Emerald Green Sunday - The Splinter

We headed to Heaven Farms this past week. We have gone there every year for 3 years. I love taking the kids picture in front of the sign with the tape measure so I can see how big they have gotten. It's the best! They have a sign with the farms name on it, the year and a measuring stick. How cool is that?

This year we were there about 5 minutes when my son acquired an injury that made me want to scoop him up and run not walk to the nearest pediatrician. If he was younger and wouldn't protest I probably would have.

Ok, it was only a splinter it's not like he was cut by some old farm equipment or something but you haven't seen this splinter.

We were in the dried corn boxes (like a sand box but with corn). There were some buckets and pails and my kids were enjoying filling the pails with corn and dumping them. I took a photo of Goddess and noticed my son looking at his finger. When I look at the picture now I see that I actually captured the moment it happened but it is so fuzzy that I won't post it.

I asked him what happened and he said, I hurt my finger. I asked if I could see it. He gave me his hand and I was shocked. There was a huge piece of emerald green painted wood from the corn box under his nail. It was so big! It went right under the nail almost to his cuticle.

I asked if it hurt and he said yes. I told him we should go right to the doctor but he said he wanted to stay. We did. He was fine. I spent the entire time worried about the nail. Would we be able to get it out? Was the wood once an animal pen? Did he need to get a shot for infection? Would we be heading to the hospital?

After about an hour and a half I told them it was time to go. On my way I called the pediatrician and told them I was bringing him in and why.

The doctor did try but nothing. Due to the size he suggested I rush to the ER and have them give him a general, cut the nail and remove it. He also said that my son's shots were up to date and to not let them give him a tentnous shot.

The doc was awesome. Since I don't have medical insurance he didn't charge me, savings of $90.00.

I headed home and called a nurse friend who lives on my street. Her suggestion, it if is not bothering him, leave it alone. Keep it clean and covered and let it work it's way out. The moment there is any sign of infection bring him to the hospital.

The first night he woke up crying. He said his finger hurt and it was hard to console him. He cried silently with his arm over his eyes. He didn't want to be held and kept telling us to leave him alone. My thought was to rush him to the ER right then. The Teach and I were concerned and looked at each other over my son's head. We told each other that we would wait to see how he is in the morning.

The morning came and all was well. It will be a week tomorrow that he got the splinter. There is no redness, puffyness and he hasn't complained at all about pain. We keep it covered, cleaning it every day and re-bandaging the finger. Hopefully in another week we have enough nail growth to see some of the tip of this Emerald Tree. Until then, we wait.