The Resiliency of Children

"Look what happened to my dinger!" "My Mommy closed the car door on it!"

The beautiful little blond haired three year old was waving her finger at me from the gurney. Mom was distraught having slammed her daughter's finger in the car door. Xray was taken and no break determined. Now to do the fun part, putting stitches into a three year old!

"My Goodness! That looks like it really hurts. Should we do something about that?" says NPs Save Lives
"Yup! My Mommy says that you are going to have to sew up my dinger just like Grandma sews her quilts. I will watch while you do it."

All while inspecting her finger very closely. Having just put stitches in a 7 year old who screamed the entire time while his parents held him down, I was mightily impressed with this child.

"Okay sweetie! Let me go get my sewing kit and we'll fix you right up! Do you like bandaids?
"Yup! I LOVE bandaids. I have a Dora the Explorer one right down there on my leg."
No injury there.. just likes to pretend so she gets bandaids. I remember those days with my youngest.
"When we're all done, I'll even give you a lolly pop!
"I REALLY LOVE lolly pops!"
"Are you ready to put on the princess gown? While we proceed to wrap her in a toga style sheet to papoose her a little.

"That doesn't really look like a princess gown because it's not pink." All the while cooperating right along..

Okay, now the child is lying in place and it's time for the meaness to commence..

While the numbing medicine is being injected into her finger and the crying commences, "Oh my goodness, there's an ant trying to have a snack on your finger! Should we try to knock him off? We can't have him on there when we try to sew up your finger!
"Get that ant off of there!" she hollers!" All the while Mom is keeping her head turned while we inject her tiny finger.

"Okay! We got rid of the ant! Are you ready to watch us sew up your finger? You don't have to if you don't want to.."
"Yes! I want to watch you sew up my dinger!"

She proceeds to watch very closely the entire time.

Talking to her Mommy, "This nice doctor lady is sewing up my dinger!"
I explain to her that I'm not a doctor but a Nurse Practitioner to be.. I believe in making sure that everyone knows that I'm not a doctor impersonator.
"Even some nurses can sew up people just like doctors can now!"

After the whole process is finished and a bandage is applied, I give her two lolly pops. Big smiles commence!

As she goes out of the room, she looks back...

"Thanks for getting that mean old ant off and for sewing up my dinger!"