Monday, July 18, 2011

the bee sting.

Last Friday, at daycare, Sumner was stung by a bee.

When the teacher told me, I almost fell to the floor. Sumner's always struggled, because of his SPD, with injuries. He won't wear a bandaid. He sobs "call the ambulance." He is a mess.

Thankfully, in all this time, it has been Jack with the most difficult needs. Jack who needs 4 fillings, and another 4 starting next week. Jack who will have had 3 ENT surgeries after tomorrow. Jack who almost bit through his tongue, has postural disorder, and runs into the only person standing in a room. He can just handle these things better.

The teacher told the story:

Sumner was stung by a bee (on his knee) on the playground. He immediately started sobbing and they took him inside. He kept alternating between screaming "Why didn't Jack save me/protect me!" They calmed him a bit at which point he said "I got stung by a bee and I didn't die."

They tried to put an ice pack on it. (Another no go.) They finally carried him back outside and they convinced him to hold the ice pack. He told them that holding the ice pack in his hand made his knee feel better.

My heart melts. Of course, because he is so sweet, by the time we picked up he told us "the bee stung me because it loved me. It is my friend."

I told the nurse at the elementary I work at (which the boys will attend) "My child will be like none you have ever met. They will bring him down and he will tell you his leg is broken if it has a tiny scrape, but he won't let you put a bandaid on or ice it."

I know the immediate reaction was the "fight or flight" kicking in. It just makes me so sad that he has to feel pain so intensely. I wish I could ease it for him.

At least he didn't die.

3 comments:

Em said...

I love the kid logic that holding the ice pack in his hand helped his knee.

Have you ever tried NewSkin liquid bandage with Sumner? When I interned at a school for kids with autism, SPD and similar diagnoses, the nurse used that for kids who wouldn't tolerate having a band-aid on. It does sting, so I'm not sure if that would be more overwhelming with his SPD than the initial injury. It might get the same reaction as ice or a band-aid, but we've used it a couple times with my 2 yr old and I use it myself for cuts where a band-aid won't stick.

tbonegrl said...

that is a lovely idea! We'll have to try it out! Thanks for sharing. Even Jack has trouble with bandaids.

Manday said...

for the record, this post made me tear up, but also for the record, I am an emotional basketcase