So you don't end up like me-feeling like a complete idiot when you don't know where to go. Be "Pre"pared...