I'm sorry to say that Erin took a tumble last night and gave the back of her head quite a whack. She'll have a goose egg to show for it. She recovered pretty quickly, but for a moment there, she was dazed and confused and couldn't remember what city she lived in.
I called Telehealth, reported the symptoms and was transferred to 911, who sent an ambulance. Erin was well enough to be embarrassed, but the dizziness just told me (and the paramedics agreed) that we were better safe than sorry. So we went.
I am grateful for Telehealth. I am grateful for the 911 system and the ambulance. And I'm grateful for Grand River Hospital. We're now in our second hour of waiting, but we feel pretty well cared for. The paramedics also asked for our health card, so I know this visit won't be costing us. For that, I am very grateful.
What I am not grateful for is the idiot that programmed the waiting room's TV. Who the Hell thought that A&E's "Scared Straight" (a reality program where troubled kids are put in jail for a night so they can be "scared straight") was a calming thing to have on in the waiting room? As something to entertain and soothe people who are already pretty tense and on edge, this really leaves something to be desired.
(Update: 9:12 a.m.): Erin ordered me to go home around 1:40 a.m. At the time, she was still feeling a bit fuzzy, but generally better, and very, very bored. She got to see a doctor around 2, and checked over. She was back at home at around 3:30.
The assessment is a concussion -- a minor one, but still something to watch out for, as it's the second one she's had in under five years. She's resting now, and will probably sleep through the morning, mostly because we both saw the wrong side of 4 a.m. I did follow the instructions and woke her up around 7 to make sure she was still lucid, and she was.
I should mention that grandpa Wendell and grandma Judy were visiting us from California this week, having flown into Buffalo and rented a car this past Sunday. Sadly, they had to catch a flight this morning. We regret that we didn't do all that much to show them the town, as we were busy, but they did get to see the kids after school a lot, and we all went out to dinner and bought additional fish for the fish tank. Otherwise, we spent quiet evenings at home. But at least we gave them an interesting stay.
In all seriousness, I was glad that they were there to put the kids to bed while I followed Erin to the hospital. As for the kids, they were total troopers, and coped admirably.