Christmas: the Season of Stitches

On December 22, Heathen #3 asked if he could have an apple for a snack.  Absolutely!  I'm a big fan of fruit for snacks.  Not only is it healthy, but the Heathens can all get their own fruit out of the refrigerator.  He asked if I would cut it up, but I told him to just eat it whole.

At this point in the story, I was upstairs putting away laundry.  10 minutes later, Heathen #3 comes back upstairs and asked for a band-aid.  When I asked why he needed one, I was presented with a thumb that OBVIOUSLY needed a few stitches!  There had been no shriek, no scream, no crying, NO WARNING that I was going to be presented with this thumb.

As I wrapped his hand in a clean wash cloth and went into "Mom Mode" in preparation for heading to the ER, I asked how he had cut his thumb.  Heathen #3 decided that he was going to cut his own apple!

Everyone reading, relax.  He didn't touch a knife.  He used one of those apple slicers that cores the apple and cuts it into section.  The one I have is older that Heathen #2.  One of the apple pieces got stuck in the slicer and he used his thumb to push it through.  THUS the sliced thumb.

Heathen #3 has never had stitches before.  The ER people were fantastic with him.  Heathen #3 received 3 stitches in the tip of his thumb and he took them like a pro!  He even managed to weasel a popsicle and orange juice out of the nurse.  By the time they had him ready to leave, he looked like a burn victim!

On December 26, Heathen #2 REFUSED to wait for me to open a package.  It was one of those horrible plastic packages that are miserable to open.  He suggested using a knife and I specifically told him ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!   Ten minutes later, he came and asked me for a band-aid!

On my second trip to the ER in less than a week, guess who I ran into: the same triage nurse, the same roon nurse, and the same doctor to do the stitches!!!  Could I have been any more lucky?  When we left the ER, Heathen #2 was also the proud owner of 3 stitches.

 At the Zoo, we don't return to the doctor for them to remove the stitches.  We have our own EMT (thank heavens).  It is considered a rite of passage to have the Asst. Zookeeper remove the stitches at home.  Before school started for the new year, Heathen #3 had joined the ranks and Heathen #2 had renewed his membership.

Heathen #3's Stitches Before Removal

Heathen #3's Stitches During Removal



Heathen #3 After Stitch Removal 

Heathen #2's Stitches During Removal

Heathen #2 Taking Out His Own Stitches

Heathen #2 After Stitch Removal