[at-l] Update on Middleun...

[shellydhale at earthlink.net (Shelly Hale)]

Well, we finally got to come home from the hospital yesterday.  Jerrica & I were so glad to get out of there!

Many of you wanted to know what had happened.  So, here goes...

Sunday evening I was with Dawg & Peanuts in Franklin trying to warm up at Shoney's and get some supper before we headed home.  I had called my father-in-law to check in and let them know that I was safe off the trail and getting ready to hit the road.  Then, he told me that Jerrica had been bit by my husband's cousin's Rottweiler, Max.  But, he told me that it wasn't that bad, but that Debbie (my mother-in-law) was taking her to the ER just to be sure.

After several frustrating minutes trying to get a hold of my husband at work and cursing the Barney Fife (sp?) that was working security that day, I was finally able to talk to him.  He told me he was leaving right then to meet his Momma at the ER.

After a nerve-racking 2-hour ride home through some really terrible weather, I called my father-in-law to find out where everyone was.  He told me that Jerry was on his way home with the girls.  As I was talking to Dawg on the phone telling her I'd made it home OK, Jerry pulled in.  I quickly hung up and ran out to the truck.  When I saw Jerrica's face I almost burst into tears.  You could see the entire imprint of the dog's teeth in her cheek and neck.  It was really bad.  About a 1/4 inch either way and she could have either lost her eye or have had her throat ripped open.  

I asked Jerrica what had happened and she told me that as they went into the house that she had squatted down and extended her hand to Max to let him get to know her so that she could pet him.  Then he lunged at her.  Mandy, my eldest, told me that Jerrica didn't do anything to cause the dog to go after her.  The dog never growled or barked before he bit her.  Mandy saw the whole thing happen and was the one to beat the dog off of Jerrica.  

At the ER, the doctor had Dermabonded the worst cuts back together and gave her a script for antibiotics.  On Monday, she started running a low grade fever and the bite started looking red...even worse than when she had come home.  Her head had started hurting really bad later that night, but neither acetaminophen or ibuprofen could touch it.  Tuesday morning I called our family doctor and he took her right in.  Dr. Byrd immediately had her admitted to the hospital with IV antibiotics.  She underwent two CT scans, had blood drawn, and had to get a Tetanus (sp?) shot. But, she remained a real trooper through it all.  Even at 9 years of age she sat through all of that prodding and poking with only squinted up eyes and a real hard squeeze to my hand.  I told her that she could cry if she wanted to, but she told me that was only what sissy's did.  Tough one, isn't she?  I always want to cry when I've had to have an IV put in!  LOL

Tuesday night she lay pretty lifeless in that hospital bed, and I was slowly dying inside.  Jerrica is my fearless one.  She ain't skeered of anything and there have been several times we've said that she should have been a boy.  She's always wanted to be a Vet, and I was really worried that not only would she have physical scars from this but that she would also have emotional scars that would keep her from being around animals.

By Wednesday she had perked up quite a bit, and she had the nurses wrapped around her little finger.  It didn't matter what she wanted or needed, they were right there.  The dayshift nurse, Sandy, spoiled her shamelessly.  Jerrica got whatever she wanted for her meals because she had called the kitchen and sweet talked the cook.  She loves ice-cream and everyone was trying to sneak it into her.  It was so funny.  I told Jerrica she had the makings of a great hiker...she's got the yogi-ing and ice-cream eating down pat!  LOL

By Friday morning, the cuts looked tremendously better.  The redness was completely gone, but there was still quite a bit of bruising left.  We left the hospital in the late afternoon.  After going by the florist to send thank you flowers to all of the staff, we picked up some movies and headed over to the Animal Control office to fill out some paperwork.  When we first got out of the van, a dog barked and Jerrica jumped and cringed.  I took her by the hand and led her over to the chain link fence and showed her that none of them could get out and get to her.  By the time we left she was begging to take one of them home with her.  I told her Momma had to get over this heart attack first.  But, I figure we'll be headed back over to the animal shelter before too long to bring one home.  LOL

Today she is running through the house and playing with her sisters.  Life is trying to return to normal...now if only I could get my house to resemble that.  LOL

I'd like to thank everyone for their well wishes while Jerrica was in the hospital.  I printed off all of those emails and put them in a little folder and gave them to her.  She got a big kick out of it.


Tenacious Tanasi
    (Shelly Hale)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hiking_backpacking_events/
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