"My 7 y/o vs. a trampoline"

While on a family visit to Caerphilly from our home in Aberdeenshire (yes, it's a very long. drive! ), my 7 year old daughter was bouncing on a trampoline in my sister's back garden when she fell awkwardly and hit her head on the metal edge of the trampoline and gashed her head (just above her right eyebrow) open.

Snatching a clean tea towel off the washing line to stem the blood flow, we bundled our hysterical daughter into the family car, punched in A&E to Google Maps on our phone and drove for the 15 minutes it took from us to get from. Caerphilly to University Hospital Wales A&E where my daughter was triaged almost immediately at the Paediatric Emergency ward and seen very quickly afterwards.

Because her wound so. obviously needed stitching, the doctor on duty bleeped a maxillofacial colleague to stitch her up. Unfortunately, my daughter loses all reason where needles are concerned and was absolutely hysterical and wouldn't let the maxillofacial doctor near her to put in the stitches after the local anesthetic had been applied despite mum and I's increasingly frantic threats, offers of bribery, and sweets/treats.

In the end there was nothing for it to wheel in the Big Guns and the nurse who triaged her ("Scottish Lesley" from. Hawick) was drafted in and we all recited Julia Donaldson's Gruffalo story while my daughter took. gas and air to calm herself down so the stitches could be put in (1 internal and 3 external).

Despite my daughter's hysteria, she was seen promptly and we simply couldn't fault the clinical care she received. I'm. also personally convinced that hearing an. accent from. home (accepting that folk from the Scottish Borders speak somewhat differently from Aberdeen/shire loons and quines) was a factor in calming her down sufficiently for treatment to be given. My family's thanks to all involved! She has an appointment at our village GP surgery tomorrow to have her stitches removed and I must say it was a great. job. The scar is barely visible.